In lakes, sonar allows them to find sinkers more than 100 feet deep. State lawmakers keep a close eye on water loggers to prevent harm to aquatic or bank environments. All this effort doesn't come cheap. Antique flooring prices are two to three times or more that of new wood. Yet the selling points are many.
Dealers point to richer patina and more character in old wood.
You can buy remilled planks as smooth as silk or riddled with evidence of nails, worms, and ancient saw blades. What you can't see is its greater durability. In Colonial America's virgin forest, trees were packed tightly together, competing for soil nutrients and sunlight. The harsh conditions meant they grew slowly and, as a result, produced more dense heartwood. Antique woods can have more than 30 growth rings per inch, compared to four to seven in a new-growth tree, so they stand up better to foot traffic, water, insects, and even fire.