Originating in the 19th century when floors were made with whatever planks were available, variable-width wood flooring is an aesthetically pleasing option that generally costs less than uniform-width flooring.
How to Install Variable-Width Wood Flooring
Variable-width wood flooring is installed very similarly to uniform-width flooring, but requires some additional planning.
Measure: First you’ll need to calculate the square footage of the room. We recommend adding a 10% overage to ensure you have enough planks for Prime/Select grades and 15% for Country. Determine how many widths you’d like to use for your floor. Our variable-width flooring is typically in the following ranges:
Two widths: 35% to 65% per width
Three widths: 25% to 50% per width
Four widths: 15% to 40% per width
Five widths: 10% to 35% per width
Six widths: 7% to 30% per width
Seven widths 5% to 25% per width
We provide a list of how many lineal feet of each size is shipped, to assist with installation. If your project requires a specific amount of each width, we can accommodate that for an additional fee.
Acclimate: As with any solid wood floor, acclimating the boards prior to installation is key.
Install: For variable-width flooring, we encourage you to use a random pattern, even if you happen to receive roughly equal widths of each size. A random pattern looks more natural, and in our opinion better fits with the look of variable widths. Vary widths as you install the floor, using widths that you have the most of first. Leave a 1/4″ gap between the grooved edge of the planks and the wall for the first row. Stagger the ends of the planks at least 6″ from the ends of previous row. Towards the end, you’ll want to lay out each row prior to nailing in the planks to ensure you have enough. For the last row, cut the bottoms of the grooves off.
Vermont Hardwoods is happy to work with you on variable-width flooring wood projects that your clients are sure to love!