Can I use Pallet Wood for Rustic Flooring?
Perhaps you want a one-of-a-kind floor. Perhaps you want to help the environment by using recycled wood. Perhaps you are just trying to save a little money. Or maybe you are wondering about using the wood from pallets as flooring for all three reasons! Whatever your motivation, the answer is that yes, pallet wood can be used to create a sturdy, unique floor - if you are willing to put in the time and effort to do it right.
The first step for a successful pallet floor is choosing and collecting the right pallets. If you are using pallets that have been discarded by shippers or large retail stores, collecting enough pallets for your floor is probably going to take some time. One standard size pallet generally only provides enough wood for two square feet of flooring!
You also need to be selective in which pallets you use. Do not floor your home with pallets that have been damaged by moisture, insects, chemical spills, or whose wood is split and splintered. Also avoid pallets with the processing code “MB” stamped on them - the chemical (methyl bromide) used to treat these pallets is toxic!
Once you bring a pallet home, it will need to be cleaned, disassembled, sanded, and cleaned again. Examine the planks closely as you carefully take each pallet apart - you may have overlooked a hidden chemical stain or insect nest when you selected the pallet.
After a good deal of pallet hunting, you will eventually have enough good planks to begin installing your new floor. Decide how you want to arrange your planks, then lay them out to see how the color variations look together. Take your time on this step - you want to be sure you love the look before you nail the planks to your floor!
Once you decide on a design, you are finally ready to install your floor! Be sure your current flooring or subfloor is suitable for nailing planks to - you will need to remove existing carpet or tile floors and will need to install plywood over concrete subfloors. Once the subfloor is prepared, choose a corner and start nailing down your planks. Be sure to leave a small gap around the edge of the room for expansion!
Whether or not you stain your new floor is entirely up to you. Unstained pallet planks will give your room an authentic rustic look; staining your floor will make it look more uniform while maintaining some of its rustic charm. Whatever you decide about stain, we highly recommend sealing your new floor to help prevent stains and increase its lifespan.
So while pallet wood floors are absolutely possible, they require a huge time investment. They can also save you a good deal of money, help the planet by reducing waste, and give you a truly unique floor. You also don’t have to do the entire project alone - while we can’t help you source pallets, we would be happy
to install, stain, and seal your new pallet wood floor!
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