There’s nothing like the quaint charm of hardwood flooring. With a little maintenance, your floor will keep its shine year and after year. It goes with every style, and can be stained in a variety of colors to match your interiors.
Two choices in hardwood flooring The first question most people ask when purchasing hardwood flooring is whether they should go for engineered wood or solid wood flooring. Solid wood flooring is, as the name says, made of solid wood through and through. One of the greatest reasons to purchase solid wood is its durability. All it needs is a little sandpapering and re-finishing and it can look as good as new, year after year. Engineered wood on the other hand is manufactured using multiple layers of wood the topmost being hardwood. These veneers may be from different species of wood. One of the benefits of engineered wood is that it not affected by high humidity levels as hardwood flooring which tends to contract and expand with fluctuating moisture levels. Shaw flooring offers a new type of engineered wood called Epic Plus made using Stabilitek technology. It’s one of the most impact-resistant hardwood flooring on the market. Using about 50 percent less newly harvested wood than conventional engineered woods, it is one of the most eco-friendly options. Engineered flooring can be glued over a concrete slab or soundproof mat. Solid wood flooring is installed over layers of plywood. When it comes to the crunch, many homeowners can’t resist the elegance of solid hardwood. However, if you prefer engineered wood, make sure the top layer is thick to withstand sandpapering and refinishing so that your flooring looks good and lasts longer. Pre-finished flooring or site-finish flooring? The next question that most homeowners ask is whether they should get prefinished flooring or allow the finishing to be done on site. The advantage of prefinished flooring is that you know the exact color you are getting and can match your interiors accordingly. It also takes less time to install. Unfinished flooring, however, allows the homeowner more control over the sheen and stain. It’s also a smoother job since the entire flooring is finished after it has been nailed to the floor. You can customize unfinished flooring as you want but will have to wait until the finishing completely dries before you can walk on it. What finishing products should you use? There’s a wide range of products to choose from but all of them can be bucketed into two categories—oil-based and polyurethane. Polyurethane creates a hard top coat that is more resistant to wear and tear, whereas oil penetrates deeper into the wood and creates a soft finish that looks natural but scratches more easily. Oil finishes need to be done more often to maintain the sheen. Polyurethane maintenance can be done less often but it is more tedious. Choosing the Type of Wood When it comes to choosing the type of wood, Red Oak is one of the most popular wood flooring choices because of its resistance to wear and tear. Use it in the living room or kitchen. It has an appealing grain and goes well with any interior style. It’s also widely available across the United States and therefore, comes at a reasonable price. There are other varieties of wood such as maple planks, ebonized hardwood – these look great creating a contrast that complements modern design styles. You can create the ebonized look using oak, cherry or walnut. Reclaimed wood is also popular these days. For instance, reclaimed pine has been reclaimed from historical buildings. It looks gorgeous and has eco-friendly benefits as well. If you’re looking for a more exotic wood that’s affordable, try Brazilian Cherry. Other more affordable hardwood flooring can be created using Distressed Wide Planks. By now, you’re probably wondering how long it takes to install hardwood flooring. While installation time can vary from company to company depending on the product you choose and your customization, It generally takes about 2 weeks to install it over an area of 1000 sq. ft. Choosing the right hardwood flooring will be one of the most important decisions you will make as a homeowner. The right decision can enhance the aesthetics and function of your flooring. It’s an investment that is meant to last a long, long time. Make sure it meets your needs. Explore your options and get expert guidance along with great savings at Carpet Express.
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October 2017
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