The Ultimate Guide to Hardwood Flooring
It is fairly common that one of the first things people notice in your home is your choice of flooring. And something as small as replacing your old floors with fresh, new hardwoods can not only make you enjoy your home more, but may also increase the value of your home more than any other renovation. Replacing the flooring in your home can seem to be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be.
Flooring pulls a home together to give a fresh and consistent look throughout the home. Hardwoods are also easier to keep clean and remove triggers for those with allergies, sensitivity to pet dander or even asthma. So, now that you are sold on upgrading your floors how do you know which colour, style or thickness is right for you? Here’s some things to consider when looking to rejuvenate your flooring.
Location
Unlike laminate or engineered hardwood flooring, real hardwoods should not be installed in every location in your home. This flooring type is sensitive to moisture and, if installed in an area prone to dampness (like a basement), planks are susceptible to warping and even separating from each other after installation.
Finish
Thanks to modern technology hardwoods come available in unfinished and finished varieties. The unfinished variety, unfortunately, has to be sanded and finished upon installation whereas if it comes finished from the factory it is ready to be installed without further work. Further, solid wood floors can be refinished at any time without actually replacing the floor itself.
Type
There are three types available: Strip Flooring, Plank Flooring and Parquet Flooring. Strip flooring comes in fixed thicknesses and widths whereas plank flooring has fixed thickness but the widths vary from 3 to 8 inches wide. Parquet flooring is comprised of individual wood planks assembled into a mosaic of patterns.
