How to Install a Wood Floor With a Rustic Look
The look of antique and reclaimed flooring is prized in many homes. You can copy this rustic look, even with brand-new hardwood flooring. This project requires three phases: distressing the wood, installing it and finishing it. While you can distress wood after it has been laid, the three-pronged method will make the distressing part of the job easier. You will need a prepared subfloor for the second phase of this project. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wood flooring planks
- Hand scraper
- Cloth bag
- Nuts and bolts
- Heavy chain
- Circular saw
- Nail gun
- Flooring nails
- Aged wood stain
- Polyurethane
- Floor stain applicator
- Paintbrushes
- Fine-grit sandpaper
- Vacuum
- Tack cloth
Instructions
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Distressing the Wood
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Scrape the wood planks with a hand scraper. Use a varying pattern for a natural look. Place the scraper at the starting point and press downward to scrape through the wood.
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2
Distress the wood with a heavy chain. Stand over the wood boards and hit them in a random pattern with the end of a chain. Distress as much or as little as you prefer.
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3
Fill a cloth bag with nuts and bolts to distress the wood. Tie the bag off securely and beat the wood planks to create random dings in the wood.
Installing the Floor
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Measure the room to determine how many planks must be cut. For example, if the room is 10 feet long and the planks are 4 feet in length, you will need two full planks and one cut to 2 feet in length for each row. Vary the length of the planks in each row to avoid having even seams. For example, start every other row of flooring with a short plank.
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Cut the wood to fit with a circular saw. Cutting your planks ahead of time will make the installation process faster.
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Nail down the first row of flooring to the subfloor with a nail gun. Use one nail every foot. Start at the end of the first board, nail the end down, and continue down the plank. Blind nail by angling the nail into the side of the board, down through the subfloor.
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Install the rest of the flooring. Fit each row up against the last and nail the planks into place.
Finishing the Floor
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Stain the wood with the wood stain of your choice. Aged wood stains or gray wood stains will provide a rustic look. Apply at least one coat of stain to the wood. Go with the grain and use a floor stain applicator or apply it by hand with a paintbrush. Let the first coat dry completely. If using more than one coat, sand in between coats.
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Sand the wood lightly with a fine-grit sandpaper. Go with the grain of the wood. Remove the dust with a vacuum and a tack cloth.
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Apply at least one coat of polyurethane to the floor. This will protect the wood and give it a little shine. If using more than one coat, sand in between coats.
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Tips & Warnings
Always wear safety glasses and gloves when distressing and cutting wood to protect your eyes and hands from flying wood splinters. Always keep your fingers away from saw blades and use the blade guide.
Properly ventilate the room where you will be staining the wood. Open all the windows and turn on a fan to help with air circulation.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
