To scrape or not to scrape?

Often times customers visit our showroom wondering. Is this new style of hardwood flooring is for me? For those of you who don't live & breathe wood floors, hand scraped hardwood floors are a growing style of flooring that does not have a traditional smooth face. When running your fingers over the surface of the flooring you will feel smooth undulations in the finish. How dramatic the undulations depend on the flooring manufacturer you select & is available in virtually every level between a light pillowed surface & a rustic hand hewn recycled barn timber surface. The main advantage of this type of flooring is not simply style. It allows the owner to not stay awake at nights thinking of the dinner party the following day. Will Aunt Kay will be bearing her heft in those damaged high heels on my new floors? Well, we can't help you with Aunt Kay but we can explain why when selecting a floor for the long term you not only want it to be beatiful in the showroom but to remain beautiful throughout the life of your home.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
I'm glad I don't have to answer that question (although I think it was the chicken) Contrary to popular belief hand scraped floors came first. (before the flat floors your so used to seeing) Long before our brute "The Big Machine" & trusty edger & buffer men rode to work on their bicycles. Thats right, no sanders needed. Attached to their bicycle would be a iron scraper. Upon arrival at the jobsite they would remove the scraper attach their knee pads, get on their hands & knees to start a grueling day spent tirelessly scraping & hand shaving the floor flat. I love listening to my "Uncle Al" (now in his mid 80's) telling me stories of his many years hand scraping floors in this fashion.

The reason I labor this point is to make clear that hand scraped floors are not a new concept we must fear but rather a return to our roots. The look is time inspired. Next time you visit New England make a mental note to carefully examine not only the musuems & taverns but also the homes of our founding fathers. Montecello features hand scraped floors personally designed by Thomas Jefferson himself (after being inspired by his trips to France). In Mount Vernon you can walk on the same old growth Douglas fir that George Washington kneeled on to pray. These hand scraped floors are not antiquated but still serve both as asthetic masterpieces & functional fortresses.

The hand scraped question is not a question of trend but rather of beauty, ambiance, & pragmatism.