Wooden flooring is durable, appealing to the eye, and famous for its versatility. Wooden flooring would suit any style of house. For an antique look, flooring of timber finish would be ideal. Flooring with a beech finish is ideal for a comfortable and warm feeling. Hardwood flooring comes in about a thousand finishes, and such flooring can withstand rough treatment, stains and chemicals.
It is worth gaining knowledge of wood and its species, and the different types and styles, before deciding on hardwood flooring. The hardwood preferred by most is red oak, for its elegance, durability and cost. Maple is also in demand, second only to red oak. Other woods that are used are bamboo, white oak and other imported woods. Woods are available in varied colors.
Wood is normally graded in three categories. The variations in the categories are only in the aesthetic sense. The first, or clear, refers to wood that is free from defects. The second, or select, is wood that has slight variations in color and little imperfections. The third, or common, is wood with color variations.
Hardwood basically is either in the form of solid or engineered wood. Solid wood is wood that is obtained from one solid piece of wood. The disadvantage of using solid hardwood flooring is that it contracts and expands more than engineered wood, and is more exposed to moisture. The solid hardwood floors expand and contract, thereby forming gaps. Engineered wood, also known as pressed wood, is made by joining strands of wood, fibers or veneers with gum. Engineered wood undergoes very little expansion and contraction, and is ideal for rooms that are exposed to moisture, like bathrooms and kitchens.
The common hardwood styles that are used are strip, plank and parquet. Planks and strips are long cuts of wood, and the only difference between the two is the width. Strips can be used to create an effect of larger space. Parquet is when small pieces of wood are joined together to form different patterns in the form of geometric designs.
A lot of care needs to be taken if the choice of flooring is hardwood. With a little care, such a floor not only brings in warmth and beauty but will also last a lifetime.
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A Look at Solid Hardwood Floors
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Solid hardwood floors should neither be installed over a concrete slab nor below ground level because of high moisture sensitivity. Unsightly gaps appear when moisture dries and the floors contract in the winter heating months. The floors expand and gaps disappear during summers. The wood...
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Installing Hardwood Floors
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Hardwood floors can be secured using various installation methods such as floating, glue-down, nail-down, and staple-down. The ¾ inch solid floors can be nailed down. Adapters are used for thin flooring. The hardwood flooring can be stapled down over wood subfloor. The staple-down method is...
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The Allure of Exotic Hardwood Floors
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Exotic hardwood floors are made up of solid exotic wood that is not grown in North America. These wooden planks are imported from Africa, Australia, Brazil, and the Far East. They are known for distinct coloration and wood grain, and can be bought as solid...
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Hardwood Laminate Floors
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Hardwood laminate floors are much valued for their being long-lasting, but also for their aesthetic appeal. They need no replacement over even a long time and their installment in a house can bring about an enhancement in the value of the house. A wide variety...
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Long-Strip and Engineered Hardwood Floors
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Longstrip hardwood floors are wide and long, and each plank has 2 to 3 strips of thin hardwood. These planks can be floated, stapled and glued-down. The floors can be installed in all parts of the home and are made up of numerous wood plies...
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Floors
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The floor of a house is very important, and any person would want to walk barefoot on an attractive and appealing floor. People who are fortunate enough to own a house would always want to choose the best materials for his house. A house contains...
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Unfinished Hardwood Floors
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One of the joys of home ownership is the freedom it provides when it comes to interior design. Some do it with the help of professional interior decorators and architects. Others would prefer to get down and dirty sawing, sand papering, painting, nailing, and hammering...
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Wood Laminate Floors
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The laminate flooring of today no longer features high-quality photographic paper with an image of wood. More and more often, this effective but not-quite-realistic material is being foregone in favor of very thin slices of real wood veneers. This is a new hybrid product coming...
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An Introduction to Hardwood Floors
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There’s good news about hardwood floors. Because of advanced construction and finish technologies, they are now more stable than they were in the past. There are three types of hardwood floors: engineered, longstrip, and solid. Within these basic types, there are many variations, so it...
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What You Need To Know About Flooring
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When it comes to flooring, there are a lot of options to choose from. Which flooring you pick will depend on where the flooring will go and what your personal tastes are. You can choose wood flooring, bamboo flooring, carpet, ceramic tile, linoleum, and even...