Quick and Dirty Guide to Wood Flooring

If you've always longed for hardwood floors, you're in good company. While soft wooden floors date back to the Colonial era, hardwood floors first burst on the scene in the late 17th century. If you only know that you want hardwood floors gracing your home, read this quick and dirty guide so that your head won't spin when you talk with your contractor. This ten-minute read will guide you through the basics of wood species, grades, types and styles.

Wood Species

With over 50 wood species available for wood flooring, red oak accounts for more than 50% of hard wood flooring sales. Its popularity stems from its elegance, durability and cost-effectiveness. Maple ranks second in popularity for new wood flooring. Newer trends indicate a growing appetite for bamboo, cherry, and white oak. Some of the more esoteric imported woods used in hardwood floors include Brazilian cherry, Australian cypress, African padauk, and Burmese teak.

Color options are plentiful. If color is a priority, and you want the natural beauty of the wood to shine through, select a wood species that most closely matches your color preference.

Wood Grades

Grade refers only to the beauty of the wood, not to its durability or serviceability. Not every grade applies to every wood species. A wood species is graded as Clear, Select or Common, or it is graded as First, Second or Third. Clear/First, Select/Second, Common/Third grades are not identical, but they are close enough to present a shared consumer definition. The six basic wood grades include:

-Clear or First ? free from most visible defects and discoloration, contains only minor visible imperfections

-Select or Second ? may contain slight imperfections, such as color variations

-Common or Third ? contains knots and color variations, often classified as "rustic" wood

Solid vs. Engineered Wood

Many people believe that hardwood and solid wood are synonymous. They're not. If you're hearing the term engineered wood for the first time, you most likely think that it is somehow inferior to solid wood. That's not necessarily true.

Solid wood is milled from one solid ¾" piece of wood. Solid hardwood floors expand and contract more than engineered woods and are particularly susceptible to moisture. As the wood expands and contracts, it may buckle or it may leave gaps. Two common methods of counteracting these gaps include beveled edges and leaving expansion gaps-gaps between the wood and the wall-hidden by the base molding.

You'll find most of the popular wood species, such as oak, maple, cherry and others available in engineered wood. Sometimes called pressed wood, engineered wood comes in 3-ply or 5-ply versions-three or five bonded layers of wood. Engineered wood floors succumb to little, if any expansion and contraction and are perfectly suited for rooms susceptible to moisture. If you want wood floors in the bathroom, the kitchen or in any room where moisture accumulates, consider engineered wood for its greater stability. If you plan to lay a wood floor directly over concrete, you must install engineered wood to maintain structural integrity.

Wood Styles

Once you've determined the species, wood grade and decided between solid and engineered wood, you can move on to the fun stuff-the style. Common wood styles include:

-Parquet

-Plank

-Strip

Strips and planks are long, linear cuts of woods. The main difference is the width of the wood. Strips range from widths of 1 ½" to 2 ¼", while planks range from widths of 3" to 8". Consider strips if your goal is to create the illusion of a larger room. Series of small wood pieces create parquet's geometrical design. Parquet floors complement large, airy rooms.

Select your hardwood floors with care; they can add beauty and warmth to your surroundings for a very long time, even a lifetime.

M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for wood flooring and bamboo flooring. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

In The News:


pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


Candle Making 101

If you'd like to try your hand at candle making,... Read More

Make Your Hardwood Floors Shine

You have just installed hardwood flooring in your home. Now... Read More

At Last You Can Customize Your Pegboard As Much As You Want

Customizable metal pegboard is set to revolutionise utensil storage. For... Read More

Remodeling Your Home: How Much Is Too Much?

The classic way for homeowners to increase the value of... Read More

The Cost of Remodeling a Bathroom

Before beginning any bathroom remodeling, you should create a budget.... Read More

Maintaining Your Hot Tub

Purchasing a hot tub is a big investment and one... Read More

Rodent Proofing Your Home

It's that time of year where rats and mice are... Read More

The Advantages of Pre-Engineered Steel Buildings

Steel is a remarkable material that has been steadily increasing... Read More

Sofa slipcovers - Give your home an instant makeover!

Sofa slipcovers are designed to be easy to fit over... Read More

How to Paint Your Own Artwork - And Save Money

Everyone wants to save money. Don't you? Well, painting your... Read More

Three Types of Lighting for Room Remodeling

When remodeling a room, choosing the correct lighting is one... Read More

Building a Garage Addition to Your Home

One of the most rewarding home improvements I made to... Read More

Building Your Own Home

Most people think building their own home involves vast knowledge... Read More

Homeowners ? Here is a Step by Step Guide to Help You Hire a Quality Home Improvement Contractor

Before talking to any contractors the first thing to do... Read More

House Plans ? Where To Start

You have found the perfect lot on which to build... Read More

Easy Renovations for Your Home

Renovating should be a fun and exciting process (really!). The... Read More

There Is Always Something To Improve Or Innovate For Comfort

In this fast moving world of the 21st century, we... Read More

Why You Might Need a Waterproofing Consultant

Waterproof consultants perform a wide variety of functions. Why should... Read More

10 Common Uses for Baking Soda

Baking soda is a great household cleaner. Here are ten... Read More

Georgian And Victorian Style Conservatories

Georgian Conservatories Georgian architecture was the style of the 18th... Read More

Choosing Blinds For Damp Atmospheres

There are some important things to consider when choosing blinds... Read More

How to Select Exterior Shutters

Installing exterior shutters is a relatively quick way to add... Read More

Seven Essential Color Concepts for Designing Spaces

Understanding a few essential color concepts will help you design... Read More

The Solar Energy Industry Grew 67% Last Year: Are You Making the Best Decision for Your Future?

Are you considering using renewable energy resources to heat water... Read More

Planning Your DIY Project

Ready to start your first serious DIY project? Read through... Read More

Using Colors in Your Room

Colors play an important part in your Home Decor process.... Read More

Single hung aluminum window glass repair

Let's talk about repairing broken glass in an aluminum frame... Read More

Five Ways to Create a Healthy Home

Have you ever thought of your home as being healthy... Read More

Create a Joyful Home with Living Accessories: Houseplants

Houseplants can be soothing because of their visual impact. Besides... Read More

Interior Design For Children

Interior design for children is one of the most fun,... Read More

To Picket Fences

Of the 359 homeowners in my area, 112 are running... Read More

Laminate Flooring Is Attractive And Long Lasting

Laminate flooring is perfect for people who want to install... Read More

How to Get the Most Out of Your Home Theater ? Without Spending a Fortune

So you've scraped and saved, now you've finally gotten together... Read More