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Where to start?
SOLID v. ENGINEERED.
First, perhaps the most important decision is WHERE in your
house do you plan on installing the hardwood floor? Solid
Hardwood must only be installed on a plywood subfloor at or
above ground level. If you are looking to install a hardwood
floor directly to a cement slab, below ground level, or in a
humid location, you should consider an Engineered Hardwood
floor. An important note is that engineered floors can also be
installed on plywood, or above ground, however we recommend
installing a solid hardwood floor whenever possible.
What is engineered hardwood
flooring? To understand this product, it is important to
understand about hardwood in general. Solid Hardwood, as you may
already understand, must be nailed directly into a wood
subfloor, such as plywood or 2"x6" lumber over joists. Nowadays,
many homes lie over a cement slab. In order to install a solid
hardwood floor on a cement slab, it is necessary to seal the
slab and install a plywood subfloor onto the slab (by hammering
nails through the wood into the cement). Not only is this
expensive and time consuming, but also adds the thickness of the
floor, raising it 1/2" or 3/4" higher than the rest of the
house, not even counting the thickness of the hardwood which
will be installed shortly thereafter.
Wood Manufacturers have created a
product which eliminates the need to lay a plywood subfloor.
Called Engineered Flooring, the product is made of multiple
layers of a plywood base, with a hardwood veneer top layer. The
wood veneer and all the layers of plywood base are glued and
dried under extreme pressure to ensure a strong bond. This
product, a hybrid of plywood and hardwood, can now be glued
directly to the cement slab. There is no need to install a
plywood subfloor, saving time and money!
PLANK v. STRIP.
Ok, now that you have selected between solid and engineered
hardwood, you should choose the width of the strips/planks you
are looking for. Wood greater than 2-1/4" wide is typically
referred to as Plank flooring, whereas wood equal to or less
than 2-1/4" wide is typically referred to as Strip
flooring. Most homes have 2" or 2-1/4" strip flooring, although
plank flooring was a popular choice in the 60s and 70s, and
continues its resurgence today!
SPECIES.
The next step is to pick a species
of wood. Do you prefer the traditional elegance of oak? Is the
natural blonde color of maple appealing to you? There are dozens
of hardwood and softwood flooring options out there, even though
99% of all homes have oak flooring. Picking out a species also
involves considering which species is more dense (able to resist
denting), which accepts a stain better (if you plan of applying
a stain), and which is easier to sand and maintain. A sales
representative can assist you with this daunting task.
THICKNESS.
Now that we picked a construction type, width and species, it is
important to consider the last major factor: thickness. A Solid
Hardwood floor is usually available in multiple thicknesses,
manufactured to help match new floors to existing floors and
provide a variety of flooring options for those looking for even
more choices! Although it wouldn't seem so, thinner wood tends
to cost more than thicker wood! This is due to the excess waste
associated with milling thin wood (the thinner pieces result in
more waste, which must be figured into the cost of the product).
Wood is normally available in 1/4", 3/8" (for engineered
floors), 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", and 3/4" wood. A thicker solid
hardwood floor usually translates to a longer life, since the
thicker floors can be sanded more times than a thinner floor.
Sand/Refinish
Many
people have beautiful hardwood hidden underneath their carpets,
and even more people have exposed hardwood that is dulled and
unattractive. For those with existing hardwood, sanding and
refinishing the floors is a great way to revitalize an old
floor.
Hardwood can be sanded down to the raw wood (removing 1/32" to
1/16" of the top layer of your hardwood floor) and refinished
with sealing coats of polyurethane. The sanding brings out the
original beauty in the wood, while the polyurethane seals and
protects the floor, providing a long lasting finish.
Sanding and refinishing a floor is the best way to revitalize a
floor, mainly because it is not very expensive, and the results
turn out beyond expectation! Some people opt to stain their
floors a darker color, such as mahogany. The staining process is
done before the polyurethane, and usually lasts until the floors
are sanded again.
Unlike
most flooring products, hardwood is very durable, and carries a
long life. However, sanding the floors is not an infinite
process, and it is possible to "run out" of sandings. This is
normally evident when you can see the installer's nails
appearing between the boards of the floor. This is a good sign
your floors cannot be sanded again. |