|
||
Choosing the right type of hardwood flooring for your home is an important step. You need to factor in your lifestyle, decor, and the area where the wood floor is going. Wood flooring is available in a wide variety of colors, styles and finishes so you need to know exactly what you want for your home before you buy.
There are varying types of wood flooring. You need to decide between factory finished, solid, plank, unfinished, parquet, and engineered - . Here are some of the differences:
Engineered Flooring:
Engineered floors are made up of multiple layers of wood pressed together. The grains run in different directions on each layer, this makes it extremely stable. Engineered wood flooring is perfect for kitchens, basements and powder rooms.
Solid Flooring:
Any plank that from top to bottom is the same piece of wood is considered solid flooring. This is the most common type and works in any area of your home that is above ground level.
Plank Flooring:
Plank is wider than other types of strip flooring. It is linear and can be used to create the illusion of more space in a room.
Parquet Flooring:
This is a series of smaller pieces of wood that are laid to form a geometric pattern in your room.
The type and style of flooring you choose will determine the style of you room. You can usually get samples from your local wood flooring retailer to help you decide what type of wood flooring will look best in your home.
The type of flooring you choose will determine how your room feels once the floor is installed. Educate yourself and look at as many samples as you can get your hands on to be sure you get the perfect wood flooring for you décor and style.
There are many different types of wood flooring, some common others you've probably never heard of. Each type of wood has its own unique characteristics and will respond differently to its environment over time. You need to know what your choice of wood will look like in the long term, some changes might be a lot different than you expect and will not go with your style and decor.
You need to educate yourself about each species of wood and its particular characteristics before you begin shopping for it. Some wood types are not as durable as others, so to be sure you are going to be happy with your floors in the long run you need to have realistic expectations to begin with.
There will be variations in your wood flooring. No type of wood is completely uniform unless it is manufactured that way. The more natural the wood type you choose, the more variations you will see once you floor is installed. Choosing an exotic wood flooring type is becoming more and more popular because of the statement it makes about a person's taste and style. The most common types of exotics are: Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Walnut, and Santos Mahogany. Visit for a complete list.
These are generally imported from South America, Australia, the far East and Africa. Using these wood types for flooring requires that you be well informed as to the wood's appearance, stability, and hardness and how they react when used in the HVAC systems found in most homes. Be sure the type of exotic wood flooring you choose will work with your home's environment before ordering and be sure to buy from a reputable importer to avoid be ripped off.
You should always choose your wood style by looking at real samples. Viewing color and grain in photos or online is not reliable enough for you to judge.