Hardwood floors are a classic choice for your home. They're beautiful and they last for many years when cared for properly. When you get wood floors for the first time, you have a lot of things to think about since there are several species of wood and different installation methods to consider. Here is important information to know about hardwood flooring.
Species Of Wood Differ
You can choose the type of wood you want based on the wood's appearance or cost. Species vary by color, grain, and knots in the wood. Species also vary by cost, and this is important to consider when you need to control your budget.
The hardness of different species of wood varies too. Some of the more affordable types of wood are softer than exotic woods, which cost a lot more. You might want to compare the hardness rating of different types of wood if you have kids or pets that might damage a softer wood species.
Hardwood Flooring Can't Be Floated
Hardwood flooring usually requires professional installation since it has to be nailed to the subfloor rather than floated. If you need to float the floor, choose engineered wood instead of solid hardwood. The engineered boards lock together so they don't have to be nailed down.
Wood Floors Can Be Prefinished
Finishing your wood floors involves using coatings that give off strong fumes, so you may need to leave your home for a few days while the floors are finished. Finishing the boards after they're installed also makes the installation process go longer.
You can avoid the problems associated with finishing the floors in your home after they've been installed when you buy prefinished boards. These have the coatings already applied, so the only thing needed to get your floors ready for use is to nail the boards in place.
Hardwood Flooring Requires A Moisture Barrier
Wood flooring doesn't mix well with moisture. This is why hardwood floors can't be used in your basement unless they are engineered wood boards. Moisture can cause wood boards to warp, so it's important to put down a moisture barrier before nailing the boards to the floor. The moisture barrier blocks water vapor from seeping up from the ground and affecting the wood boards.
Hardwood Boards Come In Different Widths
Hardwood flooring comes in different wood colors and textures. These qualities affect how the floor looks in your home and matches your decor. Another thing to consider is the planks come in different widths.
Wide planks make your floors look different than if you buy narrow planks. You might see if the flooring company you're working with has a visualizer that lets you see how different species of wood and widths of boards affect the look of a room.
After tearing out all of the old carpet from our home, I realized that we needed something a little better. I began looking around at alternatives, and I found a really nice laminate that worked well with our budget and that looked really nice. I talked with the installers about putting it in, and they were more than happy to work with us. Within a few weeks, we had a new floor, and it made all the difference in the world. I decided that it would be fun to start an entire blog about flooring, so read more here if you have questions.