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Reality Carpet offers unusual hardwood flooring
Few people realize the number of available hardwood flooring options that there are. Some unusual options are currently in demand. They include bamboo, distressed hardwood, hand-scraped hardwood, and Brazilian cherry.
Bamboo hardwood
It is hard to rival the eco-friendly nature, durability, and beauty of bamboo. Bamboo stalks are shaved into strips, dried in a kiln, and glued under high pressure to make bamboo flooring. The bamboo ‘boards’ are full of beauty, color, and texture that have become significant product characteristics for any hardwood. Bamboo is more durable and harder than oak. Being a grass, rather than a tree, means bamboo can be responsibly grown. Bamboo has been harvested and re-harvested for generations on bamboo plantations. It grows back over and over just like grass in a lawn.
Distressed hardwood
Distressed hardwood is brand new, but looks centuries old. Distressed hardwood consists of planks that, for lack of a better way to describe them, have been ‘beaten up’ before installation. A couple of methods are used to ‘distress’ hardwood. Industrial presses roll ‘imperfections’ into the hardwood as it moves through assembly lines. Artisans also beat on hardwood planks with burlap bags that contain nuts and bolts. Either method yields a new hardwood plank with the character of one that has been around for hundreds of years.
Hand-scraped hardwood
Wood is worked by hand to make hand scraped hardwood planks. The irregular textures, planes, and scrapes attest to the process. Hand scraped hardwood adds tradition and character to any room. The planks are usually wider than milled flooring boards. Amish craftsmen are well-known for producing hand scraped hardwood. Planks produced by them are pricey,but are considered to be the best on the market.
Brazilian cherry hardwood
This may well be the most beautiful hardwood available. As the wood is exposed to sunlight, the reddish hues deepen over time. It also sports flowing, tight grains. This hardwood from South America is over ten times denser than oak. It is easy to understand why so many people choose this hardwood.
