Parlor at Jefferson's Monticello

A wood floor will last for centuries; consider Monticello, President Jefferson’s home from the 1890’s with its magnificent parquet floors. Wood has always been considered one of the floors of choice. According to a  “A Brief History of Wood Floors,” as late as 1625 most European houses still featured beaten-earth floors as opposed to wood or other surfaces. Even when wood flooring made its debut, it was mostly rough and coarsely finished.  Finely finished, elegant wood flooring did not make its true debut until the Baroque era (1625-1714), when sanding, staining and design truly came to the forefront.

The popularity of wooden floors was boosted by the abundance of wood in the American colonies (1607-1780). Many homes featured boards of random widths nailed to floor joists in any configuration possible.

Wooden flooring was first mass-manufactured late in the American Victorian era, 1840-1910, and an E. L. Roberts mail-order catalog from 1903 features “wood carpeting” made of 1 1/2″ by 5/16″ wood strips glued to a 3-foot roll of heavy cotton canvas, made to be installed by tacking down the “carpet” with brads every foot or so. This was the grandfather of the modern prefinished floor.
Choices of wood flooring today include the usual American hardwoods such as maple, oak,

Mannington Chesapeake Hickory Plank

hickory or even pine, but exotic species and reclaimed woods are also popular.

Mannington Chesapeake Hickory Plan (close up)

Wood can be made to look distressed or antiqued.  It can be very contemporary with a piano finish.  It can be wildly colored like Tiger wood; there is no end to the choices.  There are no limits to the ways to express your personal decorating tastes.

Not only are there numerous choices of wood, but also manufacturers have dramatically improved the finishes they apply at the factory. Years ago the only way to care for your wood floors was to wax them, often times by hand. The new protective coatings, such as urethane embedded with aluminum oxide particles, dramatically increases the scratch resistance of wood flooring. Because of the natural softness of wood, however, it should be noted that wood can be scratched and dented. This should be considered part of the beauty and character of the floor, as well as the inherent nature of wood.

Shaw's Scuff-Resist Finish

Today’s new finishes are easy to take care for.  Sweeping or vacuuming on a regular basis keeps gritty particles from scratching the floor.  Using one of the handy spray cleaners and drying the floor as you go makes upkeep easy.  A walk off mat in front of the doors will keep sand and gritty particles from being tracked in from the outside.

Wood floors add beauty and comfort to any home.  Enjoy!

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