What Is the Difference Between a Distressed & a Hand Scraped Wood Flooring?

Machine Distressing

• Machine distressing can be done before or after installing flooring. With pre-distressed floors, the manufacturer runs each piece of flooring through a machine that scuffs the planks unevenly and applies nicks and and dents. On an existing floor, distressing can be done by running a machine such as a sander or roller over the surface of the floor.

Hand-Scraping

• With hand-scraped flooring, as the name implies, all the imperfections are applied manually. A flooring contractor uses hand tools to scuff, sand, gouge and dent the surface of the wood. As the National Wood Flooring Association says, "This is where the contractor turns into an artist." The contractor typically uses wire brushes to texture the surface, then works with awls and picks to create indentations. Depending on the look the client is going for, the contractor can do any number of other things, including beating the floor with chains, gouging it with broken glass, pounding in nails, even creating burn marks. Hand-scraping can also be done to individual flooring planks before installation.

Making the Choice

• Hand-scraping a floor is extremely labor-intensive. According to the National Wood Flooring Association, even the best contractor will be able to hand-scrape more than about 150 square feet of floor in a day. As you would expect, having a craftsman distress a floor by hand is going to cost more than hiring someone to come in with a machine. However, machine distressing, especially if not done well, can look fake. Machines tend to produce repeating patterns that become noticeable on a full floor. Hand-scraping ensures a unique appearance.

Purpose

• Whether done by hand or by machine, the goal is the same: to make a new surface look old and "used." Distressing helps a new floor blend into an older house, where woodwork and cabinetry may already bear the kinds of dings, scratches and worn patches that distressing aims to replicate. Distressed flooring can also be part of an overall design intended to give a new or newly renovated space a timeworn look.