End Grain Wood Flooring

This weekend we spent an amazing few days in Prague. We stayed at the Cathedral Prague Apartments just off the Old Town Square where the main reception area is created from what looks like an old carriage way. You can see from the photo above the flooring  is amazing. What looks like cobble stone is actually cobble wood, a series of end grain wood blocks laid just like cobble stone. I remember seeing a similar technique used on a episode of This Old House years and years ago but I have rarely seen it used in person. Apparently that’s because I haven’t been roaming the streets of Prague, where it is quite common

I saw this application used in our hotel, in our parking garage and more famously on the open streets in front of the Prague Opera house. It is said  “If you were fashionably late to the opera house the sound of horse and carriage on the pavement was audible inside and caused a distraction. Knowing that people would always be turning up fashionably late, these cobblestone wood floors were installed to deaden the sound of hoofs and carriages outside the opera thus making a late appearance less noticeable” Via Wood Flooring Trends

This application of wood cobble was widely used across Europe in the 19th and early 20th century mostly in factory flooring and on bridges because of it’s incredible durability and because it was more forgiving surface for metal factory components and carriage wheels.

In recent years however, end grain wood flooring has again become increasingly popular for use in homes and businesses. Understandably so, often having the warm look of brick these floor are quite beautiful with the bonus of being highly durable compared to long grain wood flooring. This may be why internet is now being flooded with DIY tutorials on creating your own end grain wood flooring, a process which is very labor intensive.

Not up to the the DIY yourself? Don’t worry, there are now many companies manufacturing these beautiful floors in all different styles, shapes and colors. Some are sold in the original cobble style but many are now produced as engineered floors as well which make installation much easiser. Have a look…

Modern Spaces by Austin Carpet & Flooring Hardwood Designs

Old growth walnut floors via Elmwood Reclaimed Timber

End Grain Wood floors by Kaswell