Selecting a hardwood floor is all about setting the right tone and style for your home. The requirements for flooring surfaces are not so much structural as aesthetic. Your sub-flooring already addresses the structural needs of your house. It's about what "home" means to you.

Antique Woodworks believes that reclaimed and recycled barnwood offers an excellent mix of beauty, history, and environmental responsibility. There's something special about walking across a floor that's a hundred years old and that has been handcrafted over generations. It's wonderful to know and to pass on the stories of the early settlers who often lived in their barns and granaries before building their own houses. Just the other day, I heard a story about a couple who lived in their log granary and had their first child born in that very building.

The old growth wood also has characteristics not found in modern tree-farm wood. It displays tighter growth rings, increased strength, and unique historical character marks. While some people reject nail holes and old powder post beetle trails, we find it endearing. The character marks are curious to look at and almost always spark a conversation. This picture includes a construction mark that indicates where the beam was to be used in the barn. This one is also interesting because it was an old hand hewn log that had been re-sawn and re-used for a newer barn.

Tongue-and-Groove versus Wide Plank

Antique Woodworks offers tongue-and-groove as well as plank flooring in sizes ranging from 3 inches up to 12 inches. A tongue-and-groove floor will join tighter, enable hidden nailing, and demonstrate less flex. On the other hand, plank flooring provides a slightly more rustic look and is easier to install. The nails in plank floor are visible as they are driven directly into the face of the board. As floorboard widths increase to 6 inches and beyond, face nailing is recommended for either tongue-and-groove or wide plank to ensure adequate adhesion and stability. To create an exceptionally stable floor, we suggest gluing and nailing.