Guide to Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood Flooring Guide

This guide will cover the basics. Talk with an expert if you have questions of a special situation which is not covered or fully addressed by this guide.

The Value and Beauty of Hardwood

There’s nothing like hardwood flooring for natural beauty, warmth and ease of cleaning. Certain woos species will have distinctive grains and swirling burnished figures which add a classic touch to yout floors. Hardwood’s rich character never goes out of style. hardwood is attractive, long lasting and a great investment in your home’s overall value. Hardwood flooring meshes practicality and elegance when it comes to home flooring.

Wood Flooring Types

Engineered Hardwood

It has a construction of multi-layers of wood, each layer is positioned in a different direction. The top layer is a veneer of solid wood that comes in a variety of species.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is one solid species of wood throughout the plank. A well maintained solid hardwood floor can last for decades.

Wood flooring is available in several styles.

Strip Flooring

The flooring comes in strips with widths that range from 1 1/2” through 2 1/2” and thicknesses of 5/16” through 3/4”. Strip flooring creates a traditional look, and can produce an illusion that a room is larger than it is.

Plank Flooring

Plank flooring also comes in strips, but they are wider, usually from 3” through 8”. Plank flooring can be used to create a more rustic or earthy look as well as a historical appearance with antique applications.

Hand-Scraped Floors

Hand-scraped hardwood floors have become one of the most sought after looks in flooring today. Replicating the look of reclaimed wood or of centuries of lived-on wear, hand-scraped hardwood floors beam with character and charm while boasting today’s most enduring urethane finishes.

Wire Brushed Floors

Wire brushed floors imitate the lived-on charm of hand-scraped hardwood floors with a less obvious level of distress applied to the faux wear markings. These floors, too, offer the enduring beauty of today’s innovations in urethane finishes.

Select Hardwood for Any Room

Solid hardwood is not recommended for moisture prone areas of the home, but performs well in high-traffic areas like entryways, hallways, and living rooms. New advances in technology afford engineered hardwood floors the flexibility for installation above, at, or even below grade. Several layers of construction are bonded together to prevent bowing/shrinking in cool, moisture prone areas.

This construction prevents it from warping and bowing the way a hardwood floor might in an area with high moisture. Engineered hardwood can be installed in most grade levels of the home, including below ground with a protective moisture barrier installed.

The Look of Hardwood

You’ll probably want to decide on the species of wood you prefer early on in your home design process. Wood species such as beech, cherry, hickory, maple, oak, pecan, walnut or exotic imports all are a fine choice for hardwood flooring.

Visit your local store where our flooring experts will assist you in choosing the hardwood flooring types and styles to fit your needs.

Understand Product Variations

Many factors determine how your floor will look. Consider how much natural variation there is in the grain and coloring of a wood. This range of variation contributes to hardwood’s endless appeal. How shiny the wood appears varies according to a gloss level rated as matte (low), satin (medium) or gloss (high). A matte finish helps to maintain your floors appearance in high traffic areas, while high gloss finishes will add elegance and grandeur to a formal space.

All these elements make a difference in how your hardwood floor will look.

Choose Your Edge

The configuration of the strip’s edge contributes to the look of the installed hardwood floor. Many or wide-plank styles offer you the choice of square edge (smooth and flat surface). You may desire a micro bevel which is a mild bevel that can be felt with the fingertips. You may prefer a full bevel which results in a obvious groove to visually separate the planks and focuses your eye on grain line.

All these elements make a difference in how your hardwood floor will look.