The History of Wood Floors

Smith Bros. Floors Ltd.

While hardwood floors might seem to be the norm in many older homes, this hasn’t always been the case. Hardwood does have quite a long history as a flooring solution, but widespread use of polished hardwood in homes may not go back quite as far as you’d think.

When one pictures the historic interiors of our continent’s earliest homes, visions of polished hardwood often come to mind. However, polished hardwood did not become common in North American homes until late in the 19th century.

Early Wood Floors

Prior to that, wood was indeed used widely as a flooring material, but most homes boasted thick, sanded planks. The majority of wood used in North America’s earliest homes came from the continent’s abundant old-growth forests. The age and size of these trees meant that the most desirable heartwood was very tightly grained, which made the wood harder and more durable than the more immature wood commonly harvested today.

In Europe, wooden floors didn’t gain popularity until the Baroque Era, between 1625 and 1714. Before that, many homes boasted beaten earth floors. In more expensive homes with a second floor, these were often constructed from wooden joists and plank flooring, sometimes two feet wide, made from oak or elm.

The Advent of ‘Groove and Tongue’

During the colonization of North America, the New World’s abundant forests provided many colonial noblemen with the opportunity to upgrade the floors in their homes. Most early floors weren’t sanded or finished, but became naturally polished over time as a result of constant foot traffic.

According to WoodFloorDoctor.com, groove and tongue configurations began to appear in more expensive homes in the early 19th century. The advent of this now popular configuration gave carpenters greater ability to level planks before applying a finishing coat of paint.

By the turn of the 20th century wooden tongue and groove floors were the most popular domestic option, but, by the 1920s, the creation of linoleum and cork flooring began to offer stiff competition. Until the early 1950s, wall-to-wall carpet was still incredibly expensive, but the close of World War II brought a drastic change to the wood floor industry.

Post WWII

Housing loans for returning veterans included broadloom costs, and although finished hardwood was still being laid in most new homes during the post-war housing boom, most were promptly covered with newly affordable interior carpet. Many traditional hardwood-flooring companies were forced to begin offering carpet installation services just to stay afloat.

After the conclusion of the war, hardwood-flooring companies suffered a costly 30-year drought. Only in the early 1990s, with the invention of engineered hardwood, did the industry really begin to resurrect itself. Although engineered options are widely seen as an inferior product, many homeowners have begun to rediscover the beauty and benefits of solid hardwood during the last twenty years.

At Smith Bros, we have been offering a variety of hardwood flooring options for more than 100 years. We have seen many changes in our industry, but the ability to meet our client’s needs is one of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to remain successful. If you’re interested in exploring your options for installing hardwood floors in your home, please give us a call at 403-917-0847 today!

What The Benefits of Professional Installation of Your Wood Floors

Smith Bros. Floors Ltd.

When renovating your home, you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to install new hardwood flooring. Hardwood is preferable to carpet in many ways, but one of the most important is lifetime. Hardwood lasts much longer than carpet and, when installed correctly, can exceed the lifetime of many other aspects of your home.

Having your new floors installed correctly is paramount to maximizing their shelf life. While many people attempt to install their own hardwood floors, doing so comes with a number of risks. Learn some of the benefits of having a professional install your new hardwood floors:

Skill and Experience

Hiring a professional assures an installer with the skills and experience necessary to do the job right the first time. The installers at Smith Bros Flooring have years of practice installing hardwood floors in a wide variety of home layouts. We’ve seen nearly every unique situation that calls for creative adaptations. We know the NWFA installation rules and follow them closely.

Even small flaws, such as placing planks too far apart or too close together, can result in major issues down the line. We have been working with hardwood for many years, and we understand the process of expansion and contraction that all hardwood floors go through. We can ensure proper installation so that you avoid any future problems.

Proper Preparation

Proper subfloor preparation is a vital aspect of a correct hardwood floor installation. Any hardwood installer will echo this important sentiment: “A hardwood flooring installation is only as sound as the subfloor below.”

Improper subfloor prep can lead to cupping of individual planks or gapping between boards. The subfloor must be clean, flat, and dry before installation of hardwood can begin. A professional installation company will have the proper equipment needed to the subfloor is sound and within spec before laying hardwood planks.

Time Management

Laying new floors in your home can be a very inconvenient proposition. After all, it’s tough to go about your daily business without walking on your floors. If you choose to install new floors on your own, you’ll need to have a detailed, piece-by-piece plan in place before you begin if you wish to alleviate inconvenience.

Performing the installation yourself could take weeks, at best. Hiring a professional installer, on the other hand, can drastically reduce installation time. At Smith Bros, we have an entire team of professional installers at your disposal to get the job done according to your preferred timetable.

Guaranteed Work

While you’ll inevitably learn a lot if you decide to tackle a DIY floor installation project, mistakes can prove very costly. You’ll have no avenues for recourse if you miss an important step or damage planks during the installation process. We’ve torn out many DYI floors because people were unable to sell their homes, or the new purchasers have used it as a negotiating point to lower the finial sale price. This turns your money invested into a loss.

Hiring a professional installer, such as Smith Bros, will give you much more peace of mind. We guarantee our work, and if you’re not satisfied, we’ll work hard to make sure you’re ultimately happy with your new hardwood floors.

If you’ve selected the type of hardwood you wish to have installed in your home, it’s time to schedule the best time for a professional team to complete the job. Please don’t hesitate to give the flooring experts at Smith Bros a call at 403-917-0847 today!