Hardwood Floors: A History
Wood flooring was first recognized as a design /décor element for a living space in the late 1600s in France. Only the wealthiest people could afford solid-plank floors because they were handcrafted and very expensive.
In the 1700s and 1800s solid planks for floors were massive – 7/8″ thick, at least 8’ long and 2-1/2″ or 3-1/4″ wide. Some planks were 16’ long. They had to be massive because subfloors were not used and plank ends had to be nailed to joists.