Choose your floor type
Solid
Engineered
There are two types of wood floors available on the market today: solid and engineered. Each type has its own benefits and advantages and each is available in a variety of species, widths, and styles. Knowing which type to choose will depend on where you want to use it in your home.
Solid wood flooring is exactly what the name implied: a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary, but generally ranges from ¾” to 5/16”.
Solid wood floors can be used in any room that is on or above grade, or on or above ground level, in your home.
One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. Solid wood floors are ideal in family/living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and even kitchens and powder rooms.
About the only place you can’t use solid wood flooring is in the basement, but there’s a solution for that area too.
Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using three to five layers of different wood veneers. The sub layers can be of the same species, or of different species. The graining of each layer runs in opposite direction, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature.
The top layer of engineered wood flooring consists of high-quality wood.
Engineered floors can be nailed or stapled to a wood sub floor, or glued down to a wood sub floor or concrete slab. This makes engineered floors ideal for slab and basement installations, but they can be used in any room in your home. This type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, but not as many times as solid wood flooring.
Choose your flooring style:
Strip
Plank
Parquet
Hardwood flooring is manufactured in three styles: strip, plank, and parquet. Each style is available in both solid and engineered, in a variety of species, color and widths. Choosing the right style simply is a matter of which look you prefer.
Strip flooring ranges from 1 1/2” to 3” wide, and creates a linear effect in a room, often making the room appear larger. Strip flooring generally is considered “traditional” wood flooring.
Plank flooring typically ranges from 3” to 7” wide. While plank flooring is linear, like strip flooring, its wider widths often create casual look.
Parquet flooring can vary in size, and usually generates a geometric, non-linear look. Parquet flooring can be very simple in design, or somewhat complex.
Choose your flooring species:
Light
Medium
Dark
Exotic
Choosing the right species of wood flooring for your home is strictly a matter of style, budget and personal preference. More than 50 domestic and imported species of wood flooring are available to achieve a one-of-a-kind look.
Light colored wood make a room appear more open and airy. These woods lend themselves to a more contemporary look.
Typical light wood species include ash and maple.
Medium colored wood make a room appear more warm and cozy. These woods lend themselves to a more casual look. Typical medium wood species include hickory and oak.
Dark colored woods make a room appear more stately and refined. These woods lend themselves to a more formal look. Typical dark wood species include mahogany and walnut.
New to the scene are exotic species, which can run the gamut of colors. Bubinga, which originates in Africa, can appear pink, red or reddish brown with purple streaks or veins.
Australian Cypress ranges from cream colored to honey-gold, with dark brown knot holes. Purpleheart, which originates in Mexico, has brown hearthwood that will age to a deep purple or purplish brown. Wenge, which originates in Africa, will age to a very deep brown, almost black, color.
Choose your finish method:
Job-site finish
Factory finish
There are two finish methods available for wood floors today: job-site finished and factory finished. Each method has its own benefits and advantages, and choosing the right method for your home will depend on the level of customization you want to achieve.
A job-site finish is one that is applied on the job site, in your home. With a job-site finished floor, you can choose the type of finish to be applied to your floor, which will impact maintenance, as well as the stain, if any, and sheen of the final product.
In other words, a job-site finished wood floor offers you unlimited possibilities for customizing the final appearance of your floor. However, because your floors will be sanded and finished in your home, your should expect noise, dust and some disruption to your home. In the past few years, many dust containment systems have been developed to help control dust and debris, so ask your contractor if one can be used in your home.
You also will need to allow time for the finish to dry on-site, during which time you will not be able to walk on your floor.
With factory finished wood floor, the finish is applied in the factory, long before the wood reaches your home. While many options are available with factory finished floors, you will not be able to achieve the same level of customization as you can with job-site finished wood floors. A major benefit to factory finished wood floor, however, is that there is minimal dust and noise during the installation process.
Choose your finish sheen:
Gloss
Satin
Matte
The different finish sheens are available for wood floors: gloss, satin, and matte. Each sheen has a different level of shine and luster, which will impact the final appearance of your floor.
Gloss finishes offer the most shine, and will reflect the most light. This finish also is sometimes referred to as semi-gloss.
Satin finishes offer some shine, and will reflect some light.
Matte finishes offer the least shine, and will reflect the least light. This finish also is sometimes referred to as flat.
Choose your finish type:
Surface finish water based
Surface finish oil based
Surface finish conversion varnish
Surface finish moisture-cured
When choosing the right type of finish for our wood floors, it is important that you consider your lifestyle and maintenance preferences. All wood floors require minimal routine maintenance, such as sweeping or dust mopping, to keep them looking beautiful and new, but different wood flooring finishes will have a impact on how you care for our floor long-term, as well as how your floor will look in the years to come.
Surface finishes are very popular because they are durable, water-resistant and require minimal maintenance. Surface finished are blends of synthetic resins. These finishes most often are referred to as urethanes or polyurethanes, and remain on the surface of the wood to from a protective coating. There are several types of surface finishes available.
Water-based finishes appear clear and will resist turning yellow, or ambering, over time. They have a mild odor when applied, and are fast drying. Water based finishes are very durable.
Oil-based finishes appear amber in color. They have a moderate odor when applied, and are slow drying. Oil based finishes are very durable.
Conversion varnish finishes appear clear to slightly amber. They have a very strong odor when applied, and will dry fast. Conversion varnish finishes are extremely durable.
Moisture-cured finishes appear clear to amber. They have a strong odor when applied, and will dry slow or fast depending on humidity. Moisture-cured finishes are extremely durable and are most moisture-resistant than other surface finishes.
To maintain a surface finish floor, simply use the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning product, avoiding wax-based products and petroleum-based cleaners.
Wax finishes soak into the pores of the wood and harden to form a protective penetrating seal, which will appear low luster and amber in color. They have a mild odor when applied, and will dry in a variable amount of time depending on the type of wax used, and the job-site conditions. Wax finishes are durable, but will show spots from water and other contaminates.
There are products available at retail flooring stores that can be used to clean wax floors. You will need to follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully to determine how long the cleaner should remain on the floor, and will need to apply a new coat of wax to the floor after is cleaned.
Acrylic impregnated finishes are injected into the wood to create a super-hard, extremely durable floor. Acrylic impregnated finishes rarely are used in residential applications. They most often are used in very traffic areas in commercial settings such as malls and restaurants.
Each of these types of finishes will help you protect your flooring from normal wear and tear. Deciding which finish to use will depend greatly on your needs and expectations.
