Everything vintage seems to be in style, even the very ground that we walk on. Hand scraped and distressed hardwood flooring is very popular among homeowners that are looking for that old, reclaimed look. Distressed flooring will last a long time and also show minimum wear, which is great when it comes to high traffic areas.
So what exactly is distressed flooring? It is the very art of making hardwood floors appear aged and rugged, bringing out the very beauty in natures creation. It is actually viewed as a refinishing technique, which sounds the complete opposite of how they are made. The hardwood planks are intentionally manipulated and damaged to give them an imperfect lookgiving them their own unique style and decorative form. Homeowners take pride in their craftsmanship whether they helped with the task or had it done for them. They are becoming popular not only in homes but restaurants, retail stores, and even museums. The beauty of the wood beyond its looks is that they even withstand heavy traveled areas.
There are many different techniques to distress wood flooring, but its also very labor intensive, so may not be for everyone. Artists of distressing have practiced with different tools, developing techniques for certain scraped looks. With a variety of methods no two artists distress the same way, whether its hand scraping, sanding, denting, or forming man made knots and splits, everything is usually unique to the artist.
Another important factor to weigh in is the type of wood that is being distressed, whether is it hickory, pine, etc. some distress easier than others. So, before you start using every tool in the shed, experiment on some sample pieces of wood to get down a technique and look that you would like. Take the time to acquire the art of distressing and create your own style that you will enjoy for a lifetime.
