Hardwood Flooring: Perfect Combination of Appearance, Versatility, and Cost

Hardwood flooring has characteristics that make it a popular choice for both aesthetic and practical reasons.

From the aesthetic viewpoint, real wood flooring provides more choices when it comes to décor matching than any other type of material. The many available species of hardwood, combined with the ability to machine the wood into different configurations, plank or parquet for example, and to add to that various finish colors and different degrees of top finishes, provides practically infinite choices. Hardwood flooring can complement and enhance any decor or environment where it is used.

Hardwood flooring is practical, too. Carpet, with luck, might offer a life span of twenty years before it wears out, frays, or becomes so stained, discolored, or faded that it can no longer be tolerated. Concrete will outlast carpet, but requires extensive routine maintenance, and eventually costly complete replacement. Resilient and vinyl flooring, tile or sheet-style, do not even belong in this discussion. Even neglected or abused hardwood flooring could easily last a hundred years, and restoring a floor of this age is simply a matter of sanding and refinishing.

Realwood flooring is generally of two main types: Solid or Engineered. The difference between the two is that a solid wood is one species from the surface to the bottom, while an engineered hardwood flooring uses less expensive woods and wood by-products to form the substrate, or base layers, then finished with a layer (veneer) of the desired species on the top. Each has it strong points, and either will perform beautifully; the choice is mainly one of personal preferences, structural considerations, and economics.

There are about a dozen commonly used wood species that are abundantly available and are capable of being replenished through re-growth. Oak is by far the most popular choice. Its combination of durability, beauty, and adaptability to a wide range of applications account for this. Walnut, Ash, and Beech are also popular species. Next are species that while not necessarily rare, are slightly less versatile than the others. This would include Birch, Cherry, and Maple. Finally, there are exotic species such as Jarrah and Merbau that are somewhat costly due to a limited supply.

Both types, solid and engineered, and all species, can be obtained and used either unfinished, finished after installation, or can be purchased already finished. Stains can be used to achieve a desired color, and various top coats can be used depending on whether a shiny or matt-like final effect is desired.

Oil or water based lacquer and polyurethane are commonly used as top coats. These make routine maintenance a simple case of using a dust mop or vacuum to pick up loose debris, and an occasional damp mopping for spills, which is one of the primary reasons for real wood flooring's ongoing popularity.

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Hardwood Flooring - All the Information You Will Ever Need

Only in certain portions of their home do folks install hardwood flooring. One example is, my present-day home is installed using marble as well as hardwood, using marble in the living room and hardwood in the bedrooms. Even though this implies that you should avoid getting it moist (as this could bring in termites), it will make your floors sturdier. Additionally, it is also preferred mainly because it's much easier to clean with sweeping as well as mopping.

Hardwood flooring types

People usually classify hardwood into two different types, solid as well as engineered. Despite this, you can also get some providers which manufacture their own wood for precise needs. Below, I am going to simply be discussing the two common kinds.

Solid

Its natural faults result in solid flooring to become less popular compared with engineered flooring. Just like I stated earlier, you might need to take note of the actual moisture levels as well as temperature, but solid hardwood flooring possesses many flaws.

You will likely really need to manage the issue regarding plank sizing. Because of restricted plank width, gapping or cupping usually arises, situations in which the plank size leads to gaps left in between (planks are usually 5 inches wide, 0. 75 inches thick). Last but not least, under no circumstances install it above concrete and never mount it in the basements (because of moisture levels getting far too high).

Engineered

This sort of flooring is employed much more frequently by flooring providers. Its superior stability causes it to have a greater price, yet that is certainly about the only problem you may be getting. This is because of the triple layering of the wood, though just two of the three are the seriously essential ones. These include the lamella in addition to substrate, both becoming the plank's primary support.

Because of the wide range of measurements compared to solid hardwood flooring that is very restricted in this aspect, installation as well as repair is usually much easier and more cost-effective. However, the plank cost, would be more high priced. This sort of flooring can be very easily confused with laminate, vinyl as well as veneer flooring but they are all different types. For instance, laminate, is manufactured from other materials with just an impression of wood on it. When compared to engineered hardwood, vinyl as well as veneer possesses completely different compositions.

Hardwood Flooring Costs

Every sq ft. of hardwood flooring costs about US$3.99. Because of the great variety in installation techniques in addition to "optional add-ons", installing the hardwood could cost differently on a case by case basis. You will even be given distinct options and price options from the installation firm.

Things to take note prior to installation

1. Domestic pets and also young children need to be kept from the area to prevent troubling the installer.

2. Furniture removal may incur additional fees. Remove the furniture on your own if possible.

3. Take away breakable merchandise to avoid damage as a result of accidents.

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Which Type of Hardwood Flooring Is Best For Your Home?

Hardwood flooring always improves the appearance of a room. Hardwood, however, comes in multiple types, some of which may be better for your home than others. While woods come in different species, as well as domestic and exotic varieties, the type of wood installed into your home or building can be solid, engineered, or laminate. Out of these three, two are made fully from natural wood, while laminate has the appearance of wood, although no natural components are used. Instead of settling for carpet, go with a hardwood floor to give your room a modern and sophisticated character.

Solid hardwood is considered the purest form of flooring available. Made fully from natural wood, solid hardwood flooring has no changes, with the exception of a finish for prefinished varieties. No matter if you opt for domestic hickory or an exotic species like Brazilian cherry, the full piece of wood comes directly from the tree.

Engineered hardwood flooring is descriptive of the process used for putting together a plank or strip. Although this type of flooring is made fully from hardwood, two different types of wood are used. On top is the natural hardwood, and below is birch; three to 16 is the ratio of natural hardwood to the birch. Although a hybrid type of hardwood, engineered is just as strong and sand-able as solid. Homes with a radiating heat source should go with engineered hardwood flooring, as the wood is less likely to warp over time than solid wood.

Although containing no natural wood, laminate is another option to get the look of hardwood flooring. A piece of laminate flooring is made from high-density fiberboard with a high-resolution photographic image of a hardwood species on top. Resin-coated cellulose or melamine is added on top of the image to give the laminate flooring a glossy appearance. Additionally, laminate flooring may also be manufactured to emulate the texture and sound of natural hardwood.

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Designing With Bamboo Hardwood Floors: Making Minimalist Work for You

Bamboo floors have a lightness airy-feel to them. The natural buff color radiates in a sun-lit room and can instantly create the illusion of space, even in a compact room. It also is the perfect compliment to the 'modern minimalist' home.

Modern design involves sleek furniture that doesn't take up a whole lot of space. Colors are typically cream, white, or beige, and a splash of color for pillows and typically one wall. Often times you'll see small glass coffee tables and bare windows without any curtains.

So how does bamboo flooring play in to the modern design scheme?

The key is light! The neutral, light-colored walls play off of the buff-colored of natural bamboo. The bare windows provide maximum sunlight, which creates space, space, and more space. Many designers are even matching the walls to the floor to further expand a room. Then the pillows, tile, or single splash of color on the walls become a focal point.

So what type colors go best with minimalist style?

For 2011, we're seeing chocolate brown, jet black or charcoal, coral, jade, and turquoise. Notice these colors all stem from an Asian influence, which makes bemboo flooring almost a crucial element in this type of design.

Other crucial elements for minimalist design include a rug to break up some of the openness (you don't want too much of a good thing). In a living room, a small white rug underneath a glass coffee table is perfect. For a bedroom, a large cream-colored rug underneath the bed will compliment a chocolate-colored bed-frame. Just be sure there is a clear separation between the color of the rug and the color of the floor. In this scenario, cream-colored rugs will look best over a bamboo slightly darker than the natural color.

Another key accent for minimalist style that goes well with bamboo flooring - a plant in the corner of the room with a light-colored or clear-colored vase. Brown or black could work here as well, depending on how much of those darker colors are already used. The plant is used to set boundaries for space so again, there's not too much openness. A bamboo plant works very well here. Or you could put a glass on the coffee table with lotus flowers.

Pick one or two more accent pieces for the room and you're done. Really! A sleek floor lamp next to the couch will do, and a portrait on the wall with a splash of color from your main color. If you're using coral or red, go for a piece that has a white background and vibrant red or coral Japanese orchids. No need for fancy framing here. The canvas itself works beautifully!

Actually there's really no need to go 'fancy' over anything here. The soft elements of the bamboo and the tiny splash of color all compliment one another, creating an array of harmony in your home.

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