Wood floors have been a feature in our homes for many centuries. Find out more about the history behind wood floors, how they’ve changed over time and why they are special to us.

 
 

Wood floors through the ages

Wood floors are far from a new invention. In fact, wood floors are one of the oldest types of flooring we know. But, the wood floor has undergone many changes over the course of history. They used to be an exclusive interior design detail but with new manufacturing techniques and innovations, wood floors became both cheaper and easier to lay. This resulted in them becoming a common feature in our homes.

160 years of Kährs

In 1857, Johan Kähr the elder started a woodwork business in Nybro, in the heart of the County of Småland in Sweden. First, he manufactured wooden appliances. Then in the early 1900's, the founder's grandson Gustaf Kähr took over the business. He expanded the product range to include furniture, doors, toys and wood flooring. Innovation has always been an important part of Kährs and Gustaf dedicated himself to finding new ways to use wood in more effective ways and improve its stability as a building material. To this day, Kährs’ main factory remains in Nybro.

Launching the lamella wood floor

In 1941, Kährs launched an important product: the first factory-made lamella wood floor. This innovation revolutionized the market and is now business standard.

Many innovations

You might not think much has changed in the world of wood flooring over the years, but it has. For many years you had to glue wood floors to the foundation, but now most have mechanical, glue-free joints. In 1999, Kährs introduced the first glue-free floor with Woodloc-joints. With this joint, you can lay flooring faster with perfect results.

Environmental focus

Protecting the environment has always been important for Kährs. Aside from using material in more effective ways, Kährs was the first company to exclude solvents from the manufacturing process. The company was also early to be certified according to the ISO standard.

Kährs wood flooring

Below is a selection of our many wood floors. You can find all our wood floors and view them in different settings in our floor guide.