Present day, we all enjoy our beautiful hard wood floors, sparkling tiles, or our comfy carpeting. But, have you ever wondered what the world of flooring was like, let’s say 500 years ago, even 2,000 or 5,000 years ago? Today, let’s take a look into the past and check out a brief overview of the flooring developments throughout history.
Nowadays we spend our days making sure that not a trace of dirt or any part of the ground makes its way into our home. However, in the earliest of homes people were making sure that all the ground they could get would make its way into their home, including animal droppings…yes you read correctly, animal droppings! Reason being, that the most common flooring was literally a piece of ground. At the time many people mixed dirt, hay and animal droppings, especially cow droppings. Once stepped on many times, this mixture actually turns into a very hard surface, almost as hard as cement, making it a very stable floor. As a result, due to the lack of technology and resources at the time this was a very common flooring style before medieval times. Present day, this type of flooring is still used in several countries in extreme poverty.
In the medieval times, dirt floors were also very common within households, especially among peasants. Many peasants shared a house with farm animals, though they were kept in a separate area of the house. Because of this, a dirt floor was the most suitable option for their dwelling place as the animals would often start wandering into other areas of the house.
In places where colored sand formed such as India, many people often used colored sand to decorate over their dirt floor. These decorations and patterns were often made to mark a celebration or to provide a warm welcome for guests into a home.
Approximately 5,000 years ago, Egyptians discovered the art of construction by stone, followed by the Greeks with pebble mosaics, and finally superseded by Rome also making mosaics with incredible geometric designs and tile making.
During what was known as the Middle Ages, flooring within castles varied in material. It was common to see stone in the first floor and usually wood in the second floor. Soon thereafter, wood floors began to be used in many homes till today. At the time, people often painted little designs and patterns on the wood floors, making them very detailed and delicate. I can imagine these little special touches looked very beautiful in many Victorian homes.
It is unsure of when exactly rugs started to be used as it varies by country. But, what is known is that rugs and floor cloths were often used in wealthy homes, such as royalty, to decorate; a trend that can still be seen today in many Victorian style homes. Many Victorian styles homes of today use dark wood floors and will often place a detailed floor cloth over the wooden floor, adding a splash of color and elegance to the home.
Present day, thanks to technology and the great scientific and designers minds, we are able to enjoy a variety of different flooring options and a myriad of colors and details on each one. Without the individuals who are willing to think outside the box and take the risks that lead to great discoveries we might still find ourselves using a piece of ground as flooring.
We at Accu-cut understand how important it is to continuously think outside the box and continuously make great strides in keeping with innovation and excellence. This is why we have many different options for all of your carpet cutting machine needs. Whatever the job, wherever the job, we have just the right machine for you!