Distressed Wood Flooring

Written by Luke Blackford on June 28th, 2009

When choosing a wood floor, there are many different options available. One of the most distinctive wood flooring choices available today is distressed wood flooring. This unique wood flooring creates a look and feel that is unmatched by typical wood floors.

Creating a new wood floor that has a distressed surface isn’t easy, and making it look authentic is even harder. In our custom shop, we have several different techniques that we use to distress wide plank flooring.

The most popular choice for many of our clients has been our unique hand scraped (or hand eased) edges and ends. This process is done completely by hand, giving every plank an authentic handcrafted look. This also helps to define the flooring, making the unique character of each plank stand out.

Along with hand scraped edges and ends, a hand scraped surface will add even more handcrafted flare to any wood floor. This is a great option that can be tailored to any design style from modern to rustic. Deeper scraping will lend to a more rustic interior design, while lighter scraping will compliment more modern interior designs.

hand_scraped_flooring

A saw kerf surface also give wood flooring a unique distressed look. Saw kerf is a term used to refer to the markings that the saw blade leaves on the wood planks when they are sawn from a log. Before modern milling technology, it was common to see these marks on wood flooring. Our custom shop recreates this historic look in two ways; 1) by lightly surfacing the boards, leaving a hit-or-miss saw kerf surface, and 2) using the original surface retaining the saw kerf marks but giving the planks a smooth foot-worn look.

saw_kerf_flooring

Finally, wire brushed flooring planks can add varying degrees of definition to a floor. Wire brushing wood removes the softer fibers and opens up the grain bringing enhanced definition and texture to the floor. Wire brushing can be heavy or light, giving any degree of texture desired.

wire_brushed_flooring

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Walnut Wide Plank Floor

Written by Luke Blackford on June 24th, 2009

A Nashville, TN builder came to us looking for unique wide plank flooring for his spec home. He wanted a floor that would exhibit handcrafted characteristics but still complement the modern architecture of the home. The floor that our design team submitted was a character grade 9-inch wide plank Walnut floor. Walnut wood has a very regal and distinguished look, and to add the handcrafted flare we selected hand scraped edges (for a lightly distressed wood flooring look). Normally, hand scraped ends would also be chosen, but to retain a ‘clean lines’ look (complimenting the architecture of the home) we left the ends untouched. This had a terrific effect that offset the distressed look of the wood for a perfect balance.

Enjoy the photos of this beautiful Walnut wide plank floor.




Posted in Custom Home Building & Contracting, Hardwood Flooring, Home Decor, Interior Design, Plank Floor Projects | No Responses »

Red Oak Wide Plank Flooring

Written by Luke Blackford on June 8th, 2009

Craftsman putting some final touches on this beautiful Nashville home.

We’ve just finished up a plank flooring project in a lovely custom home in Nashville, TN. The wide plank flooring in this Nashville home is 9″ Red Oak wide planks with hand scraped edges and a French bleed look. As you can see from the pictures, this floor suits the European castle-like style of this gorgeous home.

Traditionally a symbol of great strength, Red Oak has a subtle reddish golden patina that is quite unique. Just as with White Oak, Red Oak is cherished for its consistent grain and its traditional appearance - the main reason that it was chosen by the owners of this particular home. Because of its exceptional density and hardness, this Red Oak floor will retain its beauty through decades of use and wear.

Please enjoy the photos of this beautiful wide plank floor.

Craftsman putting some final touches on this beautiful Nashville home.
Another exterior shot.
A detail shot of the flooring in the great room.

The impressive great room.
Looking from the kitched into the dining room.
A beautiful shot into the dining room.

A shot from the great room looking towards the front entrance.

View more photos of Red Oak wide plank flooring here.

Posted in Custom Home Building & Contracting, Hardwood Flooring, Plank Floor Projects | No Responses »

Installing Wide Plank Flooring

Written by Luke Blackford on May 4th, 2009

One of the most frequent questions people ask about wide plank flooring is, “Will the wide boards cup?” This is a good question that many people ask, so I want to try and address some of the causes of undesirable movement in wood flooring, particularly in wide plank flooring.

Undesirable Movement

Exposure to high moisture levels will cause wood boards to cup.

Exposure to high moisture levels will cause wood boards to cup.

Cupping, warping, and bowing in wood boards is natural but there are ways to avoid and/or repair the wood before it is milled into flooring. The reasons wide wood boards will cup have more to do with how the wood was sawn, how it was dried, and the environment the wood is installed/stored in, than the width of the boards themselves. While cupping in a wide board is more noticeable, any size board can and will cup - it’s just a not as noticeable on narrower boards. Generally, any plank floor with 5″ or wider planks will show a considerable degree of cupping if they are not installed correctly, if the environment is not properly controlled, or if the flooring was stored for a considerable amount of time before installation. Essentially, it’s all about controlling the moisture levels the wood is exposed to.

Many manufacturers will mill their flooring and store it as inventory - this is a problem because the wood will take on some degree of moisture while in storage, and once the wood has been milled, cupping or warping is in most cases permanent and cannot be repaired. In our manufacturing facility we never machine the wood until it can be immediately delivered to the site after milling is completed. If the raw material had developed any cupping or warping while in our warehouse, it would be corrected when the wood is milled - producing perfectly flat planks.

The Environment

Proper sub-floor for installation over concrete.

Proper sub-floor for installation over concrete.

As far as the environment of the home is concerned, the flooring must only be installed after the heating and cooling is operable in the home - this will help control the humidity levels in the home and make the environment suitable for installation. The surface on which the planks will be installed is also a factor in how much moisture the underneath of the floor may be exposed to.  Concrete, for instance, can transfer significant amounts of moisture to the underneath of the wood potentially causing cupping or warping. With the right sub-floor, hardwood planks can be installed on either on-grade, or above-ground slabs. Installation on below-grade slabs is not recommended.

Installation

Once the flooring arrives at the home, installation should begin immediately, unless installing over concrete (in this case most recommend the wood should acclimate for a period of 7-10 days before installation with a relative humidity level of 45%) . However, if short-term storage is absolutely necessary, it must be stored in a humidity controlled environment or it will likely absorb too much moisture which will result in cupping and/or warping. Storing wide plank flooring in a garage or basement is not acceptable.

The planks must be glued down with an approved adhesive, in addition to nailing. An approved adhesive will be able to absorb some movement in the sub-floor due to temperature changes and settling of the home, thereby keeping a good hold on the planks and helping them not cup or warp significantly.

Finishing

The final stage is the finishing. Most wide plank floors are finished with either Tung oil, or polyurethane. These finishes will help to seal the wood so that it does not absorb excessive moisture.

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New Site Launched - HardwoodStairTreads.com

Written by Luke Blackford on April 3rd, 2009

We have created a new products division, along with its own website, here at Blackford & Sons Woodworking: Hardwood Stair Treads. Our goal with our stair treads division is to offer the highest quality stair treads at the very best prices in the industry - in fact, we’re even offering a lowest-price guarantee.

standard_treadreturn_stair_treadlanding_tread

Currently we’re offering Standard Stair Treads, Return Stair Treads, and Landing Tread on the website, and we’ve published our full pricelist. We are currently taking orders by phone, and we are working a shopping cart with online ordering that should be active within the next several weeks.

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Heart Pine Reclaimed Flooring

Written by Luke Blackford on February 26th, 2009

I recently had the pleasure of sawing lumber from reclaimed antique Heart Pine beams, and milling it into wide plank flooring for a client’s renovation project in an historic Nashville home. The home is over one hundred years old, and some of the original Heart Pine plank flooring had to be replaced due to water damage. It will be exciting to see the project completed and to add pictures of this truly beautiful reclaimed flooring.

Most Common Reclaimed Woods

Most Common Reclaimed Woods

Reclaimed antique lumber is quickly becoming one of my favorite types of wood to work with,especially when I get to saw each wood plank from a beam, rather than planks already sawn to size. Beyond the obvious qualities of reclaimed lumber such as its eco-friendliness, it is fascinating to see how antique woods (Heart Pine, in this case) stand up to decades of use. Though there are many different species of antique wood to choose from, the most easily available and prominent are Heart Pine, Chestnut, and Oak.

Heart Pine has a rich history here in America being used in many different applications from plank flooring in homes, to ship building. Unlike the typical evergreen, Heart Pine is extremely hard due to its very slow growth. In fact, it rivals some hardwoods measuring 1225 in the Janka Hardness Test, whereas hardwood White Oak measures 1360. This level of hardness is due to the fact that Heart Pine takes anywhere from 200-400 years to fully mature. In comparison, Southern Yellow Pine measures just 870 on the Janka scale.

Posted in Green Building, Hardwood Flooring, Historic Renovation, Plank Floor Projects | No Responses »
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Scandinavian Style Interior Design - Beautiful Versatility

Written by Luke Blackford on January 27th, 2009

In my recent reading of various interior design blogs and magazines, I have found a rather modern design style that is becoming quite popular with many professional interior designers: Scandinavian.

This style is incredibly popular among kitchen designers in particular, and I can’t help being attracted to the warmth, and versatility of this design myself. This design style does have many variations, and is generally best described as “modern” and “eclectic” – these may seem somewhat opposing in some ways, never the less, this adequately encompasses the array of design styles known as Scandinavian.

Being in the woodworking industry, one of the first things I noticed about this style was the common use of Wide Plank Flooring, even with the bold contrast in styles – from cozy rustic to clean modern – the Wide Plank Flooring proves a beautiful accent, and seems to be a core component of Scandinavian design.

Enjoy several photos of this truly versatile, and thoroughly beautiful interior design.

Notice the beautiful Wide Plank Floor in this cozy, rustic Scandinavian kitchen

Notice the beautiful Wide Plank Floor in this cozy, rustic, Scandinavian kitchen

A modern, clean Scandinavian style beautifully accented with a Wide Plank Floor

A modern, clean, Scandinavian-style dining room tastefully accented with hand crafted Wide Plank Flooring

Another Scandinavian kitchen with Wide Plank Flooring

Another Scandinavian kitchen with Wide Plank Flooring

Notice how the Wide Plank Floor compliments the bright feel of this Scandinavian style bedroom

Notice how the Wide Plank Floor compliments the bright feel of this Scandinavian-style bedroom

Posted in Home Decor, Interior Design | 1 Response »

Let’s Define ‘Green Building’

Written by Luke Blackford on January 5th, 2009

Most people are familiar with the term green building but many of us may not realize how many areas in the building of a new home, or even a remodel of an existing home, can be improved to make our homes more green.

Green building (aka, sustainable design, and green architecture) is the practice of increasing the efficiency with which buildings use resources — energy, water, and materials — while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the building’s life cycle, through better site placement, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and removal.

Green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

  • Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
  • Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
  • Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

Green Building Practices

Green building brings together a vast array of practices and techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as using packed gravel for parking lots instead of concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well. Effective green buildings are more than just a random collection of environmental friendly technologies, however. They require careful, systemic attention to the full life cycle impacts of the resources embodied in the building and to the resource consumption and pollution emissions over a building’s complete life cycle.

On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify ‘green’ building materials from local sources, reduce loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Green Building Materials

Building materials typically considered to be ‘green’ include rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo (because bamboo grows very quickly) and straw, lumber from forests that are sustainably managed, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable (eg reclaimed barn wood, reclaimed hardwood flooring, Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed earth block, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linen, sisal, sea grass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fiber plates, calcium sand stone…) The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects. Building materials can also be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site in order to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation.

For more information on green building, follow the links below.

http://www.greenbuilding.com/

http://www.usgbc.org/

http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/

http://www.builditgreen.org/

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