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Create a distinctive look with Barnwood floors. Barnwood floors add rich texture, warmth and history to residential and commercial interiors – it’s no wonder they are in high demand today. But what are Barnwood floors exactly, and what options are available as you design a space with Barnwood planks? This short primer offers answers to all your questions about Barnwood floors and other types of reclaimed solid hardwood flooring.
Barnwood floors are floors that are made with floorboards fashioned from reclaimed wood that has been salvaged from old barns slated for demolition. Barnwood planks may be made cut from original Barnwood floorboards or from other timber like joists, beams and barn siding. These timbers may be milled and sanded to produce boards that are suitable for installation and use as flooring or left in their more rustic form to add a more textured look as panels for accent walls and ceilings.
Barnwood floors have a patina of age, a rich character and a sense of history that only time can create. Barnwood planks may have nail holes, splits in the boards, original saw marks, unique color variations and even bullet holes – all remnants from the decades or centuries of use and wear. Whether whitewashed, stained or left natural, Barnwood creates a highly distinctive look and adds warmth and personality to floors and spaces in a way that no other flooring material can.
Barnwood floors are specifically made from timbers found in barns. Reclaimed wood floors and antique floors (the terms are synonymous) also use old timbers, but these may come from factories, homes or other buildings in addition to barns.
While Barnwood floors use centuries-old timbers that have been weathered and aged naturally, distressed floors use brand-new floorboards that are treated to look as if they are decades or centuries old. Distressing techniques include adding saw swirls and kerfs to reproduce the appearance of boards that were cut and milled at old-time sawmills, as well as scraping techniques that give boards the appearance of having been worn down by age and foot traffic. Hand-scraped edges are another popular technique, re-creating the appearance of boards that were once prepared and straightened by hand.
At Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, we offer two types of Barnwood surfaces and four additional options for reclaimed flooring.
In addition to Barnwood floors and reclaimed wood planks, Carlisle offers a wide range of new wide plank hardwood floors – everything from unfinished Birch flooring, Ash flooring and Maple flooring to prefinished Hickory and Cherry flooring and engineered Walnut and Oak flooring.
As you search for the best options for Barnwood planks and reclaimed wood walls, it’s important to investigate and get answers to several critical questions to ensure that your flooring surface will meet your high expectations.
Depending on the quality of the subfloor, sanding Barnwood planks may not be necessary. Some customers prefer the rough spots, mill marks and other imperfections in un-sanded boards while customers with small children may prefer more smooth surfaces.
Many people assume that reclaimed wood does not need to be kiln dried because it is so old. However, it's important that Barnwood planks are kiln dried to prevent negative developments like cupping or crowning, and to rid the wood of insect infestations.
Barnwood floors are crafted from from a variety of components found in an old barn but a large majority of the wood is found on the siding or interior walls of the old structures.
Certain parts of the country produce better and stronger hardwoods. For example, Oak Barnwood from the south will look different than material source from the Ohio River Valley, which is where the best Oak is grown.
Yes. Barnwood floors and reclaimed wood walls can be stained with a variety of colors or whitewashed to create a lighter design option.
Since 1966, the Carlisle name has been associated with leadership, innovation and tradition in high quality hardwood flooring. Our floors are found in museums, trendy retail stores, upscale restaurants and exceptional homes throughout the world. We are also the most requested supplier of reclaimed floors and Barnwood floors in North America. The quality of our craftsmanship and the excellence of our customer service has helped us secure our reputation as one of the finest providers of wide plank and reclaimed floors in the industry. Every Carlisle floor is handcrafted to reflect the unique aesthetic and sense of style and beauty of the homeowner or business owner. Our skilled craftsmen painstakingly examine every board to make sure it is the best match for your floor or wall paneling and that every detail meets your high standards. A Carlisle floor is truly one-of-a-kind – a defining feature of your space that will amaze and delight you every time you walk through the door.
