Hardwood Floor Designs, Ideas - Inlays, Insets

End block floors (picture right) contain hardwood that is cut from the end of larger pieces of lumber. It's up to anyone's imagination. One can use actual logs, or products cut from 4 x 4's and the Hardwood flooring designs with end block like. Installation can be very time consuming but rewarding. Typically rough cut lumber is laid in a urethane based adhesive, allowed to cure, grouted (filled), and finally sanded and finished.

Metal Insets, Inlays

Brass is the most common metal used with hardwood designs. They can help define areas or changes in hardwood direction or species within a defined area. These design elements are usually thin material or about 1/4 inch in thickness.

With the right professional other metals have been used in recent years including aluminum. These items can be found in metal fabricating shops in your home town. Installation, sanding, and finishing requires some knowledge in the way metals can react caused by friction in the sanding process.

Focal Points

Focal points are often smaller prefabricated designs that can be used virtually anywhere including the staircase shown. Oshkosh Designs out of Wisconsin presents a number of these designs ranging in size from 4 to twelve inch. Patterns include compasses, starbursts, and botanical designs. These designs come with directions, a template for installation and are affordable to those that cannot afford much larger medallions.

Our opinion is expect more of these smaller designs in years to come. For those with finer woodworking skills, simple focal points could easily be a reality.

Fabricated or Job Site Corners

These are designs that can be purchased or created on the jobsite with the same material being used. Jobsite designs will require a lot of pre-planning and precision. Some designs include Greek key borders or simple basket weave corners.

Stenciling

Stenciled ideas can be accomplished by anyone. However a basic knowledge of when should be given top consideration. For unfinished floors a sealer coat should be applied after the initial rough and finer sanding is done. This will insure paints or dye will not leach into adjacent areas.

Stone Medallions, Mosaics

Manufacturers that offer hardwood medallions can also track down other designs possibilities. Included are granite, ceramic, and travertine designs. Some higher end designs actually contain stained glass.

Parquetry

Not so common are unique parquet designs, except standard finger block that has been popular in the past, found in the big home improvement centers. Finer more decorative parquet patterns can be customized with practically any hardwood species. Some of the more popular design names include Canterbury, Marseille, Fontainebleau, and Chateau.

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Leather Flooring? Leather flooring designs

Sure, it's not related to hardwood flooring for the most part, but worthy of a mention. Once again Oshkosh Designs brings to the stage a unique engineered leather floor. The surface is comprised of genuine leather in their Artizano leather collection. Arriving in 3/4" format so the tiles can be used with solid 3/4 inch flooring.

Frame options include Brazillian Cherry, American Walnut, Maple or Quarter Sawn Red Oak. Leather colors are numerous including twenty seven with our last count. Light shaded to almost black appearances.

• Custom Installations
• Medallions
• Hardwood & Tile or Stone
• Hardwood Floor Borders - One strip type. How they're installed
• Installing Medallions - Concrete and wood subfloors