Wood flooring has been used for centuries because of its beauty and versatility. Today, it is one of the most popular choices for floor coverings. Wood flooring is any article made from wood intended for use either as interior floor covering, exterior floor covering, or both. Wood is a trendy choice as a floor covering material and can typically come in different colors, types, cuts, and patterns.
There are two main types of wood flooring: solid and veneer. Veneer wood flooring is made of thin wood pieces glued on top, while solid wood flooring consists of individual boards with veneer on top. Most solid wood flooring is sub-par, while veneer floors are usually excellent and provide excellent sound insulation due to their laminates.
There are many benefits of using wood floor over solid flooring. For starters, solid wood flooring is easier to clean than its veneer counterpart. Wood flooring can be stained, sanded, and refinished. A wood floor will not warp, rot, or develop any type of mildew.
Solid hardwood may require more maintenance than veneer flooring. Wood floor installation will typically require staining, while solid engineered wood flooring materials will need little to no staining. If you want to stain your hardwood floor, you will need to bring it in at a professional garage sale, interior design showroom, or home center. You should never stain a wood floor yourself due to the possibility of developing bacteria and other fungal infections. Purchasing stain from a reputable company is highly recommended if you want to protect your investment.
Engineered wood flooring installation is finished with subfloor flashing. The installation process consists of removing existing floorboard, screeding and/or nailing down the subfloor, installing the new hardwood board, and then sanding it to provide an even surface. Engineered wood floor installation can be completed in one day or over a weekend. The installation process involves pre-drilling the holes for the screws, and placing the new subfloor within the old floorboards. The new subfloor is set in place and glued to the old floorboards with the use of silicone.
All three installation methods listed above use per square foot pricing to calculate the cost of the project. The installation methods listed below use floating floor systems. These installation methods use a system where there is no floor to install over. Installing floating floors can be done quickly and then repaired with the use of subfloor glue and a floating pad.
The installation methods used to install engineered hardwood floors and solid wood boards are similar. It is the interlocking joinery used that differentiates solid wood boards from solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring systems use tongue-and-groove joinery techniques to attach the planks together. This method creates a strong joint between the planks which can withstand years of weight. Some manufacturers of engineered hardwood floors utilize interlocking joinery which is not as strong as the tongue-and-groove joinery techniques.
When comparing the installation of engineered wood flooring to traditional flooring methods, you will find that the installation process takes less time than traditional floor applications. This is due to the less need for gluing down the planks into the floor. Engineered hardwood flooring is installed by sliding the planks into place and using a special tongue-and-groove joint process. You may also have the option of having the floorboard installed at an angle which will produce a smoother surface and reduce the amount of moisture that can be absorbed by the floor.
Solid engineered hardwood boards are more expensive than those created using the tongue-and-groove joint method. This is due to the fact that it requires extra effort to install the planks correctly. The wide boards are more expensive because they are more difficult to install. The narrow wide boards are easier to install and have a smaller price tag.
Unfinished hardwood flooring has a different finishing process. The floors are pre-finished using a coating of urethane and a sanding process. The purpose of the sanding is to achieve a uniform finish on the floor. This provides a smoother surface for walking on than the unfinished flooring. If you choose to install the boards over unfinished floors, then you will need to finish the flooring with either a clear or colored urethane coating.
The most cost-effective type of flooring is solid wood flooring. This is because solid hardwood layers can be refinished several times. A drawback to this is that the refinished layers can look different to each other depending on how they are visually inspected. This drawback is far outweighed by the savings you will receive on the initial installation.