Hardwood Flooring
Wood flooring is often sought after in homes- both old and new. Hardwood flooring has an elegant look that adds warmth to any room in the home and the natural characteristics of wood add depth and a rich appearance. Not only does wooden flooring look good it is easy to maintain and durable.
Hard-wood floors are offered in a variety of wood species. Many
companies offer a wide variety of exotic hardwood floors as well
from Australia, Brazil, Africa and the Far East as well as the
popular North American hardwoods.
The majority of wood flooring is produced from hardwood trees in sustainable forests. Alternatively it is possible to re-mill salvage timbers for use as floorboards, or simply reuse salvaged flooring.
These alternatives are not only more environmentally friendly, but you will also benefit from timbers that have been allowed to mature fully, adding to the aesthetics of your home.
Hard wood floorboards have moved with the times too. Engineered and longstrip planks have thin layers of wood that are glued together. This provides improved dimensional stability, allowing these floorboards to be used on floors that have a higher percentage of moisture content than normal. This includes basements and "floating flooring" over concrete.
Hardwood floorboards are available in unfinished and pre-finished. Unfinished floorboards require sanding and finished after installation. Pre-finished flooring is supplied sanded and finished, simply needing installation.
Three types of traditional solid wood flooring are commonly found:
Strip floors: Strip wood flooring has a range of set widths of 1 1/2 inches, 2 inches and 2 1/4.inches, however the thickness can vary. Strip flooring ranges in thickness from 5/16 of an inch to 3/4 of an inch wide.
Plank floors: Available in two thicknesses of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch and a range of widths from 3 inches to 8 inches.
Parquet floors: Parquet wood floors have a very different look from typical hardwoods. They are made up of geometrical patterns composed of individual wood slats or blocks held in place by mechanical fastening or an adhesive.
The finished floor may be any of several hardwoods, such as red or white oak, maple, beech, or birch; or it may be made of quality softwood, such as pine or fir. The wood chosen will affect the durability. The Janka Rating scale gives a relative hardness rating for hardwoods. The Janka Rating system measures the force required to drive a .444 inch steel ball to a depth where half the ball is imbedded in the wood.
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