Distressed Wood Flooring – Three Important Questions to Ask Your Retailer
The art of making distressed wood flooring is a delicate one. Hitting the wood with a canvas bag filled with nuts and bolts is one of the top tricks used by people who specialize in distressed finishing to create the desired outcome. It’s like purchasing an antique that’s never, ever been used, guaranteeing that your brand new distressed wood flooring will last a lifetime even though it looks like it’s already seen several.
Follow these tips to avoid being ripped off by unscrupulous merchants in your search for distressed wood flooring.
Here are Three Important Questions to Ask Any Distressed Wood Flooring Retailer to Ensure You’re Getting Value for Your Money
- Is the flooring handcrafted? Distressed wood floors should never be run-of-the-mill factory duplicates. Instead, they should be handcrafted and scraped in order to produce distinctive patterning and appeal. Cherry, maple, oak, hickory, pine and walnut trees are among the small selection of lumber used to make distressed wood.
- Are the planks pre-finished? Many retailers offer the options of pre-finished or ready-to-finish distressed wood. You should seriously consider getting the pieces pre-finished, because many people end up sanding away the very dents and scrapes they paid for when they try to finish the wood themselves. Pre-finished distressed hardwood flooring also has the benefit of being able to expand and contract without cracking the finish, as often occurs on hardwood floors that are finished on site.
- What species of wood do you offer? This is important, because you need to know which distressed wood flooring option will best suit your needs. The most expensive option is oak, but it is also the most durable. Pine is also very durable, and gives your flooring a more rustic, rugged look. Maple is another popular distressed hardwood floor choice that offers a natural color.