The History of Wood Flooring

For centuries, wood floors were the domain of only the wealthiest people in the world. Expert craftsmen labored for years on the same floor, meticulously cutting each intricate inlay or pattern by hand. The only other wood floors in existence were the rough, hand-hewn planks that formed the surface of some commoners' residences. Either way, each wood floor was the result of a painstaking hand-cutting process.

The wood flooring industry more closely resembling the one we know today began just before the turn of the 20th century. In 1885, the side-matcher was developed, creating flooring with a groove on one long side and a tongue on the other. This new milling allowed wood floors to be blind-nailed. The flooring was 7/8 inch thick, 2 1/2 or 3 1/4 inch wide, and most pieces were at least eight feet long. Thirteen years later, in 1898, the end matcher appeared. Until that point, all flooring ends of each piece had to be on joists, as subfloors were not commonly used.

As the 20th century began, several important changes occurred in the industry. The side-matcher could allow hollow-backing on the boards, making them lighter and allowing them to conform better to subfloors, which were beginning to be commonplace. Flooring dimensions slimmed down: 5/16 inch, square-edge flooring and 3/8 inch and 1/2 inch flooring were introduced, helping to decrease hefty freight charges. Central heating was coming on the scene and wreaking havoc with wood floors, but the advent of the dry kiln gave flooring a better chance to succeed in normal living conditions.

While flooring mills were burning their own waste to generate their own electricity and heat, installers in the field had nothing but their own physical strength and a few tools to get the job done - typically a hatchet, hand saw, hammer, pry bar, block plane and string. Perhaps the most labor-intensive aspect of the job was the scraping process. Instead of sanding the floor, men would go down on their knees and pull scraper blades across the floor. It didn't take long for floor men to find an easier way to smooth the floor, and in the 1920's, a machine scraper was invented.

With the advent of World War II, wood flooring production went into overdrive, with government flooring projects measured by the acre instead of the square foot. The 1940's also saw the introduction of the sanding machine, with power nailers and power saws introduced during the 1950's. Finishes changed and improved during this time as well, with lacquer coming on the scene.

Today, wood floors are not just for the wealthiest people in the world. The introduction of engineered and laminate flooring made wood floors accessible to most consumers. During the last couple of years the flooring industry has embraced green technology, not only in the wood floors being produced like bamboo and cork, but glues, stains and finishes applied to flooring.

(abridged version of "100 Years of Wood Flooring", Hardwood Floors magazine, February/March 2000)