Hand-scraped flooring is not a new fad although it’s now regaining its popularity among those who want to give their homes and businesses a unique appeal.

What Exactly are Hand-Scraped Floors?

This hardwood flooring style can be dated as far back as the 1600s. Back then wood floors were scraped by hand because it was necessary to do so. Now that people are getting into rustic and distressed décor, hand-scraped flooring is slowly finding itself in the middle of this fad for both commercial and residential properties.

A lot of homeowners want to achieve an old-school vintage feel that only reclaimed wood can deliver. Not everyone however, can afford reclaimed wood, and it can be challenging to acquire the amount you need for your room or house. That is perhaps why more and more people are turning to hand-scraped flooring which is always readily available. Real hand-scraped wood could also be a bit pricey because of the value of its human touch. If you are on a limited budget, there are cheaper manufactured options that look really similar to real hand-scraped ones.

There are two varieties of hand-scraped hardwood floors – the hard ones with more visible markings, and the softer ones with the more subtle markings. You should also note that there are not two hand-scraped wood planks that look exactly the same and if you are not much into this sort of inconsistency then perhaps you would want to consider conventional hardwood floors. Homes with pets are better off with hand-scraped floors as pet claw scratches won’t be that obvious on them.

What are the Disadvantages?

Same as with any other type of flooring, there is a downside to this one. For one, others worry that hand-scraped wood floors might go out of style in a few years, then installing one now might backfire. However, if you choose to go for a traditional style then it would never go out of style. Hand-scraped floors are also more challenging to refinish as it requires to be sanded further down due to its grooved nature. This will take a longer time to finish and of course a higher bill to pay.

This particular type of flooring doesn’t go with every architectural style. If yours for example is modern, then hand-scraped floor that is quite rustic in appearance may look out of place. It is, on the other hand perfect for historic homes and cottages. It might be better to take some samples in your home for you to see how it would look like.

So is hand-scraped wood flooring for you? Of course you do have other great flooring options to choose from. Tony’s Flooring can give you excellent choices and you’ll surely find one that suits your home perfectly!