Solid Wood Floors - Through The Ages

Apr 30
21:16

2012

Graeme Knights

Graeme Knights

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Solid wood floors are one of the most popular stlyes of flooring in the modern day - not only are such features easy to maintain once they’re installed, but they are associated with the utmost quality and taste.

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Rather than having carpet or tiling placed in rooms,Solid Wood Floors - Through The Ages  Articles real wood flooring allows homeowners to have beautiful natural wooden boards installed, and with a range of colours and wood types, there is always the ideal material to suit any style or preference.The emergence of solid wood floorsIt wasn’t until the Baroque Era began, that solid wood flooring started to appear in homes. Before 1625, most European houses continued to have beaten dirt floors, with only the most wealthy of society utilising elm or oak boards, which were held on joists. However, at the onset of the Baroque period, wooden floors suddenly became an elegant housing feature, and intricate French parquetry and marquetry designs began to be laid in the most affluent homes.19th century sees increase of solid flooringThroughout the 17th and 18th centuries, solid wood flooring continued to appear in wealthy homes in increasing numbers. However, it wasn’t until the early 19th century that the popularity and accessibility of such flooring spread its wings. Treated and painted wooden planks remained the usual flooring in most housing, with parquet patterns kept for only the richest of rooms. The emergence of the tongue and groove configuration allowed homeowners to get a better and richer finish on their wooden planks, and it was this flooring which continued to be available to most families looking to embellish their homes.Mass production increased flooring accessThe arrival of mass production, opened the flood gates to solid wood flooring, and in the very late 19th century and early 20th century, ‘wood carpeting’ started becoming more commonplace. This product consisted of several pieces of solid wood which were firmly glued to a cotton canvas, and installation was by means of tacking down each board every few feet. Parquetry borders were also available with the wood carpeting, allowing many more people to buy and install their own beautiful flooring without the extreme costs which were noted in earlier centuries.20th century sees huge increase in solid wood floor popularityIn the 20th century, a number of distinct eras saw real flooring boom. The most popular domestic flooring of the Edwardian Era was that of tongue and groove boards, with a number of parquetry patterns used for added features. In the 20’s and 30’s, cork and linoleum floors became popular, but the emergence of varnishes and curing allowed for wooden flooring to improve in hardness. However, World War II (WWII) ended the housing boom, which led to the demise of the solid wood flooring trade.Modern demandThough the wood flooring trade was brought almost to an end with the onset of WWII, the modern world still sees the flooring option as a stylish and decadent feature to indulge in. In addition, the arrival of engineered wood allows for homeowners to have wooden flooring for little expense, increasing this natural materials attraction even more.