Wood flooring enhances your home and is suitable for any style, be it traditional or modern. You have a wide range of hardwood options to choose from including Hickory, Oak, Ash, and Maple.
Different types of hardwood floors have different properties. It would be best to opt for wood flooring options that suit your daily life and financial plan.
You must pay attention to the grade, finish, thickness of the board, and species for top-quality hardwood flooring. Engineering wood flooring is more reasonable than other wood floorings.
Before spending money on different types of flooring, read all the information about the top-quality hardwood flooring given in this article.
Things to Consider Before Buying Engineered Wood Flooring
- If you want durability, always opt for a thicker surface. In case of a too-thin surface layer, the refinishing and sanding will not be done. If any damage occurs, the only solution will be to replace it.
- Consider an engineered wood flooring with an excellent plywood core. Engineered wood floors can bear moisture and temperature variations more than solid wood flooring types. A plywood engineered wood floor is more versatile.
- A best-engineered wood flooring with more layers is more durable. This flooring must have 3 to 9 layers besides a plywood core. Your engineered wood floor will be most durable hardwood flooring if there are more layers of finish.
- All engineered wood floors do not possess the same features. Select the one that suits your daily life and necessities. Its best example is a waterproof and scratch-resistant plank used in homes with pets and kids.
Types of Wood Flooring
There are different types of real wood flooring. Some of them are explained below.
Hickory
- This type of wood is harder than ash, oak, and maple. Janka’s hardness scale measures it at 1,820.
- Long-lasting and sturdy
- Resistant to wear, humidity, and high traffic than all the other hardwoods
- Quite light shade wood. For this reason, it can be colored in any shade
- It can be waxed to get a cozy look and fight against moisture
Oak
- The hardness of oak wooden floors differs by its sub-types. On Janka’s hardness scale, white oak measures 1,360 and live oak measures 2,680.
- It takes a unique layer over time.
- It has many colors ranging from white to dark red.
- You can easily fix slight damage by using the DIY route
Ash
- Its hardness is similar to Oak. Janka hardness scale measures it as 1,320
- Easily bear temperature and moisture variations
- Does not break with time
- It can easily absorb any shock and is easy to walk on
Maple
- It’s harder than ash and white oak. Janka hardness scale measures it at 1,450
- Its light design and rough texture make it a great choice for modern homes
- Easily accessible
- Withstands slight scratches and damage from furniture’s legs
Cherry
- It is particularly hard. Janka hardness scale measures it as 2,350
- It can easily absorb any shock and is easy to walk on
- Unique cozy red shades
- Traditional, unbroken, smooth texture that looks good in traditional areas
Ebony
- Ebony is amongst the hardest woods. Janka hardness scale measures it as 3,700
- Different shades with dark brown to black shades that darken with time
- Long-lasting and resistant to cuts and dents
- Its thick surface makes it resistant to humidity damage
Bamboo
- Janka hardness scale measures bamboo at 3,000
- It is grass, not wood, but works in the same way as hardwood
- It grows rapidly and is easily growing, so it is environmental-friendly, maintainable, and broadly available
- It can be used with underfloor heating
Best Brands of Wood Flooring
Bruce – Best for Instant Accessibility and Returnability
Bruce is a competent brand of wood flooring. Many of its solid hardwood present traditional local oak. Its hand-scraped options are limited.
The unaffiliated companies, The Home Depot and Lowe’s, have nearly 4,000 stores and sell products of Bruce around the world. You can easily buy the flooring from bruce, wherever you live.
Companies of this brand can return extra flooring. Online shops take no delivery charges, but they will not take the product back for free.
Carlisle – Best for Plank Sizes
Carlisle is determined to change plank sizes so that every homeowner can get access to it.
The flooring of wide planks is more costly than solid wood floor 3 ¼-inch planks. Its milling is not easy because the cuts from the center of planks are needed.
This is a 40-year-old brand, and its finishes are hard and rough. Its site finishes are closed, and it can stick well to the wood.
Lumber Liquidators – Best for Cheap Wood Flooring
This brand is very inexpensive. Its prices are reasonable, and everyone can easily afford this glossy floor.
Lumber Liquidators brand sells prefinished solids and engineered hardwood flooring at affordable prices. Its quality is satisfactory.
Hearne Hardwoods – Best for High Quality
Hearne stores over 140 domestic and non-domestic hardwoods, some of which are unique. If it’s not in stock, Hearne may have it.
Hearne’s 67″ Solid Band Saw and Equally Wide Belt Sander do short work on most hardwood sizes. Like any premium product, you will pay the price, but that’s the real problem.
The Woods Company – Best for Recycled Solid Wood Flooring
Consumers do not trust many manufacturers of recycled wood floors. Whether it’s pre-millennial websites, outdated price lists, or incorrect product descriptions, it’s an open field that offers more possibilities.
It cuts the aged ground on the sides of the beams, where the wood is authentically aged for more than a century. Recycled hardwood floors are expensive.
Installation of Wood Flooring
Materials and Tools Required
- Hardwood
- Modular doorway system kit
- Wood grout
- Vapor blockade paper
- Air-filled flooring package
- Nail set
- Staple gun
- Drill bits
- Hammer
- Tape measure
- Disjoin bar
- Chop saw
- Table saw
- Ear protection
- Goggles
- Chalk line
- Variable speed drill
How to Install a Hardwood Floor
Do-it-yourself specialists provide instructions for installing hardwood floors in a room.
- To install for the room, select hardwood species and width of the board.
- Find the length and width of the room and multiply for the square tape.
- Examine the sub-floor. It must be a 3/4″ plywood. There must be no scraps on the floor.
- Roll out sheets of vapor blockade paper, allow 4″ overlap, and connect to the sub-floor.
- Begin the installation from the longest free wall. Take out the shoe molding, and draw a chalk line 3/8″ away from the baseboard.
- Start by taking a long and straight board to the first row.
- After installing the first few rows, drill pilot holes down into the tongue of each board.
- Take an air-filled nail gun, and strike firmly with a hammer by placing the gun lip over the board’s edge.
- While cutting the baseboards, Take a piece that will fit and cut it 10 or 12 inches more.
- Always cut the wall end of the wood so that you do not cut off the groove that fits the tongue.
- Drill pilot holes and hand-nail the boards until there is no more allowance for the drill and hammer.
- In case of a narrow gap for the last board, take the measurement and cut the last board. Leave a 3/8″ gap at the end wall for expansion and reduction.
- Substitute shoe molding and full grout in all nail holes.
- Sweep regularly to keep the surface clean. Use an alcohol-based cleaner or a vacuum for hardwood floors.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wood Flooring
Pros
- Not affected by the passage of time.
- can be refinished
- long-lasting
- Keep you safe from allergens
- Requires low maintenance
- Adds value to your home, no matter how damaged it is
- Natural shades, textures, and hardwood grains improve your home’s atmosphere.
- Environmentally friendly
Cons
- Costly
- Most wood floorings make noise
- It feels cold in the winter
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Type of Wooden Flooring Is Best?
The best hardwood floors are made with wood species that are very hard. Oak flooring, maple flooring, and cherry flooring are all good choices.
What Type of Wood Flooring Lasts the Longest?
Hardwood lasts for decades as long as it is regularly refinished.
What Is the Most Scratch-Resistant Hardwood Flooring?
Hickory, Hard Maple, or White Oak can protect your floor from damage, as these hardwoods are less at risk of scratches than softer woods like pine, cherry, or black walnut.
What Is the Strongest Wooden Flooring?
The hardest wood for flooring is Ipe, but this is very hard to find due to its rarity. This also makes it very expensive. More widely available and strong are hickory and maple flooring.
What Are the Disadvantages of Engineered Wood Flooring?
Following are some of the drawbacks of engineered wood flooring:
- With prolonged exposure to sunlight rays, engineered wood is at risk of fading
- Dents and scratches easily
- Poor moisture resistance
- Basic construction is of poor quality
- Costly
- Maintenance requires
- Presence of toxic chemicals
Is Engineered Hardwood Worth It?
Engineered hardwood has slightly better performance in moist locations since its plywood construction makes it more stable and less at risk of deforming. Engineered hardwood flooring is best against a concrete subfloor.
Is Thicker Engineered Wood Better?
If engineered wood flooring is to be laid in a high-traffic area, choose a thicker board. Choosing a thicker board will allow you to re-sand and re-finish the floor.
Why Do Engineered Wood Floors Squeak?
If you have engineered wood floors, the squeak might be caused by the floorboards rubbing against each other. Pour powdered graphite between the boards and lightly rub the product into the seams with a soft brush.
Does Engineered Wood Look Cheap?
Some engineered wood floors are fake and cheap compared to solid wood floors. But a quality engineered floor will look and feel exactly like a high-quality solid hardwood floor.
Conclusion
Natural hardwood floors are a long-term investment in your home. If properly cared for, they will last an average of decades. They require maintenance but add warmth to your space and make your home feel cozy and appealing.
You can achieve similar results with a material such as bamboo, cork, tile, or even concrete. But if you are eager to put in the hard work and are not scared of the initial cost, hardwood flooring is a good choice you will never regret.
I hope you will find the information given in this article helpful.
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