Distressed hardwood floors are floors that have a lot of texture and character. There are a number of ways in which you can create a distressed look in your house. Some of the ways include: wire brushing, hand scraping, sculpting, and aging the wood. If you have already installed a regular floor and you would like to distress it, you can easily do it.
Tips on How To Distress Hardwood Floor
You should start by sanding the entire floor using an electric sander. To have a perfect distressed look you should use rough sandpaper. As rule of thumb you should work the sander in different directions in order to get a roughed-look.
After sanding the floor you should apply water to the floor using a sponge. The benefit of wetting the wood is to allow you to see the amount of shavings that you are scraping. The ideal tool to use is a metal paint scraper. To avoid appearing as if you placed the scrapes on purpose, you should avoid scraping in the same pattern or direction.
To create the impression that the floor has had decades of traffic on it you should walk around the room while hitting or dragging a long metal chain. You should hit the floor using both short and long strokes until you get the desired marks on the floor.
You should then use a floor buffer to smooth out any hard edges and splinters that may have occurred during the distressing process. After this you should apply stain to the floor while following the instructions given by the manufacturer. You should apply the stain with care and ensure that it gets deep into the scratches and gauges. To protect the floor you should apply two coats of polyurethane sealer.
Other Ways of Getting Distressed Hardwood Floor
If you haven’t installed a floor in your house and you want to go for distressed hardwood flooring, you should consider buying the units in showrooms and flooring stores. There are two types of these floors that you can go for: prefinished and unfinished. To be on the safe side you should buy the units from a reputable store that won’t rip you off.
Conclusion
These are tips on how to get a distressed hardwood floor. If you are going to distress the floor on your own, you should ensure that the house is well ventilated. If you feel that you don’t have the right skills you should consider hiring a professional to do the work for you.