Distressed Wood Flooring Explained

Distressing is a technique which is currently being used on everything from jeans fabric to wood flooring.  Distressed wood floors are the ideal compromise for anyone who is yearning the look of an old floor but the functionality and the practicality of a new floor.  Distressed wood floors are not surprisingly a popular choice in this period of style where people desire products which have a strong heritage or a story to tell.  Although distressed wood floors have neither of these things from an age point of view, the look suggests that the floor has stood the test of time and has a history all of its own. These are often called antique wood flooring for this reason.

The technique used to distress a wood floor effectively involves damaging the floor to make it look like it has suffered many years of wear and tear.  Distressing can be carried out by hand or by machine.  Typically, chains, scrapers, hammers and other damaging objects are used to create the distressed effect which is so desired today.  A distressed wood floor implies that the floor has a long standing history and a bit of a story to tell.  A look which works well in both traditional and modern interior settings, it is easy to see why distressed wood flooring is so sought after.

An alternative to hand distressing is for floors to be tumbled.  A tumbled floor is an alternative to hand distressed wood flooring which has a very similar looking finish.  Tumbling floor boards is a process which creates a similar end look to distressing and involves rotating the floor boards in a huge drum where they roll about and bounce off each other causing damage to both the faces and the edges of the planks.  The end result of tumbling is arguably more random than distressing and it has the added benefit of distressing the edges of the boards, which serves to change the overall look when the floor is laid.

Distressed and tumbled wood floors are particularly effective ways to add old house charm to new properties as well as being a clever idea to turn a worn and tired old floor into something a bit more interesting and desirable.  Colours of distressed wood floors and levels of distress vary from product to product but there is likely to be a distressed wood floor option to suit your needs and budget.  In fact, you can even distress your own wooden floor if you have the courage, but it’s not a job for the faint hearted!