5 Steps to Choosing a Hardwood Floor


There are many aspects that go into choosing the appropriate hardwood floor for your home. The climate you live in, whether or not you have kids or pets and your budget are all important things to consider when deciding which hardwood floors are a good fit for you. But there are many other factors that could affect your decision, such as color, species, or even hardness. Choosing a hardwood floor may be one of the most important decisions you will make when decorating your home, so you should first consider the essentials. Here are the basics of choosing a hardwood floor:


Budget

Hardwood floors can sound intimidating and expensive, but in reality they are very affordable and easy to maintain. When considering installing hardwood floors in your home, first set a budget for the project that you are comfortable with and stick to it! Research the different types of woods and necessary expenses beforehand, so that you don’t find yourself half-way through the project and with no more money to spare.  


Color & Species

Putting a hardwood floor in your home can easily transform a dull space into a masterpiece. But what you really want to say with your new floor is best said by the color. Darker colors are more modern and exotic while lighter colors can seem more traditional or even antique. Once you’ve decided on a color, it’s time to choose the right species. Certain species fare better than others with heat, moisture and traffic.  


Location

Some rooms of your house receive more traffic than others, and therefore may require a denser wood. Certain woods are naturally more susceptible to wear and these woods should be avoided in your busiest rooms. Of course, this is where lifestyle comes into play. For example, if you have kids and pets who frequent a particularly area, you will want the wood in that room to be very durable. And in rooms where a lot of moisture is present, like kitchens or bathrooms, you will need to choose a hardwood floor that can withstand the constant presence of water.  


Solid Hardwood or Engineered

Solid hardwood floors are cut from a solid piece of wood and are offered both unfinished or with a prefinished surface. Because the plank is made from 100% wood, it will react to changes in humidity, so it should be placed in rooms with low moisture levels. One of the benefits of solid hardwood flooring is that it can be refinished several times over the course of its lifetime. Engineered hardwood floors are a combination of solid hardwood flooring on top and unfinished plywood underneath. The benefits of engineered hardwood flooring are its increased strength, range of styles and finishes, and because engineered floors come prefinished there is no wait time for sanding and sealing. When installed by a professional, engineered wood can be re-finished three to four times in its lifetime. This is better for the environment and uses four times less of each log than solid hardwood floors.


Unfinished or Prefinished

No matter if you choose solid or engineered hardwood floors, unfinished wood must be finished on the job site. This can be a very dusty experience unless a dust containment system is used. Job site sanding and finishing can take several days to over a week according to square footage, stains, and number of coats of top finish. Prefinished wood can be produced in engineered or solids. These are very popular because of the ease of installation and the elimination of dusty sanding procedures.

What you should know about Exotic Hardwood Floors.

Consumers are now more than ever turning to exotic woods to obtain a distinct look that domestics may not offer.  For contractors this change in customer preferences only add to the problems of different job sites, changing moisture conditions and difficult customers with even more problems.   





Having to repeat an installation job cost time, money, and sometimes customers business.  With wood flooring products originating from all parts of the world, there are now more things to consider.  Here we discuss what are common reasons that reinstallation request are made and how to avoid them.  


Color Change 

Just as with light sensitive domestic species such as cherry, color change with exotics can be problematic in two ways.  The most common is when part of the floor is covered with either a rug or furniture creating an area that is a different color.  Some exotic species that can change color quickly may even be a problem when the floor is covered only temporarily on a job site.  The second way color change creates a problem is with the entire floor experiences color change.  After installation the floor can quite possibly look different from the sample that the customer has chosen from.  This is due the floor not having yet aged.  Most woods darken with light exposure but some lighten with exposure.   

Occurs With: Brazilian Cherry/Jatoba, Tigerwood, and many others

Solution-
In many cases color change cannot be avoided.  The most effective solution is communication.  Let the customer know that color change is common.  Show them both new and aged samples to let me know what to expect.  Inform them of which species is known for drastic color change.  On job sites be sure to cover every inch of the wood flooring.  Re-sanding can also be a solution but does not always work.  Allowing time for covered areas to catch up to the uncovered is beneficial.  Also if the client does not accept a board, replacement maybe needed.  

Color Variation
Customers have also had problems with the wide variation of colors in their newly installed wood floor.   

Occurs With: Timborana and others

Solution-  
Again communication here can avoid future headaches.  Show the customer an accurate representation of the species and not just a small board sample that does not show the wide variations of colors the species possess.  Deal only with reliable and reputable manufactures with clear grading rules in order to receive the same product that you ordered.

Hardwood Flooring Comfort Levels

Wood flooring will perform best when the interior environment is controlled to stay within a relative humidity range of 30 to 50 percent and a temperature range 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, that’s about the same comfort range most humans enjoy. The chart below indicates the moisture content wood will likely have at any given combination of temperature and humidity. Note that equilibrium moisture contents in the recommended temperature/humidity range (shaded area) coincide with the 6 to 9 percent range within which most hardwood flooring is manufactured. Although some movement can be expected even between 6 and 9 percent, wood can expand and shrink dramatically outside that range. See page 6 of NWFA Water and Wood handbook.

Chart taken from Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material, (Agriculture Handbook 72),

Forest Products Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Engineered vs. Solid Hardwood Flooring

Congratulations—you’ve finally decided to invest in your home by installing hardwood floors. Now what? One of the biggest decisions you will make when choosing your hardwood floors, is whether to go with solid or engineered hardwood flooring. While both have their benefits and drawbacks, you should choose the one that best suits your lifestyle and circumstances. Here are the basics of these two types of wood flooring:

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood floors are cut from a solid piece of wood and are offered both unfinished or with a prefinished surface. Because the plank is made from 100% wood, it will react to changes in humidity, so it should be placed in rooms with low moisture levels. Solid hardwood flooring is typically ¾” thick. One of the benefits of this is that solid hardwood flooring can be refinished several times over the course of its lifetime. Because hardwood is especially prone to scratches and dents, you will want to pay special attention to the Janka hardness rating scale and buy a species (i.e., oak, ash, etc.) of wood appropriate to your lifestyle and your budget. Whether finished or unfinished, wood changes color over time due to oxidation and exposure to light. Most of the Exotic Species darken in color over time, while others lighten. Solid hardwood flooring comes in many different wood varieties, including exotic woods. It is also more expensive than engineered hardwood flooring because it is 100% wood.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood floors are a combination of solid hardwood flooring on top and unfinished plywood underneath. The benefits of engineered hardwood flooring are its increased strength, range of styles and finishes, and because engineered floors come prefinished there is no wait time for sanding and sealing. Engineered wood flooring also works well in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms where light moisture might be present. When installed by a professional, engineered wood can be re-finished three to four times in its lifetime. This is better for the environment and uses four times less of each log than solid hardwood floors.

When considering these two options, you should keep in mind the specifics for your home. For example, do you have kids? Pets? What is your budget? Will you buy finished or unfinished? How will the wood be cared for? These factors will all contribute to your decision. Hardwood flooring is an expensive and lifelong investment for your home that can turn even the dreariest space into an antique heaven or modern masterpiece. Only with the proper care and maintenance will your floors keep their beauty and luster, so be sure to choose the best floor type for your individual household’s needs.

 Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2010

Installing hardwood floors in your home makes a statement that never goes out of style. Hardwood flooring can give your home the classic elegance that you’re looking for, or put a modern twist on a contemporary masterpiece. But like every other aspect of your house, hardwood floors have their own trends and 2010 is the year of the Wire Brushed less rustic European look. Manufactured hardwood surfaces like wire brushed, hand sculpted and time worn aged will give your floors the aged appearance you desire. Wire brushed hardwood flooring is a great way to achieve the ‘worn’ look without having to wait for your floors to wear naturally.

What is wire brushed hardwood flooring?

Wire brushed hardwood floors consists of running a wire brush over wood flooring, creating a rough, hard surface. The wire brush gets rid of the soft wood on the surface, making the floor more durable, less slippery, and easier to maintain.

Benefits of wire brushed hardwood flooring:

• An intensified grip: The rougher surface of wire brushed floors give it a better grip than smooth hardwood floors, which can prevent dangerous slip and falls.
• Toughness: Wire Brushed floors can withstand wear and tear, making them a great option for households with kids or pets. This quality will also enhance the life of the floor. While wire brushed floors tend to be more expensive than plain hardwood floors, they will undoubtedly last longer, give you a better bang for your buck.
• A unique look: Many flooring experts recommend wire brushed floors to obtain the European look. 
• Maintenance: Wire Brushed floors are meant to have a rough, earthy feel. For this reason they are easy to maintain.

Wire brushed hard wood flooring comes in a variety of colors from White Washed Oak to Cognac and Espresso color. No matter the style of your home, you can always find the proper finish to compliment any room or décor.