The Benefits Of Reclaimed Floorboards?
Reclaimed Floorboards usually come in varying widths and lengths. This is due to the boards being sanded and cut over the many years they have been in use. This means the size of reclaimed floorboards are usually narrower and shorter than new floorboards.
In general, older boards have more character and give a rustic look. Many reclaimed boards even have original features such as previous nail holes, cracks and marks which adds to the rustic look.
As all of our floorboards are sourced from different locations and have different pasts, no two will look the same. This also causes the boards to age differently creating tonal variations throughout.
Reclaimed flooring is much harder to come across as we are recycling old wood. This means are source is limited to what we can find. So once a range of flooring is sold out it may never come back in stock. We may also only have a limited amount of stock so make sure you enquire before purchasing.
Durability is considerably better in reclaimed flooring due to their original purpose being to last a lifetime. The boards are also already weathered meaning no additional shrinking or warping will occur, making them very low maintenance.
The pricing of older floorboards is higher due to the complexity of salvaging and prepping the boards but they will last considerably longer.
The Benefits Of New Floorboards?
The main benefit of new flooring is the options. Choices of colour, style, length and width are endless. Allowing you to choose a board that is exactly to your requirements.
The appearance of new floorboards is much more smooth and clean. This is due to being able to have a consistent base colour with no previous nail holes or cracks that you get with reclaimed floorboards.
New flooring is also much easier to come across, and the style/design can usually be easily replicated.
However, new flooring has a large price range meaning sometimes the price can be much cheaper than reclaimed wood, but it can also be considerably higher.
Old vs New
One of the most important factors to consider is the environmental effect of the flooring you choose. With reclaimed floorboards you are re-using old wood, meaning you are not directly contributing towards a tree being cut down, in many ways you are actually preventing it by using wood that is already made.
However with new floorboards, these are going to have to be created, therefore a tree or multiple trees will need to be cut down. But there is a loophole! If you would prefer to have new wood flooring and you want to be more environmentally friendly, make sure you buy wood from a company that is FSC and PEFC certified.
If you are looking for high quality reclaimed floorboards take a look at our range today.
