The Future of Wood Flooring Installation

Wood floor installation, the way we know it today, is mostly still following the OG wood floorboard fitting methods from back in the day. However, at the same time, there are some significant changes and improvements done throughout the decades that are all focusing on creating more hard-wearing, long-lasting and durable wooden floors. New installation methods have also emerged throughout the years. It is all thanks to the fact that the wood flooring industry is constantly developing and improving and we are all learning new and better stuff about wood flooring and how it can serve longer.

With significant progress done throughout the years and a lot of innovations presented in the industry, it is safe to say that nowadays wood floors are considered probably the best flooring option on the market in terms of appearance and quality. So what differs wood flooring installation from back in the days and nowadays. Traditionally, the wood floors were installed from raw and unfinished wood, nailing down being among the most popular fitting methods back then.

However, when the floorboards are laid and arranged unfinished, clearly, there will be sanding and finishing services following the installation one. The process of sanding, staining, and finishing the floor after it is installed is also known as site-finished flooring and it is overall considered as a lot of stress and hassle by clients and homeowners. It definitely requires a wide scope of knowledge and experience from the installer of the floor and a longer time to complete. While this was the only way to do things back in the day, nowadays it is much different and much more focused on providing the customer with maximum convenience and minimal disruption. What has changed?

Nowadays, the majority of sales in the sector are accumulated by prefinished wood flooring. What prefinished wood flooring means is pretty simple – the wooden floorboards are leaving the factory with a wood floor finish and/or stain already applied and cured, which means that floorboards are ready to be installed once delivered to your home. So it is assumed that this niche of the wood flooring industry has already been automated for years now and it is widely accepted by both the professional branch and clients and customers.

Indeed, this significant change made in the way wood flooring materials are treated, offered, and sold nowadays provides a lot more comfort and cuts down the cost of an installation service significantly by making the following sanding and refinishing services not necessary. It is safe to say that nowadays almost every wooden floor installed falls into this category of ready-to-use factory-finished wooden floors and they enjoy a lot of popularity and the preference of all customers and clients. It is easy to see why. From the client’s perspective, prefinished wood floors and their installation guarantees minimum disruption, no stress and mess, no additional costs, and less time dedicated to the project.

However, is there room for further automatisation of the process? Now, everyone who has ever installed a wooden floor or has a good idea of what the process is all about know that wood floor fitting is both a physically and mentally demanding job. There is a good reason why wood floor installation professionals invest years and years in training, educating, developing and improving their specific set of skills that allow them to do the job properly and achieve flawless results that will last practically forever. Additionally, wood flooring installation s a job that requires a lot of craftsmanship and attention to detail.

You know that wood floor materials never look the same since they are derived from a natural source. There is no single wood floorboard that looks exactly the same as another one in this world, so what about a single floor. Therefore, it can be assumed that wood floor installation is much more than simply laying down some wooden floorboards and blocks, it requires an understanding of aesthetics and a good eye and experience since it reminds a lot of an arrangement of mosaics. It is like a big puzzle game where every wooden floorboard has its right place where it fits so the final picture is flawless and looks stunning.

And even the best plans have unexpected twists and turns, so you definitely need an experienced and knowledgeable specialist to do the job properly and be ready to find the right solution even in expected situations. Therefore, it is impossible, or at least for now, to think that an automated process can replace the classic way of wood floor installation or that a robot could be better at this than someone with years of experience and knowledge behind their back. A robot could be faster and able to finish a lot more within an hour, for example, but it will never be better.