Historical flooring restoration

Historical Flooring Restoration When contemplating historic interiors, many people imagine rooms with gleaming wood floors adorned with oriental rugs. This perception of the past is only partially correct – in truth, polished hardwood floors (and room-sized oriental rugs) were not common until late nineteenth century. Before that time, wood was actually the predominant material used in floor coverings, but its appearance was much humbler than you might expect.

The first wooden floors of colonial America were wide and thick planks carved in the abundant old forests of the continent. Due to the age of the trees and their large diameter, the desirable heartwood was extremely tight, making the wood harder and more durable than the relatively immature wood of the same species that is harvested today. The first floors of wood, like that of the Woodlawn Plantation of 1805, were generally untreated.

Although the wide floorboards were stuck together at installation, gaps opened between them due to fluctuations in temperature and humidity, allowing cold and humid air to pass from the basement. Small objects were also likely to fall through these holes, disappearing into the depths. This was finally rectified by the threshing boards, a simple technique in which the long edge of the board was planned with a profile that interlocked with the adjacent panel. Now, when the wood trimmed and pulled away, the gap was hidden by the edge of the adjacent plank. Decorative painting was a big hit in the 18th century.

Before the mid-nineteenth century, there were few finished hardwood floors, but the richest houses could display hardwood floors in some public rooms. Parquet is the method of placing pieces of wood in geometric patterns (the chevron and diamond being the most common) and attaching the parts to the subfloor to the floor using tiny nails. This process required a lot of work, as each piece had to be cut and adjusted by hand. To smooth the wood surfaces to a constant level, the entire floor was scraped and planed by hand, then varnished and / or waxed.

Another advantage of the industrial revolution has been the invention of steam wood machines that have allowed the production of finished panels in series. Now, the dimension lumber could be milled into fixed lengths and widths, which speeded up the installation of the floors and made them look much more finished. It was not until the end of the 19th century that average Americans began to have what we now consider to be polished hardwood floors in their homes. Appearing first in public halls and kitchens, finished hardwood floors spread quickly in bedrooms and other private spaces.

Hardwood floors are a classic choice for a reason. Contact Wood Floor Planet today for more information on wood floor installation and refinishing.

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