Wood is one of the most common materials used for flooring in historic homes and commercial buildings. The floor is high-quality and durable wood such as stable and attractive oak, maple, and fir. The original wooden floor is an essential feature of the historic building.
Learn about the history of flooring and surface treatment
Wooden floorboards are cut to various widths and are usually grooved to fit. The board was attached to the floor joists with blind nails. Floorboards can be applied directly to the underlying joists or underlay floors placed vertically or diagonally across the joists.
In the 19th century, wooden floors were exposed, manually swept with flaxseed oil and beeswax, scrubbed, polished or polished. Synthetic resin was already used as a floor covering around 1900. These synthetic materials contained cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, and phenol-formaldehyde by 1910. However, these early synthetic coatings were not as durable as natural resins. Vinyl acetate and acrylic were introduced in the 1930s as a finishing touch to flooring. The natural finish is not as durable as the synthetic finish, but it is easy to maintain. The natural finish gives the floor a unique look and patina and should be kept in the restoration project. The flooring is functional, but it can also be inlaid and highly decoratively designed. This technique is known as parquet. Parquet floors are often characteristic of certain home styles such as Queen Anne and Colonial Revival.
Restoring a historic wooden floor
The original hardwood floors of historic homes and buildings may be covered with carpet, linoleum, or other materials. If hardwood floors are hidden, they can be restored to bring critical historical features back to the building. You can reveal a small piece of your floor to assess the presence and condition of the wooden floor. Hardwood floors are superior to most flooring materials available today, and they can add value to your building. You may want to visit Denver flooring company, choose the designs you want or they can customized it for you.
Choose the best finish for your flooring.
If your floor has a lot of old finishes or layers of wax, you can use a chemical stripper to remove those layers before applying the finish. The chemical or product should be applied directly to the floor to soften the existing surface layer and then rub off the residue. When the top layer is peeled off