The old is new trend is coming back in terms of what to do with your floors when you upgrade. Antique wood is quite the hit.
If you have been in your home a long time and are bored out of your mind with how it looks, why not consider upgrading your floors? Don’t stick to the tried and true or what everyone else is doing. Go for something completely different, like antique wood. The end results are spectacular.
Antique wood has been reclaimed from old buildings that have seen better days, but the wood that built them made it through the centuries, all burnished, time weathered and unique, looking to become a part of the green movement for the 21st century. Antique plank flooring adds a certain ambiance to your home and nothing else even comes close to duplicating its visceral warmth and beauty.
Imagine the conversations about your flooring choice, stories you could tell those who admire your choice about where the wood came from; perhaps a 200-year-old church or a farmer’s old dairy barn. The wood will hold all kinds of tales to share with its new owners. Reclaiming old wood and re-introducing it to the market in an elegant form like plank flooring is a smart way to make use of abandoned buildings and be creative at the same time.
The best thing about antique plank flooring that is over 100 years old, is that the wood that built the original structure(s) was the best of its kind available at that time. You just do not see wood like that anymore. For instance, it’s rare to find American Chestnut, and when you do, you know you have the “best of the best” for flooring options. It adds character and charm to your home, by bringing history to life and giving the wood a second chance to shine.
Imagine how elegant an antique plank floor would be, as compared to an engineered wood floor, meaning the wood is layers of plywood held together with a finishing veneer. Not that there is anything wrong or bad about this choice in flooring. It is just that some homeowners may prefer to install reclaimed antique wood, knowing that with the wood, comes a hint of history and mystery. Expect to pay a bit more for antique wood flooring. However, in the long run, this may be precisely the look you want in your home, and well worth the extra money.
Dean Dupre is with Champion Tile, a Clearwater Flooring, Tampa Flooring, and tile installation company. To learn more, visit Champtile.com.
