Distressed flooring is a growing option for hardwoods. Offered by several brands and in solid and engineered types, distressed flooring is either unfinished or prefinished. Unfinished distressed flooring allows you to choose a stain and get the exact look you want for a space.

With a rustic and aged character, the appearance of unfinished distressed flooring is created through scraping, brushing, aging, or finishing. Additionally, all distressing is done manually. As a result, no two distressed planks look alike. At the same time, though, several techniques are used to distress unfinished hardwoods:

• Time Worn Aged creates the distressed appearance through aging. For emphasizing the aged appearance, the unfinished hardwood may have the grain highlighted, contouring may be used, or a darker finish may be applied.

• Wire Brushed emphasizes the hardwood's grain and, at the same time, removes the sapwood.

• Antique is another approach to aging unfinished hardwood. A lower grade of flooring, however, is used.

• Hand Sculpted creates a distressed look with a smoother texture.

• French Bleed is a term used to describe deeper beveled edges added to the hardwood. The joints on the floor may be additionally accented with darker stain.

• Pegged is a decorative type of distressed flooring but should not be installed directly onto a subfloor.

• Hand Hewn and Rough Sawn is the technique used to create the roughest distressed flooring available.

• Custom Unfinished creates a unique distressed appearance. After the unfinished hardwood is added, the wood is distressed through beating with chains, bleaching, fastening with antique nails, or pickeling. A finish is applied after.