Hardwood Flooring: The Payoff Hardwood floors provide an ideal backdrop for almost any decorating style, and are renowned for their warmth and elegance. When maintained properly, wood floors can last more than 25 years and their beauty often increases with age. If you're looking for easy-to-maintain flooring that adds value and charm to your home, hardwood is an excellent choice. Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Hardwood Flooring There are two main types of wood flooring: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Both are made from real wood, but are manufactured differently. The following chart provides a quick comparison between the two types of wood flooring: Milled from solid lumber Suitable for basements (below grade) Can be sanded and refinished Available in a variety of wood species Solid hardwood is milled from solid lumber and works well in almost any room. This type of wood flooring can be sanded and refinished numerous times to maintain its natural beauty.
Solid hardwood flooring is generally not recommended in below-grade locations like bathrooms or basements due to the potential for damage from ground moisture. VIEW ALL HARDWOOD FLOORING Engineered hardwood flooring combines a thin-but-tough real hardwood surface with underlying multiple layers of plywood or fireboard. Its laminated layers make it remarkably strong and more resistant to moisture. As a result, it can be used in below, on, or above grade locations, basements. Engineered hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished for a longer life span. VIEW ALL ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING Species of Wood Flooring The species of wood you choose will depend largely on the style of your room and personal preference. Oak, hard maple and birch are common in most homes, but all wood species are suitable for everyday use. Ultimately, you should try to choose your wood flooring by its look and appearance. Wood Type, Benefits and Considerations Maple and birch each have a whitish colour with light brown grain lines, and are smooth to the touch.
Maple and birch flooring can help create a clean, modern look, or help brighten up a dark room. Pine, Hemlock & Fir (softwoods) Pine, hemlock, and fir are different types of softwoods that come from evergreens. These woods are perfect for creating a country-like appearance, and may be more suitable in less formal rooms. Oak (red or white) Oak is brown in colour with dark grain lines, and available in two types: red oak or white oak. Red oak has a pinkish tinge, while white oak is browner. Both are perfect for creating a traditional-looking wood floor. Ash is very similar to oak in appearance, but slightly whiter in colour. Extremely durable, Ash is used in the production of baseball bats, tool handles and other products, making it an ideal choice for heavily-used rooms. Bamboo is technically considered a grass, not a wood, but has roughly the same hardness as oak. Bamboo is durable and considered an eco-friendly option when it comes to wood flooring. Bamboo flooring can range in colour from a natural light brown, to a deep cherry or mocha.
Walnut and cherry are both strong woods that make for attractive home flooring. Walnut is brown in colour, while cherry tends to be a lighter reddish brown. Walnut tends to lighten with age, while cherry deepens with time. Choose from an extensive selection of hardwood flooring and enjoy long-lasting beauty installed by professionals you can trust. Parquet and Cork Flooring Traditional wood floors are made up of wood strips or planks, but you can also choose parquet or cork tiles to give your wood flooring an alternate appearance. Parquet is a hardwood tile made up of narrow strips that are glued together to form a pattern. The most common pattern for parquet is a series of squares made of strips that change direction from square to square. Parquet brings variety and pattern to home flooring, and beauty from the spread of different wood tones across each individual tiles. Cork is an engineered hardwood product with a top layer made from the bark of a cork oak tree.
Cork flooring has grown in popularity in recent years because of its comfortable and modern look, hypoallergenic qualities and environmental sustainability. Approximately 50% of the volume material of cork is air, acting as a cushion underfoot and a natural sound-absorber. Cork is also moisture-resistant and retains warmth well, making it suitable for basement applications. Look for urethane-sealed cork flooring for increased durability. Choosing a Hardwood Finish Hardwood flooring is usually pre-finished with a polyurethane product to give it a rich shine and protective surface. The standard polyurethane finishes are semi-gloss or satin, or matte. Semi-gloss or satin finish Semi-gloss finishes provide a high shine, and satin finishes a medium shine. Both semi-gloss and satin provide a richer shine than matte finishes. Less shiny surface than semi-gloss or satin. Will not dull quickly. More practical for pets, children and higher foot traffic. To preserve the beauty of hardwood flooring over many years, use a pre-finished hardwood floor liquid cleaner.
Consider installing a hygrometer to control home humidity. Relative humidity should be maintained between 35% and 65%.Floors 85jTile Hardwood FloorsKitchen Tile FloorsHsh FlooringRoom FlooringFlooring TilesHardwood DaltileDaltile TileVs HardwoodForwardTile that looks like wood! Photo features Season Wood™ Orchard Grey 12 x 48, 8 x 48, and 4 x 48 field tile in a staggered pattern on the floorExotic and Domestic Hardwoods We are your custom, quality hardwood lumber distributor. We supply over 60 species of domestic and exotic woods to YOUR colour and dimension specifications; specializing in the exceptional and unusual. Browse our entire catalogue as you will also find a variety of plywood, veneers, wood finishes and millwork possibilities. We pride ourselves in offering the highest quality lumber, plywood and veneer. Be assured that our prices and delivery options are among the best in the business. You can rely on consistently high quality in every board. We wish you success with your next project;