Find out why Antique Flooring is the ideal choice for any new home or home remodel!
Not all things get better with age, but reclaimed, antique flooring is in the rank of things that do, like a fine wine or George Clooney. An article from the home adviser website highlights why antique, reclaimed flooring is a better choice than new flooring. Anyone paying attention to interior design trends knows that reclaimed, rustic wood is definitely popular. However, those who want to include antique flooring in their homes do not just have to go the rustic route. A wide array of options are available, fitting any home decor. Any style a home owner chooses means they will end up with a eco-friendly, unique floor that will retain its value.
The Look of Antique Flooring
New lumber can be treated, stained, and finished to have a variety of different looks. One thing that new wood cannot do, however, is make itself old. Antique flooring has a rustic, weathered look that is difficult to impossible to mimic. Depending on how and where this wood was originally installed, the look of it can be dramatically different from both new lumber and other reclaimed lumber.
How to Find Antique Wood Flooring
Antique wood flooring manufacturers have a wide network of demolition sites that they salvage from. Many times, condemned houses, barns, warehouses and other historic buildings contain useable wood that is worn and weathered. Before a structure is demolished, the wood is removed (usually in the form of beams) and goes through a re-milling process to make antique flooring products.
Some antique flooring actually came from trees that were meant to be turned into boards many years ago, but never made it to the mill. Logs were often sent from the woods to the mill by putting them into a river and letting them float down stream. Logs that were lost on this journey many years ago are recovered today by pulling them up from under the water. River reclaimed wood is exceptionally unique in appearance, and its rarity makes it a very valuable commodity.
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Basic Antique Flooring Facts
Although hardwood is in demand for modern builds, antique flooring is usually a variety of pine. Most historic homes and buildings will have pine flooring. Those looking to remodel historic homes will most likely need antique heart pine flooring. Antique pine is harder than new pine due to its age and stabilization through the years.
Different grades of antique wood flooring are much the same as any other lumber. Stronger, knot-free boards are the highest quality and the most expensive. Likewise, especially long or wide boards are more expensive because they are hard to find and difficult to mill.
Antique flooring is available finished or unfinished and with a choice of stained or clear coated for a more natural look.
Prices of Reclaimed Wood
Antique wood, as expected due to its unique nature, is pricier than new flooring or products from box stores. Antique wood flooring is a sound home investment and should make your home more valuable and easier to sell. But most importantly, the reason you’re going to install this type of flooring should be for your own satisfaction and enjoyment because it will last a lifetime.
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