Wood floors have been a mainstay in our homes for several hundred years. Born out of necessity to cover dirt floors they have evolved into tapestries of utilitarian beauty beneath our feet. Most wood floors today are made from trees harvested in the present, from common varieties like oak, maple and cherry. But there are some unique choices available that not only provide diversity from the more common varieties, they offer a benefit to our environment too.
Antique and reclaimed wood floors are made from wood that once was used for a different purpose. The wood may have been the walls of a threshing barn, shielding its contents from the elements of the Midwest plains. It may have been the beams that formed the structure of an old textile mill in New England or a sawmill in the Pacific Northwest. It may even have been used in the barrels that housed a prized vintage wine.
Now this wood is being recycled into antique and reclaimed wood flooring. Floor companies and entrepreneurial individuals are taking this wood and processing it so that it’s usable as floors for your home.
So what does antique and reclaimed flooring mean to you as a homeowner looking for new flooring ideas? It gives you a whole new range of options that benefit both you and the environment. Consider this:
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Reusing old wood preserves existing forests.
Using recycled wood preserves our environment by reducing the need to cut existing trees to make new floors. What could be better than getting a new wood floor while knowing that you gave a little help to the environment? -
You can get wood species that are no longer available.
Some woods are no longer commercially available because of their rarity due natural causes or over-harvesting. American Chestnut was once used to build barns and factories but a blight at the turn of the century virtually eliminated this species. Using reclaimed wood gives you the opportunity to have a floor made from these unique types of woods. -
Wood that comes with a history makes a unique style choice.
Think about it. Installing a floor made of wood from beer casks from a turn-of-the-century brewery has some character and history behind it. In fact, it has a story to tell, one that you might enjoy retelling to your dinner guests some evening. It’s unique and definitely not in everyone’s home. -
Antique wood has attributes that new wood doesn’t.
The wood used to build the factories, barns and other structures 150 years ago was likely to come from virgin old-growth forests. It exhibits a tight, dense grain structure that doesn’t exist in the trees found in today’s managed and relatively young forests. This offers you not only a beautiful floor but one that has less tendency to warp and “move”. This is a beneficial attribute particularly in wide plank flooring.
Antique and reclaimed wood flooring is truly one of those unique types of products that’s not only desirable but offers benefits as well. What other products for your home offer the undeniable beauty of wood along with a history too? If you’re leaning toward wood for your next flooring choice you owe it to yourself to check out antique and reclaimed wood floors. They offer a distinct style option and are good for the environment too.
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