What is Wide Plank?
Definition of Wide Plank in Construction:
Wide plank, refers to a wood floor that consists of wide planks of wood, installed parallel with one another. A wide plank floor is a colonial, architectural feature, and will incorporate plank that can be as wide as 16 inches or wider. The difficulty with wide plank flooring are the spaces that will occur between the planks, the normal softness of a wide plank floor due to the material used, and the tendency of the wide boards to cup or move. The wider the material, the more movement will incur with the floor assembly. Wide plank flooring was popular due to the efficiency of saw mills to saw wide planks out of the local trees that were harvested. The use of the widest plank possible, reduced the saw time, minimized the use of the blades, and provided the most efficient means of covering a floor, ceiling, roof deck, exterior siding, etc. The wider the plank, the quicker the installation, and the less wear and tear on the sawmill. With modern technology, the manufacturing of wood floors in narrower widths became easier to control and produce. The use of narrower width wood floors reduced the open joints that developed between the larger plank floors and eliminated all the movement and cupping of these types of floor. Once again, aesthetics overcame function, and the current popularity of wider planks flooring demonstrates the return to basic construction techniques. The wider planks continue to open up between themselves, cup and move, however, the aesthetics of the look has become the predominant deciding factor for architects, designers, and homeowners.