Know Your Solid Hardwood Floor

Long the champion of elegance and beauty, solid hardwood flooring has had more competition recently as technologies advance and alternatives become more plentiful. Laminate, cork, bamboo and a host of others have risen to take on and take out hardwood from spaces around your home.

Still, these competitors would be hard pressed to combine the warm style and endurance of a premium solid hardwood floor. Reacquaint yourself with what has drawn so many homeowners to this type of flooring over the years.

The Make-up

Solid wood floor is what it says - a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. Generally, the thickness of a wood floor ranges from 3/4 to 5/16 of an inch, though this can vary depending on your preference or the type of wood you choose.

Hardwood comes in strips and planks - strips being narrow and planks wider. Each can be finished and unfinished in various grades. The attraction of unfinished boards is that they may be stained and varnished to suit the nuances of your home while finished boards just require installation. The grade you choose may depend on your budget; however, a clear grade offers a top of the line option with few flaws and uniformity in color. Meanwhile, a common grade with a few knots and more variation in color will be less expensive, and still may work in your home.

The type of wood you select for your home adds a striking presence to a kitchen or dining area. Ranging from light to almost black, the various types can be adapted to your needs as well. Oak is a top choice among many homeowners, while maple provides a harder alternative and parquetry and inlays using mixed woods are seen in many upscale homes. Finding the type you love is always important, and sometimes simplicity in wood choice offers versatility as well.

Staying Power

Resiliency is one of the chief advantages of solid hardwood over competing alternatives, including engineered wood flooring. Maintenance is relatively easy if you give your hardwood floor regular attention and the option of re-sanding creates a whole new experience for your spaces.

Solid wood flooring has a wear layer, or a layer of wood that can be sanded down over the years. This layer is thicker than engineered wood flooring, increasing the number of times you can sand and refinish your floor. Typically, this is not done but a handful of times as the amount is limited to the thickness of your floor along with the time and dedication it takes; however, it is a variable of hardwood that can't be matched. Ten years after installing your hardwood, you may decide you want to freshen up your flooring. Instead of pulling it up, with solid wood flooring you can sand and refinish, essentially producing a new floor.

Sweeping or dusting regularly in addition to the occasional mopping - keeping in mind the products you use must not be corrosive to the wood or your finish - will make your hardwood flooring remain beautiful.

Hardwood has been a mainstay in the flooring industry and in homes because of its refined elegance and endurance. While the alternatives have begun to rival wood, the benefits of new hardwood flooring continue to make it a desirable option for your home.

Which Rooms Benefit Most From Solid Wood Flooring?

With more and more choice being made available in varying styles, colours and finishes, having a solid wood floor installed in your home is becoming a firm favourite when people decide to redecorate. One of the benefits of a wood floor is that it is timeless and with this comes the hidden benefit that it will help you to sell your house. Another benefit is that it is easily installed. The only major decision you have to make is what style of wood flooring and which room do you want to install it in.

When looking into which room would benefit the most from having a solid wood floorboard installed you will not only see the usual rooms but also a few surprises.

When it comes to restyling your living room, people often feel that if you make it too modern and contemporary it becomes cold and uninviting, especially with all the modern gadgets that are now available. So they often tend to choose wood flooring to make it more traditional. Similar to the living room, the bedroom can also be enhanced with wood flooring. Solid wooden floor can give any room an immediate impact some may even say it can be overpowering, but you can always soften it with a few clever decorative finishes, such as a giant rug in the centre of the room, to give the room warmth. It is not only your decorative styles that can make your room feel even cosier; a solid wood floorboard is also a great insulator so it will help keep the room warm in those cold winter months. If you want a classic vintage look go for a patterned rug, but if you decide you do want something a bit more contemporary then go for a solid block colour rug.

Wood floorings have become more and more popular and with this high demand it means that more choice is now on offer. There is no doubt that wood flooring is highly durable and easy to clean making it a perfect choice for any family room such as the living room. But it is also becoming popular in other rooms such as the hallway or dining room. Some people may often choose against having a solid wood floor installed in these rooms, as they believe it will darken an already dark room due to the limited amount of natural light, but wood flooring is now available in a variety of different finishes and shades, making it more adaptable. For instance a highly polished wood floorboard that shines can be extremely inviting as it brings warmth to any room.

Most astonishingly kitchens and bathrooms can also benefit from having wood floorboard. Wood flooring is easily cleaned and protected, especially when varnished or even by making it water resistant. Also, it is durable no matter what the wear and tear or the spillages, all you have to do is wipe them up or if more drastic action is required you can have it stripped and re varnished.

With so much choice such as the different types of wood or the finishes any room can be transformed with a solid wooden floorboard.

Maintaining Your Solid Wood Floors

Hardwood flooring is easy to clean and adds a level of sophistication to almost any home. This style is easier to maintain than many other types of flooring, but does require maintenance to look its best and fight against wear and tear. Some of this maintenance should be completed daily, while other tasks are only required once every few months.

Preventative Maintenance

Having high-quality mats available at every entrance of your home is a great way to minimise the amount of dirt, stones, and mud that must be cleaned off your hardwood surface. Many people do not allow anyone to wear shoes in their home so that cleaning does not have to be done so often. Using area rugs in large rooms with hardwood floors or busy areas of the home causes less wear and tear than having bare flooring exposed.

Daily Maintenance

Maintaining your solid floor should begin with daily cleaning. This cleaning doesn't need to be any more thorough than vacuuming or sweeping, but it is a very important first step because grit and dirt tend to act like sandpaper. This can then mar the beautiful surface of the hardwood flooring. Mopping the wood floor regularly is a great way to remove debris that may be sticky or difficult to remove with a broom. It is important that the mop used to clean hardwood flooring is damp, but not dripping wet. Water and other liquids can cause solid wood flooring to become discoloured if they are not removed from the flooring quickly.

You should also keep an eye on the humidity level of your home each day to ensure that is remains between forty percent and fifty five percent. Humidity changes are known to cause solid wood flooring to expand and contract, which may cause cracks in the

floor.

Monthly Maintenance

Applying an oil or wax that is specifically designed for wood flooring about once a month is a great way to ensure that the floor's finish stays intact and continues to resist water and stains. The floor should be thoroughly cleaned before the wax or oil is applied, and the product may require you to stay off of the floor for a few hours so that it can soak into the flooring and be able to protect the wood.

Repairing Damage

Light scratches that have appeared on the solid wood flooring surface can usually be removed using a buffer, but deeper scratches should be removed by a flooring specialist who has years of experience with wood flooring.

If wood flooring has not been maintained and the finish is no longer present, the floor will need to be sanded down and a new finish should be applied to the surface. Floors that are maintained properly should not ever require sanding down because a new coat of finish has been applied every month or two.

Create an Ambient Xmas With Solid Wood Floor

The appearance of hard wood flooring has always been one associated with luxury. Part of the beauty of it lies in its versatility. Whether you wish to create a contemporary feel, a Tuscan look or that of the traditional, classic English farmhouse, amongst many others - it's all possible.

It's well known that hard wood floor isn't cheap either and with Christmas fast approaching, ambience is the latest thing people are striving to achieve and by using dark tones this can easily be achieved by following a few design pointers.

Dark tones are quite large in terms of the variety on offer. For tones such as dark oak it is advised that the room has access to a large amount of natural light. Without access to this type of light source dark hard wood flooring can make the room appear too dark, in effect losing this sense of ambience and could make the room seem claustrophobic.

This could be solved by contrasting lighter coloured furniture with dark wood flooring; when done correctly this can help greatly in providing a contrast which ultimately results in warmth.

It would be recommended not try and combine too much dark furniture with an already dark toned hard wood floorboard. Even if there is a great amount of natural light, at night it could result in the creation of an effect that is too cold and dramatic, thus killing any chances of the warm ambient feel.

Further contrast can be created by decorating a room with a dark wood floorboard using light colours such as whites, magnolias and creams as these will bring out the features of the floor to the greatest effect.

Using rugs on the hard wood floors can act as a centrepiece in a room and serve in providing warmth in winter - both in terms of temperature and creating an atmosphere. Rugs with splashes of colour can easily add brightness to a room.

Something as simple as placing a rug in front of the fire place conjures up that traditional Christmassy image, of settling down in front of a warm fire under the Christmas tree lights after a day out in the cold and who can resist that?

The use of a rug is also positive in that it can be easily rolled up and stored away during the summer. It also provides a reasonably cheap way of making a room more homely in achieving that festive feel. Rugs and carpets are also practical in that they can help to protect the solid wood flooring from any damage or scratches.

Greens and dark browns are known to work quite well together because of tone similarity. A natural Christmas tree with some standard lights while seeming minimalistic will easily provide a classy centrepiece for the room and one that during the earlier darkening evenings provides warmth, but at the same time isn't too garish.

Small lamps may seem like a minor feature, but they too can also accentuate even the smallest features in the hard wood flooring.

Although some of these pointers may seem obvious to some they can all help in making your home feel more Christmassy this winter with the use of a dark hard wood floor.

Why Switch to Solid Wood Flooring?

More and more consumers are making the switch from carpets to solid wood floorboards. Styles and colours of carpet date over time and when you redecorate, the colour of your carpet needs to be considered before you choose which colour to splash on your walls. With wood flooring this is not such a problem as it complements most colours.

Solid wood floorboards can increase the value or your home, but there are a few things to consider before laying it all over your house.

Newly laid solid wood flooring looks fantastic, but it can become damaged when wet so it may be wise to install a different type of floor, such as vinyl flooring, in bathrooms and kitchens where spillages happen more frequently. A basement is also not a good place to install the flooring as these are usually damper than other areas of the house.

Once you've avoided those areas, the flooring can be laid throughout the rest of the house, giving your home that classic finish. Your floor will now complement both traditional furniture and contemporary furnishing leaving you the opportunity to style your home the way you've always dreamed of.

Wood floors will cost you more than laminate floors alternatives but the flooring will more than pay for itself over the years. Many believe that solid wood flooring improves with age and more often than not will outlast the homeowner. Carpeting needs constant vacuuming and if red wine is spilt then a new carpet is often the only option. If there is a spillage on your wooden floor, as long as it is mopped up quickly it shouldn't stain.

If you have a family pet, then wooden flooring may not be the right choice for you. The paws of cats and dogs can often cause scratches and you wouldn't want them to spoil the look of your new home improvement investment, instead you should consider a laminate alternative as many come with scratch resistant properties.

Solid Wood interiors are the latest trend this spring, so now is the perfect time to address your flooring in time for summer. Maintenance is no longer an issue as new technology in stains and finishes mean that little more than sweeping is required.

There are also many health benefits to installing solid wood flooring. The flooring does not collect dust like carpets, so any family members who suffer from allergies could potentially see their symptoms improve just by changing the floorboard. The wood also flexes as you walk across it which means that less stress is put on your bones.

Online is a great place to shop for solid wood flooring. There are great discounts to be found and many retailers will deliver samples through your door for no extra cost.

In Defense of Solid Wood Flooring

When choosing a nice new floor, many homeowners won't even consider solid wood flooring as an option. Wood gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes, and most of the criticism focuses on the amount of maintenance that real wood products require. And then there's the element of risk - nobody wants a floor that can be ruined by the slightest spillage. Unless you're some kind of ultra-cautious, clumsy-proof superhuman, you'll want your home to allow for at least the occasional error.

But you shouldn't let your chronic butterfingers be a barrier between you and your dream floor. It's time to stop talking about the drawbacks of solid wood flooring and start acknowledging the positives. Frankly, nobody would bother with wood if it were nothing but a persistent pain, so let's take a look at some of the arguments for wooden floors:It Looks Great!

This is without a doubt the main selling point of solid wood flooring. Laminate floors might be more durable and versatile than hardwood, but if we're going exclusively on appearance then wood is the winner every time. The natural-yet-luxurious veneer of a genuine oak wood floor is one heck of a good way to brighten up a room, and whether your interior design tastes lean towards untarnished elegance or vintage-style shabby chic, there's bound to be a solid wood floor out there that suits your palate.

It Feels Great!

Okay, if you've just gotten out of bed on a cold winter's morning then you'd probably rather have a nice, warm carpet under your feet. At any other time, though, solid wood's grainy terrifically tactile texture is utterly unbeatable. It's a nice, smooth feel, although the subtle grain of the surface feels pleasantly organic, which makes it lovelier even than laminate.

It Keeps On Giving!

As demanding as solid wood flooring can sometimes be, it's also the most rewarding kind of floor on the market. Sure, carpeting is cheap and doesn't need very much attention, but solid wood is a product that you'll never stop loving. It will still be just as appealing in a decade's time as it is today, and if you do your best to take care of it, the stunning effect it has on your home won't have diminished either.

Potential Buyers Will Love It!

And if you don't intend to stay in your current property for as long as ten years, you can still benefit from a beautiful bit of hardwood. When an estate agent sees that you've got real wood flooring in your living room, their estimate will skyrocket; everyone knows that wood does wonders for a house's market value, and if you're looking to sell then a wood floor will have potential buyers falling over each other to make you an offer.

So while it's true that real wood flooring isn't for everyone, it's hard to deny that it has an awful lot going for it. Perhaps the next time you're re-flooring a room, you won't be so scared of solid wood and its sumptuous style!

The Benefits of Engineered Flooring Over Solid Wood

Engineered wood flooring is becoming increasingly popular in the UK flooring market, with homeowners looking to recreate the look and feel of a solid wood floor without the substantial outlay.

Engineered wood flooring provides a number of benefits that solid wood simply cannot match. In terms of the aesthetics of this product, you will be hard pushed to tell the difference. The top layer of engineered wood flooring is solid wood, so all the whirls and knots you would expect from a solid wood floor are present, along with the warm, natural hues traditional solid wood floors provide.

But what about the functionality of an engineered style of flooring? What are the benefits over a solid wooden floor?

Functionality

Engineered flooring is inherently stronger than solid hardwood, ensuring added stability and a flooring solution that can be installed by the homeowners themselves without the added hassle and expense of assistance from a professional. Modern engineered styles of flooring come with a glueless lock system, turning it into what is essentially a simple, if not rather large jigsaw puzzle; simply lock each floorboard into place and hey presto!

Durability

The durability of an engineered floor makes it an excellent choice for households with little feet running around, whether they belong to the family pooch or your little darlings. This type of flooring is resistant to scratching, dents, UV rays and moisture, so whatever accidents should occur, engineered flooring can be mopped, brushed or vacuumed and it will look as good as new. If you do somehow manage to damage engineered flooring, it can be remedied with a quick sanding down, which will restore it to the condition it was in the minute after it was laid. This added durability makes engineered flooring suitable for kitchens as well as living and dining rooms.

Maintenance

Maintaining an engineered style of flooring is a far less time consuming process than the maintenance of solid hardwood. Spillages can be simply mopped up without worrying about the damage the moisture might otherwise do to the integrity of a solid wood floor. Wood is also highly susceptible to denting and scrapes which engineered flooring can easily withstand.

If you're looking at flooring options for your residential property and your heart is set on solid wood, it is certainly well worth taking a look at engineered flooring alternatives just to see how much money you could save; we can guarantee you'll be surprised just how fantastic an engineered style of flooring options look.

Prefinished Hardwood Flooring: Solid and Engineered

Selecting new hardwood flooring for your home can be an alarming and unexpected time consuming task. With the never ending selection of hardwood flooring materials available today with as many locations, each offering discounts, advantages and recommendations over competing rivals, home or business owners are often left in a cloud of confusion with difficulty in making a formidable decision. Far too many times, frustrated home and business owners throw up their hands in surrender, giving in to uneducated sales presentations, purchasing the lowest priced wood flooring material to bring closure to a very un-eventual process. Unfortunately, purchasing hardwood flooring material based on price eventually results in floors once installed, with surprising negative consequences in less time than expected.

To date, there are two types of pre-finished hardwood flooring materials available, solid and engineered, available in a wide spectrum of colors and finishes. Where each type of wood flooring material is similar in durability, however there remains a significant difference in composition and pricing per square foot that remains a determining factor often over-looked by price conscious, weary purchasers.

Solid pre-finished hardwood flooring is as the name implies, "solid" wood with un-limited species to choose from. With thicknesses of 5/16" to ¾" typical, solid wood flooring is fabricated in tongue and groove configuration locking all members together in a "no-glue" fashion. Tongue and groove solid pre-finished wood flooring is typically nailed in with specialized tools, however may be "free-floated" over appropriate underlayment to allow for contraction and expansion during temperature changes. Three- quarter inch (3/4") tongue and groove solid flooring is not recommended for below grade installations, such as basements, due to adverse effect on the wood when installed over existing concrete surfaces. Buckling, cupping and seam separation are common indications of solid wood flooring installed in improper locations or in an incorrect manner.

Associated costs per square foot for solid hardwood flooring are as expected considerably higher due to solid wood composition. With typical costs per square for material only starting or exceeding $4-$5 per square foot, ¾" solid hardwood flooring should be installed by qualified and experienced flooring installers for best results. Home or business owner installation is not recommended due to the complexity of installation and specialized tools required. Of noticeable cost per square foot concerns, home or business owners should take note of professional installation raising the cost of solid wood flooring exceeding $10-$12 per square foot, however the results far out-weigh the additional cost of the original investment. Solid hardwood floors have a life expectancy of 50 years or more when properly installed with the possibility to change finishing colors by re-sanding, keeping abreast with the latest in interior designs.

Engineered pre-finished wood flooring is rapidly becoming the most popular selection of hardwood flooring beyond the conventional means of floor covering, carpet. Constructed from 3-10 layers of wood, typically 5, the layers of engineered flooring are oriented in opposite directions glued under extreme pressure for endurance. The term, "engineered" has long been associated with stigmas of poorly constructed or "cheap" flooring upon initial introduction; however has little or nothing to do with the composition of pre-finished hardwood flooring material other than a manufacturing process used in the production of this superior flooring material.

Of the five types of hardwood flooring material available, engineered pre-finished wood flooring has gained recognition and notoriety for value and affordable pricing. Similar to pre-finished solid hardwood flooring material, engineered wood flooring material is installed in a tongue and groove manner however offers options in installation over solid pre-finished wood flooring, increasing consumer awareness two-fold.

Nailed, glued, glue less or floating, pre-finished engineered flooring is both "eco-friendly" and "user-friendly". With latest in installation design technology, engineered pre-finished hardwood floors offer "click and lock" design with no glue, nails or special tools required. The simple "click and lock" technology allows home and business owners to self- install pre-finished floors in their home or place of business saving hundreds of dollars in professional installation costs. With novice experience, a home or business owner can install a pre-finished hardwood floor over s week-end with dramatic results in overall room appearance.

Ranging in pricing and depending on grade selected, engineered pre-finished flooring is available starting at $3.50 per square foot, home or business owner installed. Subsequent selections of better quality grades (thickness of material) and finishes will increase overall costs per square foot accordingly.

Taking all choices, styles and colors into consideration when selecting a flooring material, the eventual outcome will produce a hardwood floor that is beautiful, long lasting, tested by time and performance. While the debate may continue for many years yet to come a home or business owner can be assured of one remaining factor, a superior floor that is solid and engineered.