Long-Length Boards Are Here to Stay

If you’ve placed an order for wood flooring in the past, you’ve probably received a box that contained board lengths that range anywhere from 1 to 7 feet, averaging to approximately 3 to 3.5 feet a board. That’s what we call a standard board length. Lately, however, we’ve seen the definition of “standard” shift as boards have gotten wider and, sometimes as a result, longer.

Whereas even a 6-foot board is still considered long, it’s not uncommon now to find boards as long as 15 feet!

Why the shift? For one, as we’ve previously discussed, wide-plank flooring has been steadily gaining popularity. Width and length should always be proportionate to each other, so the wider a plank of wood gets, the longer it should be as well. Unlike skinny boards, wide boards look especially choppy and busy (think patchwork) in shorter lengths and can detract from the character and quality of the wood.

No matter the width, you can’t go wrong with the clean visual lines and elegance of long boards. Because fewer boards are needed, there are far fewer joints and, in small rooms, the appearance of joints can be avoided altogether. The downside to long planks is that they are more expensive. Longer boards require higher-quality wood to be used in order to accommodate a single cut that doesn’t capture typical wood defects. If you want longer-length flooring, prepare to pay considerably more. But if cost isn’t a factor, you’ll be rewarded with floors that look and feel downright luxurious. Especially when paired with wide planks, long floor boards make a stunning difference in the appearance of your floor and overall living space.