Wide Plank Hardwood Floors

Old houses usually have wide plank hardwood floors. It was the practice during the colonial times to cut through the tree to the center. The boards produced varied in width as they moved closer to the core.The bark was removed from around the edges. The boards were then smoothened and straightened. The end results were floors featuring boards in different sizes.Hardwoods for FloorsDifferent kinds woods are suitable as material for floors. The most common, although most expensive, are oak, chestnut, and maple. There are also other exotic kinds of wood from different parts of the world. But before you order, make sure that they come from sustainable forests.Hand scraping, a process that gives new floors an antique look is popular among manufacturers who customize hardwoods. People just love the rustic charm that comes with floors that display a bit of history; of it being part of some exciting and interesting past. Wood gives that added elegance to any room.A ballroom for example will look good with a floor made from wide planks of hardwood. Or a lobby will look all the more imposing and grand with richly textured and colored wide wooden planks.The Wider The BetterDepending on the size and importance of the room, the width of the hardwood planks varies. Some people, however, believe that the wider the planks, the more elegant the hardwood floor looks.Nowadays, production of hardwood floorboards undergoes strict quality control. They come in prefabricated sizes and specifications. This new breed of flooring is oftentimes engineered to allow easy installation. And these materials are easy to care for and maintain.Wider planks create a look of elegance and style. The patterns on the wood are more visible. The whole floor looks decadent and rich with texture.You may encounter a bit of a problem with wider planks. When they become damaged beyond restoration, you many have to replace the whole thing. This can be very expensive. Or when the planks expand due to moisture, you may have to do some major renovations. Despite all these consideration, wider planks evoke their own level of elegance and class.