The right flooring for your house is a crucial choice as different types of flooring influence the design and function of each room. If you’re a staunch fan of tiles or hardwood or you prefer the flexibility that laminate offers, we’ve put together an ultimate reference guide that will help pick the perfect Solid Timber Flooring for your house.
In addition to the walls, your floor is among the biggest empty canvasses in your house, and the materials you choose to put on your floor can have a significant impact on how your home is viewed and is.
From the soft feel of a thick carpet or the refreshing, tranquil, and calming look of polished concrete floors The style of flooring you pick for your home can also drastically impact your remodelling budget. There are many different flooring options available. all created equally!
To help you select the right flooring for your home This is our ultimate guide to buying the best flooring for your home.
1. Choose between Engineered or Solid Flooring
Traditionally, hardwood flooring was sold in large planks of solid wood. Nowadays Solid Timber Flooring is readily available, however, numerous businesses also offer engineered flooring, and planks that are comprised of a lighter top layer of hardwood that is bonded to the other layers to keep the flooring from shifting during the contraction and expansion phases. “All wood is able to move across three directions. It’s the tangential longitudinal and radial movements,” says Jones.
In basements and apartments that have floors made of concrete, the engineered floor provides an advantage in installation. In contrast to solid wood, which is usually laid over two or more layers of plywood which could raise the level of the floor, and also interfere with doors in the past or lower ceiling heights “engineered flooring is able to be glued directly to concrete or on top of a soundproofing mat,” says Caroll. “It’s also suitable for installation over radiant heating.”
2. Select a Site Finish or Prefinished
Planks of wood are available with a rough face which is then completed by a professional following installation, or as prefinished wood that is delivered with the finish and stain already applied. The benefit with prefinished lumber is “you are aware of exactly what you’re getting” Caroll says. Caroll explains that when you’ve selected a wood product you’ll receive an exact model to help you coordinate the colour scheme of your home and select other design elements like cabinets and wall coverings. Prefinished flooring also is less time-consuming to set up, since it doesn’t require colour or sealant.
Yet, on-site finishing permits the possibility of a degree of personalization that will appeal to many homeowners as well as designers. “That means we can have more control over the sheen and stain,” says Miller. The finished product will also be more smooth according to Miller since unfinished flooring is usually cleaned after being fixed down and is then finished as one continuous plane. “It’s an insignificant detail,” she says, “but it makes the difference.”
3. Select the Finish Type
There’s a broad range of finishes, says Jones that range from penetrating oils to oil-like hybrids to site-finish polyurethanes and pre-finished UV-cured urethane coatings. To simplify things, the majority of finishes fall under one of two classes: polyurethane or oils.
Oil is absorbed into the wood and creates a look as well as a feel “that’s very smooth, soft, and natural” Caroll says. Caroll. But it’s not as immune to stains or damage as polyurethane, which forms a waterproof topcoat over the wood’s surface and is “more durable against wear and tear specifically for those with kids, or when food particles are floating around in within the cooking area.”
Oil finishes are more susceptible to scratching however they also reduce the number of scratches apparent. “They’re also easy to touch up spot-by-spot in case of an issue,” says Caroll. “With polyurethane, typically you require replacing a floor or buff and then recoat an entire area of flooring.”
4. Think about Wood Types
In North America, oak is the most popular hardwood flooring, and for reasons that are well-founded. “It’s an extremely durable wood that can take stain extremely effectively,” says Jones. It also has a beautiful natural grain and is accessible throughout the region and at a reasonable cost. In circles of design white oak is more sought-after since it doesn’t possess the red-coloured tones that are pink in red oak.
Walnut is another well-known selection. Although it is more soft than oak, this one offers an intense colour, which makes it suitable in rooms with a dark appearance is desired. Walnut, says he is a good option when you want “a more warm, richer tones.” Some other accessible North American hardwoods include hickory and cherry, maple, and Ash. The decision to choose a hardwood is largely down to individual preference regarding grain and colour.
5. Find out Plank Width
There was a time when almost every Solid Timber Flooring was put up in three-to-two-inch strips, but now more people make use of larger planks. “There’s an air of luxury and cost with a plank that is wider,” says Miller. “Once you surpass the norm, you begin to feel like something special.” This is the reason “a four to six-inch plank is our norm dependent on the dimensions of the space and the purpose,” she says, noting that generally, the larger the space is, the larger the plank that they’ll select.
“The wider you go further, the more expensive you get.”While a floor made up of broad planks will have more seams than one made comprised of thin strips, it’s crucial to know that those seams will eventually get more noticeable when the lumber expands or contracts. Since changes within the wood aren’t evenly distributed over a large number of boards, the movements may appear overdone.
