Distressed hardwood floors are gaining in popularity and are quickly becoming one of the most common types of hardwood flooring available in the home renovation market. This type is scraped, which adds texture and gives each piece of flooring a unique appearance.

This flooring is not intended to be installed and look like a brand new floor; it is meant to look like a well-worn floor. Some companies provide the option of using an old floor to make the new distressed flooring, adding to the overall vintage appearance of the rustic wood floors.

There are two main types of distressed hardwood floors, ones that have been hand-scraped and ones that have been machine-scraped. Hand-scraped floors will be truly unique, and will not contain an identifiable pattern. Machine-scraped floors are more affordable, but you can often discern a repeating pattern across the surface of the floor.

If you choose a hand-distressed floor, you might have a choice in how it was scraped. You can have a lightly scraped floor, or a more heavily scraped floor, depending on the look you want to achieve. Those seeking the look of aged would choose a

lightly scraped floor, while those seeking the appearance of a more rustic hardwood floor would choose a more heavily scraped surface. In addition, different distressing methods can be used to achieve different looks. Often distressed flooring is sanded, scrapped, gouged, ground and even notched with tools.

They can be purchased in several different ways. You can purchase the flooring, have it installed, and then have the floor distressed by a professional on-site. This can become more costly than other options, because you not only have to purchase the materials, but also pay for a professional to come and distress your floors.

Wood flooring can also be purchased that has already been distressed. Often you can still choose between flooring that was machine distressed or hand distressed. One last option is whether you want the flooring to come pre-finished, or you want to lay the floor and add the finish yourself. If you choose to purchase pre-finished wood, another option is to have it hand finished, which can provide a distinctive look, but can become costly.

Although the process of creating a distressed floor can be lengthy and costly, depending on how you choose to go about it, the overall appearance created is well worth the investment. Distressed hardwood floors can add character and a sense of history to even a brand new home.