Hand Scraped Solid Wood Flooring

Hardwood flooring which bears the marks of character and rustic living has never been more popular than it is currently in 21^st Century homes. Aged wood has a particular charm that speaks of country living and of gentler days gone by. It evokes comforting images of hearth and home and family life, and is the reason many people opt for hand scraped wood flooring for their homes.

Imagine traditional wood flooring bearing the marks of character and style but which benefits from the advanced finishing techniques on the market today. Hand scraped flooring is an asset to any solid wood type and looks great in all types of homes. Both lovers of minimalist and traditional design enjoy the authenticity and bespoke qualities of a hand scraped floor.

The difference between hand scraped and distressed wood floors

The basic difference between the two is that hand scraped wood is exactly as it says: wood floor sanding company which has been marked and scored by hand in order to achieve a traditional and time worn appearance. A ‘distressed’ floor is one that has been subjected to similar treatment but by a machine. As one might expect the distressed floor option is by far the most cost effective and less labour intensive than the traditional hand scraping method.

Since both of these finishes will indeed last for many, many years with only basic maintenance and cleaning required, it may be worthwhile to opt for the hand scraped method or, if you are an artisan yourself, you might try doing it yourself. It has to be said though that by choosing a wood floor specialist to do this work their innate artistry and skill can transform naturally occurring holes, whorls and other distinctive markings into superb features of the wood.

Hand scraping can be done as a light, medium or heavy finishing and this work can be carried out on a floor that has already been laid. That means it is never too late to choose a hand scraped look for your floor, and you can change your mind whenever you want to.

If the floor is new then homeowners do have the choice of selecting a hand scraped veneer prior to the floor being laid. This type of pre-finished hand scraped work, generally known as ‘hand rubbed’ and is amongst the most costly options for solid wood flooring. However the up side has to be that you will never have to replace your floor again in your lifetime. In addition wood treated in this way will be unaffected by changes in temperature and will not be subjected to shrinkage or expansion.

Why choose hand scraped?

As well as being unique, homeowners know that their floor can never be copied and will remain a tailored and beautiful finish that adds beauty and value to the home. Whether your floor is brand new or been in situ for years you can choose to have an authentically finished hand scraped floor, and quite possibly for less than you think.

Hand scraped solid wood flooring is probably the oldest style of wood flooring sanding services there is and is currently enjoying a well-deserved resurgence in popularity. Modelled on a style that was first developed in the days before machinery, hand scraped wood has an intrinsic beauty and style which cannot be reproduced using any other method. Oddly enough the hand scraping method was used initially to try to smooth the wood to a uniform level of smoothness and to iron out irregularities. Today the same hand scraped method is used to produce the opposite effect.

Most hand scraped floors have a ‘recycled’ look about them when finished, and as such fit nicely into today’s homes and look great in both modern and traditional settings.