After visiting a friend’s house, a hotel, office, etc, you were impressed by their wooden floor and decided to use the same in your house.
After all, who does not love a beautiful house?
The decision might be easy to make but it takes a lot more to achieve admirable hardwood flooring. It is not just a matter of picking wood and having planks nailed to the floor. You have to think about colors, sizes, quality, treatment, and much more.
Here is a guide that will make your work easier and admirable.
Engineered Wood Vs Solid Wood
Traditional floors were made from thick planks directly from timber. Today, companies have improved the wood through treatment and addition of ply beneath a layer of hardwood.
This engineering reduces the size of wood use, the price and makes provision for expansion and contraction as seasons change. By restricting movement, the appearance of your entire floor is maintained. The grain feel of hardwood is maintained even with engineering.
The challenge with engineered hardwood flooring is that it reduces the possibility of future finishing since the top layer is sometimes too thin.
Site Finishing vs Prefinished
Site hardwood flooring finishing means that you get raw planks that are polished after installation. With prefinished wood, you have the advantage of knowing the exact product you get.
This avoids the shocks and disappointments of selecting an image only for the artisan to deliver something different. It takes less time to install the prefabricated wood since much of the work has already been done. The need to apply sealants or colors is eliminated.
However, on-site finishing allows you to achieve your envisioned customized look. This means more control over the sheen and stain on your wood. Site finished planks are also relatively smothered than prefinished.
It is also possible to make modifications like sizes and thickness without destroying the plank unlike prefinished which could easily be damaged.
Wood finishing falls under two broad categories of oil and polyurethane. Oil gives your wood a natural, soft and matte.
However, the surface does not behave well when exposed to food and scratching especially with children around. However, the scratch is less noticeable. With polyurethane, the wear and tear are limited and less noticeable.
It is easier to clean and maintain beyond being smoother than oil finished wood.
The kind of flooring is oak. It has proven to be the most durable and resistant to stains. It also comes in impressive natural gains that will transform your living area. Oak is widely available in different states.
This explains its reasonable pricing. Regarding design, most people prefer white to red oak hardwood flooring because the latter has a pinkish tone.
It is also possible to make modifications like sizes and thickness without destroying the plank unlike prefinished which could easily be damaged.
Polyurethane Vs Oil Finish
Wood finishing falls under two broad categories of oil and polyurethane. Oil gives your wood a natural, soft and matte.
However, the surface does not behave well when exposed to food and scratching especially with children around. However, the scratch is less noticeable. With polyurethane, the wear and tear are limited and less noticeable.
It is easier to clean and maintain beyond being smoother than oil finished wood.
Wood Types To Choose From
The kind of flooring is oak. It has proven to be the most durable and resistant to stains. It also comes in impressive natural gains that will transform your living area. Oak is widely available in different states.
This explains its reasonable pricing. Regarding design, most people prefer white to red oak hardwood flooring because the latter has a pinkish tone.
You may also consider the walnut species which is a bit softer and but is loved for its deep and rich dark color. It is, therefore, ideal for a room where a dark finish is preferred. It also gives you the natural feel that reduces the need to modify it. It leaves your house feeling warm.
There are other hardwoods available with different properties and price ranges including ash, maple, hickory, and cherry.
The grain patterns on wood depend on how they are cut.
The three main cutting methods are,
The patterns produced by plan saw are christened cathedrals which is what most people refer too when talking about grains.
The rift saw, on the other hand, produces consistent, long and linear grains that are devoid of cathedrals. 3D rays define wood prepared with a rift saw.
You are likely to get wood prepared in different versions but you may also order an exclusive design. The appearance of the grains is only meant to add color to your floor.
The traditional length of a flooring plank was between two and three inches. Today, people seem to be in favor of a wider plank. The increase in width seems to give a floor a luxurious and expensive feel.
The idea is that what looks different feels special. In reality, wider planks are more expensive than the slims ones. It reduces the number of seems a floor has. However, the few seems are exaggerated with expansion and contraction.
There are other hardwoods available with different properties and price ranges including ash, maple, hickory, and cherry.
Grain Pattern
The grain patterns on wood depend on how they are cut.
The three main cutting methods are,
- Rift saw
- Quarter saw and
- Plain saw
The patterns produced by plan saw are christened cathedrals which is what most people refer too when talking about grains.
The rift saw, on the other hand, produces consistent, long and linear grains that are devoid of cathedrals. 3D rays define wood prepared with a rift saw.
You are likely to get wood prepared in different versions but you may also order an exclusive design. The appearance of the grains is only meant to add color to your floor.
Width Of Your Plank
The traditional length of a flooring plank was between two and three inches. Today, people seem to be in favor of a wider plank. The increase in width seems to give a floor a luxurious and expensive feel.
The idea is that what looks different feels special. In reality, wider planks are more expensive than the slims ones. It reduces the number of seems a floor has. However, the few seems are exaggerated with expansion and contraction.
The quality of Hardwood flooring will be greatly affected by the subfloor. You need a professional who understands hardwood to give a durable surface. Consider the uses and people around the house for the purposes of maintenance.
To achieve good quality, the appearance must be more important than the budget.
To achieve good quality, the appearance must be more important than the budget.
