Is there anything more sophisticated than hardwood flooring? Until recently - say the last twenty to thirty years - the trend was to cover these beauties with wall-to-wall carpeting. Today however, bare hardwood flooring is almost a staple in any upscale home and although it happens to be the bottom of any room, it's one of the first things that people see.
Why Choose Hardwood Flooring?
Properly installed, hardwood flooring not only complements an existing decor, it provides a secure and solid support for anyone with a family - small or large! Large families can especially appreciate these oak favorites because they have such a reputation for withstanding the demands of growing children, heavy furniture, rolling pianos, and anything else that would mar or dent any other type of floor.
For these reasons alone, the cost of installing hardwood flooring is well out-weighed by both its aesthetic and resale value. Research has proven a home filled with this type of service sells higher on the market than most others.
Have we caught your interest? Good - let's talk about the different styles available today. You can install hardwood flooring that's based off of four basic styles. We say, 'based off of' because knowing these basic styles, your installation can deviate from any one of them into something exotic, creative, and uniquely beautiful.
Available Styles
The most common style of hardwood flooring is known as 'strip flooring,' and it's probably the style that you've repeatedly seen over the years. Strip flooring lays strips of hardwood (in various lengths and thicknesses) onto the floor.
Plank flooring on the other hand, lays planks (up to nine inches wide) onto the floor with beveled edges - an attempt to emulate an older appearance.
Parquet flooring consists of hardwood that is cut in identical widths and lengths, but laid in a unique pattern to create a design.
Block flooring is similar to parquet flooring however it's the grain of the wood that's used to create a pattern. You might have seen this look - where the grains of the wood point in different directions.
Types of Wood
Oak has almost always been the hardwood flooring preference, however today, more and more homeowners like are you exploring other options like pecan, maple, birch, or beech. The exciting thing about these different options is that they present a wider range of colors. Each of these timbers presents their own unique collection of hues and tints that help to bring out the existing beauty of your home.
With a little creative forethought, you can combine the distinctive properties of wood types with one of the above mentioned style types to build a floor that will become the center of attention in your home!
Communication is Key
Your success of course, depends on how well you communicate your ideas with your hardware flooring contractor. Take the time to draw up a plan that specifies the style you want (see above) in addition to the kind of wood you want installed. Present your plan to your contractor so that the both of you can work together and create the home improvement masterpiece that's not only possible, but also that you've imagined for all these years.
Although brick and tile are two of the oldest construction materials, they remain favorites among homebuilders and home improvement specialists today. And there's a good reason for it! Not only is brick and tile beautiful, they're strong and resistant to high winds and they're responsive to temperature - making them premium textiles for shelter and insulation.
Brick and Tile Have A History
Brick has a history that's at least six thousand years old. Made of clay, bricks are made by burning them in a kiln for a specific length of time. The end result is a collection of 2 1/4 × 3 3/4 × 8-inch blocks of heat resistant, strong, and hard block of building material. Their simple production is what lends to this material's historical and cultural expansion.
Tiles of the past were made of clay as well. Only recently have we begun tile production with synthetic plastic. Historically, facing tile is the most common and you've surely seen this style of tile as a flat glazed square. Another style that you might be familiar with is terra cotta - hard-unglazed brownish-red earthenware. Terra cotta is usually applied to brick or plaster.
Brick Types
Different types of brick serve different purposes. The most widely recognized brick is a reddish clay and sand combination that might have a hole in the middle of it. This kind of brick is known as a Kiln Brick. Facing brick is kiln-burned also; however it has a smoother and more attractive surface. As a result, facing brick is used on visible parts of buildings where kiln bricks are reserved for non-visible parts - just like the common brick. You will typically find the common brick along sidewalls. As decoration, brick veneer is thinner (shallow) than the others and is used (with mortar) to surface interior walls.
Brick veneer isn't the only type of brick that's used for aesthetic purposes however. You can create an interesting atmosphere within your home with tapestry brick, which is impressed with a design, or with molded brick, which is shaped into interesting forms (curves, arches, etc.).
Tile Types
Interestingly, you'll find a lot more different kinds of tile than you'll find of brick. We've already introduced terra cotta, but we haven't touched on facing tile (otherwise known as flooring or wall tile). Like facing brick, facing tile is meant for visible areas.
Italian Faience tile is known for it's opaque glazes whereas Spanish Majolica tile is known for its bright surfaces. Dutch Delft tile shows off an oriental appearance with white or blue hues.
You Have A Wide Assortment to Work From
As you can see, you have a wide selection of both tile and brick to pick and choose from when you're thinking about laying out a new floor or wall or even counter top. You're limited only by your imagination and your contractor can help you decide which type of tile or brick is suitable for your climate, lifestyle, or creative goals!
Both Paulglover & Paul Glover are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paulglover has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Improvement, Painting and Home Improvement. Author Paul White represents FloridaHomeBuild.com. A site designed to help home owners from Florida locate local home contractors with their home improvement projects. Visit Our Site:. Paulglover's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Paul Glover has sinced written about articles on various topics from Install Flooring, Home Improvement How to. Author Paul White represents FloridaHomeBuild.com. A site designed to help home owners from Florida locate local home contractors with their home improvement projects. Visit Our Site:. Paul Glover's top article generates over 480 views. to your Favourites.