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.
