Choosing flooring for your home is exciting. There are so many options: wood, ceramic, carpet, laminate and vinyl flooring, each with its different benefits. Hardwood flooring is an extremely popular choice, many people go for hardwood and have done so for decades, due to its beautiful aesthetic and its many advantageous benefits. Wood is very versatile, due to the many different types of it, it can complement any decor and style.
Wood Types
There are many different species of wood that are used as flooring material. The most commonly chosen are oak, maple and cherry. These are popular due to their availability, strength and how easy they are to stain. Other high-end choices include bamboo, walnut, ash, and mahogany, and there are even more exotic types: teak and mesquite.
Engineered Wood Or Solid Wood?
When you decide on hardwood flooring there are 2 choices that you can make: solid wood and engineered wood. Solid wood is as the name suggests pure planks of solid wood, whereas engineered wood is man-made by gluing many thin layers of wood together. Solid wood is extremely strong and is going to last for a long time, but needs to be treated regularly. It also can be sanded down and retreated if it becomes damaged or even if you just want a change. Engineered wood doesn’t last as long as solid wood, but it has been designed to not need regular maintenance. Although the downside is you cannot refinish more than 2 or 3 times.
Wood Finishing
Natural wood needs to be sealed and maintained yearly. The finish gives the wood an added layer of protection, makes it waterproof and increases the strength and resilience of the wood, making it even longer lasting! When you order wooden floors you have a choice whether to have hardwood floor finishing before installation or after. (mybiosource.com) Finished floors just need hardwood floor installation. Unfinished floors have to be sanded, stained and finished by hardwood floor contractors after installation. Finishing floors after installation gives the benefit of sealing up any gaps and giving more protection for the floor against water.
