Rustic hardwood flooring is usually reclaimed from previous installations. It can also be flooring that has been finished using stains, distressing, hand-scraping techniques or color washes. The good thing with this flooring is that it’s long lasting and elegant to look at due to the many character marks such as wormholes, knots, and grains.
When buying the units you should go for the ones that have plenty of character marks. It’s also wise that you go for units that have a weathered look. For example, you should go for those units that have matte or washed out tones.
While rustic hardwood flooring is great to look at, it usually comes with a price. It’s also rare to find. If you have already installed the traditional floor, but you want to convert it so that it can have a rustic look you don’t have to worry as you can easily make it look rustic.
How to Give Your Floor a Rustic Look
You should start by scraping the floor using a wood scraper and scrape away all small spots in the wood. To avoid creating unsightly dips you should avoid scraping too much. As rule of thumb you should ensure that the scrapes look as natural as possible.
After doing this you should now make impressions in the wood using a hammer, brick chunks, old bolts or any other object that you can find.
You should then scorch the floor in spots using a hand torch. You should be careful when torching and ensure that you don’t damage the floor. This calls for you to avoid leaving the flame on one area for a long time.
You should burn the spots until they turn black. You should take care that you don’t burn too deep.
Finally, you should buff the buff using a buffing machine and screen sanding materials. To avoid removing the rustic features you should ensure that the screens are 220-grit. Once everything is in place you should apply your finish. You should avoid using high-gloss finish as it tends to remove the rustic appearance.
Conclusion
This is what you need to know about rustic hardwood flooring. You should take care when creating the rustic look. If you feel that you don’t have the right skills you should consider hiring a professional to help you in creating the look. If you are planning of installing the rustic flooring, you should ensure that you buy it from a reputable store.
