ANTIQUE WOOD IS OF BETTER QUALITY

Dear Heloise: One serious point about trying to replicate the wide plank floors of early American homes: The wood that you can obtain at a semi-reasonable cost is not the same as the antique stuff. It is of a different quality. It is wetter as it is not well-seasoned and often an entirely different species. Wide boards will be more apt to shrink and/or warp.

I grew up in some older homes with lovely oak wooden floors that were polished to “a treat,” as my grandmother would have said. I have several family members and friends who are very happy with the newer, not-as-expensive composition flooring that is available now. It looks very authentic but does require more careful use. You can not sand out scratches or marks. Most have tile in the high traffic/g

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