Guide to Choosing a Hardwood Floor
Tips on Choosing Hardwood Flooring
When you are planning a home renovation project, one of the things everyone considers is flooring. There are many different types to choose from. One of the all-time favorites is hardwood flooring. Choosing the right hardwood flooring for its use and application might be difficult.
Engineered or Solid
Traditional hardwood flooring comes in a solid plank of timber. Although it is still available, manufacturers are making engineered hardwood flooring. They each can look the same, but there are differences where they should be installed.
Solid Hardwood
Solid hardwood is generally installed over a plywood subfloor. If your floor is not already prepped for this, it might raise the level of the floor. This might cause problems with the doors or even a small ceiling height.
Engineered Hardwood
Engineered hardwood is made up of multiple layers of wood with a layer at the top showing the brilliance of the natural wood. To most people, they cannot tell the difference between the two.
Prefinished or Site Finished
This is your choice because there will be two different things to choose from. Prefinished means installation will be quicker as the planks will only need to be cut and placed. With the site finished, after everything is installed it will need to be sanded down and then the finish is applied.
Finishes
Basically, there are two types, oil and polyurethane. The oil penetrates into the wood. It has more of a natural feeling to it. Oil finishes show fewer scratches and are easier to repair. Polyurethane is impervious to water and is less susceptible to stains,
Species of Wood
Oak tends to be king. This species of wood is resilient to stains and is very durable. Walnut is softer and more suited for darker finishes. There still is ash, cherry, hickory and maple to choose from. It all depends on what you are looking for.
