For centuries wood floors had been the domain of only the wealthiest. Which was almost exclusively
seen in the homes of Kings and Queens, in museums and in churches. Often, skilled craftsmen would
labor for years on the same floor, meticulously cutting each intricate inlay or pattern by hand.
The only other wood floors in existence were rough, hand hewn planks
that formed the surface of the floors in only a few of the more common folks homes.
In either place, each wood floor was the result of hundreds of hours of the painstaking processes of hand-cutting,
scraping and planing.
For century after century men toiled in the art of crafting wood floors. Then, in 1885, the side-matcher was
developed, and tongue and groove was born. Creating flooring with a groove on one long side and a tongue on
the other. This new milling allowed wood floors to be blind-nailed.
The flooring was 7/8 inch thick, 2 1/2 or 3 1/4 inch wide, and most pieces were at least eight feet long.
Thirteen years later, in 1898, the
end matcher appeared.
Until that point, all flooring ends of each
piece had to be on joists, as sub-floors were not commonly used.
The 20th century brought with it several important changes in the flooring industry. The side-matcher could allow
hollow-backing on the boards, making them lighter and allowing them to conform better to sub-floors, which were at
this point becoming more commonplace. Flooring dimensions slimmed down: 5/16 inch, square -edge flooring and 3/8-inch
and 1/2-inch flooring were introduced, helping to decrease hefty freight charges. Coming on the scene too was central
heating which wreaked havoc with wood floors, but the introduction of the
dry kiln gave flooring
a better chance to succeed in normal living conditions.
While flooring mills were burning their own waste to generate their own electricity and heat, installers in the field
had nothing but their own physical strength and a few tools to get the job done - typically a hatchet, hand saw,
hammer, pry bar, block plane and string. Perhaps the most labor-intensive aspect of the job was the scraping process.
Instead of sanding the floor, men would go down on their
knees and pull scraper blades across the floor. It didn't take long for floor men to find an
easier way to smooth the floor, and in the 1920s, a machine scraper was invented.
With the coming of World War II, wood flooring production went into overdrive, with government flooring projects
measured by the acre instead of the square foot. The 1940s also saw the introduction of the sanding machine, with
power nailers and power saws introduced during the 1950s. Finishes changed and improved during this time as well,
with lacquer coming on the scene.
After the war, the country experienced a building boom, and an increasing demand for wood flooring. In 1955, wood
flooring reached its peak production at more than 1.2 billion board feet that year. In some areas, contractor companies
were installing floors in as many as 50 houses per day.
In 1966, as wall to wall carpet was becoming more affordable for most home buyers the Federal Housing Authority,
along with other leading agencies, began approving carpet as part of a 30-year mortgage. Hardwood floors were no
longer a necessity, and the industry experienced a significant set-back. It was not uncommon for companies to go
from installing 30,000 feet per week to 4,000 a week in just six months. This trend continued into the 70s and early
80s, with the industry bottoming out in 1982. Since then, the numbers have climbed steadily, presently at more than
six times the level they were in the early 80s.
Today's market is extremely divers. Professional installers enjoy a variety of specialized
pneumatic and power tools that eliminate much of the hard labor associated with the industry's humble beginnings,
while consumers can choose from a multitude of species from around the globe, a variety of finishes, including
waterborne finishes that appeared on the scene in the 1980s.
It is not uncommon for homes in New England, Eastern Canada and Europe which are several hundred years old to have
the original solid wood floor still in use today.
Custom Wood Floors have made it possible to have a 1-of-A-Kind wood floor in your home, office, or common areas as
well as many public and private buildings. They include, but NOT limited to:
Installation of Wood Floor Accents, Borders,
Crests
or Medallions,
Mixed Media involving stones, and metals,
Ornamental Wood Floors,
Parquets and Painted Wood Floors. These mediums often use many types of Domestic & Imported Exotic Wood
Species. And with today's modern Wood Floor Finishes, many sheen levels, as well as hardness levels, and custom
mixed finishes are available.
Natural shellacs, lacquers, and varnishes were used in the past, as were waxes, often blended with oils.
Oil - Oiled floors have existed for several thousand years and is the most common floor finish used globally.
Oil finished floors are made from naturally derived drying oils, and are not to be confused with petroleum based
oils. Pre-finished oil floors can be UV cured. Most vegetable based oils are 100% natural and contain no VOCs.
Maintenance and care has never been easier. Wood Floors are a life time investment that should be dealt with
seriously from the technical aspects to the wide variety of wood floor products and their specific application.
One of the easiest and most effective products for cleaning your hardwood floors is a simple "Swiffer" duster.
My better half insists nothing works better on wood floors. If you prefer to mop your floors be sure to ring the
mop out thoroughly before setting it down on the floor. Any amount of standing water is a sure way to damage wood
floors.
Aside from pet stains the most common cause of damage to wood floors is from potted plants.
So do yourself a favor and get those potted plants up and off of your valuable hardwood floors.
The only other wood floors in existence were rough, hand hewn planks
that formed the surface of the floors in only a few of the more common folks homes.
Crests
