Hardwood flooring design is gaining popularity nowadays. Especially for homeowners or building proprietors aiming to boost their places’ elegance and warmth. Many are now preferring to have wood floors. They can exhibit a much better classic look over tiles and carpets.
More importantly, it’s low maintenance and easier to clean. You can eliminate dirt and debris effortlessly with simple sweeping, steam-cleaning, and vacuuming. However, durability that can last for decades is why many owners rely on or switch to hardwood floors. It would be best also to partner it with a fire-rated floor hatch to boost its sturdiness further.
These are only a few advantages that wood flooring brings to your space. To aid you in picking the best-fitting hardwood floor type or component for your structure, scroll through the tips shared in this article.
Which is better? Solid or Engineered? Pre-finished or Unfinished?
When planning to install wood floors, one of the most common decisions you will make is choosing whether to have a solid wood floorboard or an engineered one. You must know the difference first to pick the most appropriate floorboard type for your space.
SOLID:
You’ll often see solid wood floorboards installed in old, classic, and vintage houses. This type of flooring is usually thick and built from firm hardwood species, like oak, maple, or walnut. You can sand and re-stain this floor throughout its lifespan for as much as you need. But you should avoid attaching it in humid-prone environments as the solid wood material can bend considerably.
ENGINEERED:
On the other hand, engineered wood floorboards are much thinner than solid flooring. They contain only a thin layer of hardwood confined over the finest plywood base.
When it comes to warping or gaping concerns, this flooring type also performs better. It’s more sturdy to withstand those detrimental issues.
Remember, though, that if you’re considering changing floorboard colors in the future, engineered hardwood floors aren’t ideal. You can only refinish them once or twice.
Solid wood floors come in unfinished or pre-finished varieties. Meanwhile, most engineered wood floors are available in pre-finished condition. How can you distinguish pre-finished wood type from unfinished?
PRE-FINISHED:
The pre-finished floorboards save you time and effort. You no longer need to sand or stain the wood just to achieve the aesthetic look you want. However, you can expect this wood finish to be more expensive in exchange for added convenience.
UNFINISHED:
If you want to control the appearance of your wood floorboard, these types are perfect for you to purchase. Moreover, they are relatively cheaper in the market, but on-site labor can require vast effort.
The next thing you need to think of after the floorboard types are the wood species ideal for you to install in your home or commercial establishment space.
Tons of options will come out upon searching, so we narrowed it down to the seven most popular:
1. Ash
The Ash types are famous in the furniture crafter market primarily for their lightweight features. There are two kinds you can choose from depending on the grain display you prefer.
The white ash showcases subtle graining. While the black ash constitutes dark grain perfect for installation to contrast the light background.
2. Bamboo
The bamboo emanates a neat and stunning finish. However, compared to others, it’s a fragile material. It’s initially a woody grass and not a hardwood tree like many of its wood friends. What’s great, though, is that it’s a renewable specie.
3. Cherry
If you want to add a shinier flooring piece to your space, you must check out the cherry lumber products. It gives off a reddish hue and glossy texture you’ll love.
4. Maple
The maple hardwood showcases a unique grain pattern better than most wood species. However, the downside is that it’s more vulnerable to insect rotting issues.
5. Oak
Oak woods are well-loved for their wide variety of grain and stains. Also, their sturdiness allowing floorings to last for a long time. Generally, the most favored oak wood floor types are red oak and white oak.
6. Pine
There are truckloads of pine floors available in the market. All of them are secured to be of high quality, although each type varies in durability.
Hence, when considering installing this hardwood, it’s better to consult a specialist. He or she can guide you on which pine specie are perfect for your location.
7. Walnut
If you wish to achieve a rich and warm floor look in your area, you must consider walnut woods. It exudes a darker and redder base tone that guarantees durability for your structure.
Hardwood flooring is in trend nowadays, especially for its enormous benefits to your home or building structure. From durability to aesthetics, wood floorboards are impressive and advantageous materials you should consider attaching to your floors.
Take note of the essential wood flooring factors vital for you. Then you can guarantee that you install the most fitting for your space.