Hand-scraped
and Distressed hardwood floors are
becoming a popular choice in today's
upscale homes and commercial buildings.
These floors are a newer trend but
are rooted in history. Before today's
modern sanding methods, floors were
hand scraped on site to make the
floors flat. Today's hand scraping
is done to add texture, richness
and uniqueness. Distressed hardwood
flooring is done by machine or by
hand. In an effort to reduce high
labour costs, manufacturers have
created machine-made distressed/scraped
looking floors.
These
are cheaper imitations of the real
thing. The problem with machine
distressing is repetition of the
pattern. As you look across the
floor you see the same pattern repeating
across the floor. This lacks a natural
feel to the floor. True hand scraped
is exactly that - done by hand.
When properly done this method creates
a truly unique floor. These floors
differ greatly in the amount of
the texture added to the floor and
the skill of the person scraping
the floor.
Some
manufacturers are just denting, scooping,
or roughing the floor. Others are sanding
the floor unevenly to create a worn look.
Still others are scraping the entire surface
of the flooring creating the most unique
hand made look. Some product lines allow
the customer to choose between heavy,
medium and light scraping. True artisans
can create a reclaimed look complete with
wormholes, splits and other naturally
occurring character markings. |
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The
labour used in hand scraping varies
greatly. Some floor installers simply
have their crew scrape the floor
after it is installed in the home.
Results vary widely based on the
skill of the person or persons doing
the scraping. Lack of control and
expertise can lead to disastrous
results. Scraping is a plant environment
is also varied. Some are using illegal
immigrants for the scraping labour;
one company uses the federal prison
system, smartly not advertised as
such. Yet another uses Pennsylvania
Amish craftsman to create their
Amish Hand-Scraped collection.
Some
homeowners are buying scraped floors unfinished
and applying the finish on site, but most
are choosing prefinished. These floors
require special methods to prepare the
floor for finishing.
Regular on site sanding can destroy the
texture of the floor that the customer
is paying for. The most expensive lines
are being finished by hand sometimes referred
to as "hand rubbed". Most of the prefinished
floors are excellent and create convenience
and speed of installation for the contractor
and homeowner alike. |
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One of the great benefits of a prefinished
floor is the ability of each plank to
move independently with the changes of
humidity in the home. On site finishing
bonds the finish between planks requiring
the finish to split as the floor contracts
at dry humidity levels. These cracks rarely
create a problem and are natural in hardwood
floors, they are less noticeable in prefinished
microbevelled floors.
Scraped floors that have darker finished
tend to show the scraping more than natural
finished floors. This is due to the finish
pooling in the scrapes causing shadows
drawing your attention to the character
in the floor. Most hardwood flooring manufacturers
have web sites showing the consumer what
the floors look like. Many have displays
at dealers near your home so you can actually
see and touch what you are buying.
Hand scraped floors are not cheap. They
are for those looking for a truly unique
look. The cheaper machine made distressed
hardwood floors material can retail around
£10 per square foot. You will pay £15
and up per square foot for hand scraped.
With most things in life, the real thing
is hard to imitate and most people know
a fake when they see it.
A true hand scraped floor will give a
unique, warm, rich look to your home and
will be an absolute guaranteed conversation
piece with your friends and guests. |
