A Guide To Wide Floor Boards


Without any doubt, the wide floor boards have become very popular. They add an extra glamour to the room. They don’t only look attractive, but they’re strong and durable. Even though these boards can be a bit hard on your pocket but proves to be beneficial in the long run.

Nowadays wide floors are trending, and they come in different types. The wood that you’ll be using for the board comes in different types so that you can get the right one according to your budget. Today’s customers prefer wooden flooring over tiles. Wooden floors give a classy touch whereas tiles turn out to be very vague. Previously, the planks were made extremely wide which were hard to maintain. But nowadays the planks are hardly of two to three inches wide which makes it easier to look after. Using thinner wood planks will prove to be cost efficient.

Pros and cons of using wide floor boards for your house or workplace

Wide floor boards do not take much of a space, thus it can be installed very easily. Compared to floor tiles, wooden planks are bigger in square meters thus, consume less space. In fact, when handled by professionals, the installation of these planks takes less time.

  • Advanced technologies have proved to be successful in introducing new age planks which neither shrink nor expand. It is suggested not to choose planks in which the width is wider than ten inches as that might increase the expenditure. Although, using wider planks in the room makes the room look bigger.
  • Planks made of hardwood lasts long; also, wide plank is easier to maintain as it is easier to point out damages in wide planks.
  • Using wide planks either in your living room or bed room can attract attention. Wooden floor and décor makes the look of the room classy.

In contrast to the pros, there are a few general disadvantages of using wide floor but that can be rectified.

  • Based on the temperature, floor boards tend to shrink. People specially living in places where the temperature fluctuates will face difficulties. But with the increasing modernization, this problem has been solved.
  • Nowadays, customized engineered wide floors are designed to withstand all types of climate and temperature.
  • You cannot install such planks on your own; thus, never try to do it yourself rather seek for professional help. Usage of wider floors may create issues in the long run.

A little about the history of wide floor board

In olden times, all the houses had one thing in common i.e. wide floor boards. Most houses use to have wide planks as a form of status symbol. Previously when technology was not so advanced, wide planks were pinned down to the floors using sharp nails. As a matter of fact, the usage of wide planks started to diminish from the end of nineteenth century.

They got replaced by much thinner planks. This happened because supply of wood started becoming less due to the increase in the instances of deforestation; thus, builders had to use thinner planks for the floors. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, America got advanced in terms of technology and craftsmanship. They introduced new technologies that would cut tree trunks into similar pieces. So that all the planks could fit together properly; and it wasn’t possible in the case of wide floors.

Carpenters use to leave spaces between the wide planks to enable free flowing of contraction and expansion of the wood. Thinner boards also faced such situation, but comparatively it was less. As a result, the production of narrow floor planks increased.