Why choose wood floors for your home? Factors to consider.

Renovating your floors is a great way to change the aesthetic of a room or even your entire home. However, before you go and jump the gun, let’s look at some factors to consider before you begin making improvements.

Style and Color

Think of the furniture you already have in your home and what’s going to pair well with that. If you don’t have any furniture yet, then you have more options. It’s always a good idea to choose hardwood flooring that’s more neutral than not. This ensures that whenever you decide to get new furniture you’ll have more options to match your flooring.

Budget

One component of your decision will be your budget. This could determine the type of flooring you decide to get, as different styles have different prices. I'm sure your local hardwood floor contractor will have much for you to choose from and will guide you on what’s best for your budget.

Durability

Natural hardwood can last for many years and can stay fresh with refinishing every now and again. So if your floors get scratched you can always have them sanded down and made brand new again.

Traffic Flow

It’s important to consider traffic flow when determining the most appropriate flooring for your home. If there’s high foot traffic you’ll want a floor that’s durable enough to withstand those footpaths.

Hardwood Flooring Species

There are many types of wood flooring species and your wood flooring contractor will present you with a variety to choose from.
You can choose from Red oak, white oak, hickory, ash, maple, walnut, mahogany, tigerwood, teak, etc.
You can select the best option that you find to be most suitable for your home and preferred style.

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Hardwood flooring types

When you first consult with your hardwood flooring installation contractor, you will discuss your needs and preferences as far as style, and how the floor will be used to best select the right flooring type for you.
There are various types of hardwood that can suit different purposes:

Strip flooring

Engineered hardwood:

Adds elegance to any room. It comes in widths 1 1/2”, 2”, or 2 14/“ and has a thickness between 5/16” and 3/4”.

Plank flooring

Common for historic and rustic environments that call for a more natural look.

Parquet flooring:

Creates geometric patterns and it’s comprised of wood slats held together by a mechanical adhesive or fastening. This flooring is perfect for trim, medallions, and custom designs.

Created by bonding 3-12 layers of wood to create planks or strips. The layers can either be the same or different species, in some cases, the top layer is of the highest quality with the preferred texture and color, white oak flooring, for example.
You can either sand or refinish engineered wood, but not as often as you could with solid wood. It comes in widths ranging between 3” and 7” with a thickness of 3/8” - 34” making it suitable for every aesthetic.

Hardwood Floor Installation types

When deciding on the best hardwood flooring contractors for the job, you wanna pick someone who can not only offer a variety of services but plenty of options to choose from, as far as flooring styles and designs.

Installing hardwood floors isn’t as hard as it may seem, you simply have to decide what styling you prefer and after considering the level of durability you’ll need and your wood floor installation contractors will handle the rest.

They can determine which installation method is best for you. Deciding on the right installation method varies based on where in the building the installation is taking place, the kind of subfloor there is, and the kind of wood or flooring being used.
A few types of flooring installation include:

Nailing:

Gluing:

When nailing hardwood floors down, the nails are what fasten down the wood to the subfloor. This method is most suitable for thin wood flooring.

Stapling:

Stapling is also suitable for thin wood flooring, and with this method, the wood is attached to the subfloor with staples.

The gluing method is suitable for parquet or engineered floors. With this method, the wood is glued directly onto the subfloors.

Floating:

With floating hardwood boards the flooring is not attached to the subfloor. The boards float above the surface with padding in between.

Hardwood finishes

Finishes can come in different colors and styles. A few include:

Oil-based urethane:

This is one of the most common finishes. You can get it in a satin finish, gloss, or semi-gloss. 2-3 coats is required and it usually takes about 8 hours to dry. This finish might yellow with time.

Water-based urethane

The finish is quick-drying and has less of an odor. It’s also easy to clean and doesn't yellow with time.

Penetrating finishes

Penetrating finishes can seep into the wood and need a wax finish which provides a low gloss coat. The wax has to be reapplied over time and maintained with specific cleaning products.

Tuning oil

This is a popular penetrating sealer; it originates from tung tree nuts. It is easily applicable and has a bit of an amber color. It’s also sustainable and friendly to the environment.

Hard wax

Wax seeps into hardwood flooring and leaves a layer on top as a surface finish. It provides a slight amber hue and pairs well with various stains.

Warranties

Some hardwood floor contractors offer warranties for a certain period of time. If some disastrous accident happens 3 weeks after your floor has been installed, you could use your warranty -if you have one- to replace the flooring free of charge (if that is what’s stipulated in your warranty) however, every warranty is not the same so ask your contractor what warranties they offer.

How to keep your hardwood flooring look like new?

With wooden floors, it’s important to have routine maintenance to preserve their color, quality, and texture.
You can hire a hardwood flooring refinishing contractor to come out and refinish your floors. A proper refinishing could have your flooring looking and feeling brand new.

How Temperature and Humidity Affect Hardwood Flooring

When the levels of humidity are high in your home, wood floors can absorb the moisture and expand. This can lead to cupping, which means the center of the planks will curve down and the edges will curve up.
High humidity can also cause crowning, which is the inverse of cupping: the center of the planks will swell upward, rising above the edges.
An even worse case is when the flooring begins to buckle and detach from the subfloor and forms a peak.

Solid hardwood vs laminate

Deciding on the right flooring can be a challenge. Many homeowners skip between solid hardwood and laminate. Their quite different yet similar all the while, let’s cover just how different and similar they are, shall we?

Most wood floor contractors offer both laminate and solid wood options.
Solid hardwood is 100% wood and has various species, that have different types of patterns, grains, and stains.
Laminate flooring is composed of wood byproducts conjoined underneath a protective transparent layer.
Both options have sides that interlock and attach to build the base of the floor.

Durability

Authentic wood is more prone to dents, and scratches, but you can have the wood resurfaced every now and again to restore its appearance. Laminate floors are more durable and can stand up to moisture and heat. Laminate can’t be resurfaced, but it’s easy to change boards and replace the damaged areas.

Cleaning

Hardwood floors can be swept, vacuumed, or dry-mopped with a wood cleaner. Since this flooring can be warped by water and heat, it’s best to clean up spills as fast as you can. Laminate floors require less maintenance, and simply sweeping or vacuuming can be sufficient.

Affordability

Laminate is one of the most affordable flooring options on the market.

Installation

Laminate flooring is simple to install, they’re great for DIY projects. Whereas a wood floor installation usually requires professional assistance.

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