Why Exotic Hardwood Floors Are Better Than Your Average Wood Material

There are several exotic woods that can make the exotic hardwood floors for your home flooring, and many homeowners actually prefer these to other types due to the many benefits they offer. Some of these woods are teak, Australian Cypress and Brazilian cherry, just to name a few.

The reason why people like them so much is not only because they look really great in the rooms, but also they have a high quality that is unmatched so far. They are very durable, quite hard and quite alluring to homeowners. Because wood is wood, you'd think that it has all the same colors - brown. However you'll be surprised to learn that exotic hard wood flooring has some great colors that you can adorn your floors with. From the pale yellow to the dark brown, everything is possible. And since no planks are the same, you will have quite a unique flooring in your rooms, even if your neighbor has the exotic variety as well laid on the underfloor.

Teak is just one of these exotic flooring types. Depending on which you use, sapwood or heartwood, you will see quite a few colors starting from the light yellow to dark golden brown. This wood has the property of acquiring a darker color over time due to exposure to constant light. What is even better, teak is a notorious insect natural repellent, as it can easily withstand these termites from attacking it due to the oils that it emits that keeps insects away from it.

Brazilian cherry is another type of exotic hardwood flooring that is well loved by homeowners. The color goes towards a pretty dark red-brown that is quite appealing in living rooms. This color also changes over time due to exposure to sunlight so you will find your flooring changing to a darker shade of cherry color after a few years. The wood is quite heavy, strong and durable and it has that interlocking grain feature that people are attracted to. This wood type has the characteristic of giving your room a warm and cozy feel and appeal to it.

Australian Cypress is yet another variety that has the look of pine to it. However it is much harder than pine so it's quite a durable material to have as your preferred flooring. You can find many colors for this wood, ranging from cream to light brown, with various knots and strong lines that will lighten, but not too much with the passing of time. This darkening also occurs when it is exposed to direct light over the course of years.

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The Benefits of Oak Hardwood Flooring

There are plenty of wood species to choose from when deciding to install hardwood flooring in your house. You may contemplate over maple, pine or birch in your selection process and budget consideration. However, oak hardwood flooring is one of the finest choices that you can make on your hardwood-flooring project.

Oak is one of the durable species perfect for hardwood flooring. Oak can endure harsh weather changes and also very easy to clean materials. Besides, oak can effortlessly endure heavy pressure especially on a part of the house where there is heavy traffic of footfall. Whether you have chosen solid hardwood, engineered or quarter-sawn oak wood, you will never be disappointed on the quality that this type of wood gives.

Oak hardwood flooring is one way of adding glamour and style in your home. There are different kinds of oak wood that can be purchased in your favorite home improvement stores. No matter what kind of oak that you choose, it would surely bring comfort and style to your floor. Besides, oak wood is very affordable so, it will not make a dent in your wallet. The natural pattern of the oak wood will complement the design and style of every part of your house. The oak flooring is easy to maintain therefore you can use the same flooring for many years. All you have to do is to take care of it regularly.

Another wonderful benefit that you can get from oak hardwood is that you can save lot of money from repair of your floor. There are kinds of woods that is surely appealing to the eyes but not durable enough to withstand pressure. This leads to repairs and even replacement of the hardwood floor. Oak is a very reliable material that does not need much maintenance aside from cleaning. You can be relaxed and forget your flooring for the rest of your life if you have chosen to install oak flooring.

If you are quite unsure about the quality of the oak hardwood available at the home improvement stores near you, you can check the Internet for help. There are online hardwood stores that provide detailed information about the quality of the hardwood that they are selling. This way, you can be sure that the oak that you are going to use is a top grade material. Besides, you don't have to leave your house therefore giving you more time to carefully plan your flooring project.

These days, homeowners look for things that can make their home unique and comfortable. Uniqueness is a factor that remains to be one of the priorities when making or remodeling a home. When entering, the floor is the thing that you will see after the door. If you have chosen oak wood flooring to decorate your home, you can be sure that the quality it emanated would represent your home for a very long time.

Hardwood flooring has existed for centuries. Now, through technological innovations, people can choose varieties in oak hardwood flooring to give flexibility for choosy owners to decorate their home.

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Engineered Hardwood Flooring - How to Select It For Your Needs

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood flooring is a product made of a core of hardwood, plywood, or high density fiber and a top layer of hardwood veneer that is glued on the top surface of the core. It is available in almost any hardwood species. The product has the natural characteristics of the selected wood species as opposed to a photographic layer. The "engineered" product has been designed to provide greater stability, particularly where moisture or heat pose problems for hardwood floors.

Wood floors come in two basic types:

o Solid wood flooring
o Engineered wood flooring

Solid Wood Fl is fabricated from 3/4" thick solid wood and tongue and groove sides to join the boards. Some manufacturers make a thinner version that is 5/16" thick. The main advantage of solid wood flooring is its ability to be re-sanded and refinished over many years. It is not uncommon for solid wood floors to last 50 years or more. Solid wood floors come unfinished or prefinished in almost any wood species.

The main issue to consider with solid wood floors is its susceptibility to expansion and contraction due to humidity changes in the home. To accommodate for movement, these floors are typically installed with a 5/8" to 3/4" gap around the perimeter of the floor along the wall. This gap is covered by shoe molding and baseboards.

The 3/4" thick floors should not be installed in a below grade condition, such as a basement. However, the thinner 5/16" wood floors may be used in that application. When installing a solid wood floor over new or existing concrete, be sure the manufacturer's recommendations on limits of moisture in the concrete are followed.

Solid wood flooring is available in three main types:

o Strip flooring is denoted by the thickness and width of the wood planks. Strip flooring has a set width, but the thickness can vary. Strip flooring ranges in thickness from 5/16" to ¾" wide. It is available only in widths of 1 1/2", 2", and 2 1/4".

o Plank flooring comes in two thicknesses, but unlike strip flooring, the widths can vary. It is available only in thicknesses of 1/2" or 3/4" and a range of widths from 3" to 8".

o Parquet flooring has a very different look from typical hardwoods. They are made up of geometrical patterns composed of individual wood patterns composed of individual wood slats held in place by mechanical fastening or an adhesive.

Laminate flooring is not real wood, at least not in the way that hardwood and engineered wood are. It is comprised of a thin top layer of resin-infused paper, all on top of a wood chip composite. Technically, it is wood. It is an amazing simulation of wood. The resin layer is essentially a photograph of wood. Laminate flooring is an alternative to wood flooring. It is scratch resistant and it works well in topically moist environments like bathrooms and kitchens, unlike hardwood flooring. Additionally, laminate flooring is very easy to install.

Engineered wood flooring solves a lot of the problems hardwood and laminate flooring have:

o Solid Hardwood does not tolerate moisture well.
o Solid Hardwood can have uneven quality
o Laminate Flooring does not tolerate moisture well
o Laminate Flooring is fake wood and can not be sanded.

Basics of Engineered Wood Floors

Engineered hardwood floors are constructed similar to that of basic plywood with the top surface being actual hardwood. Products come in two to ten ply construction depending on the manufacturer. Many manufacturers have increased the surface (also known as veneer or wear layer) layer that will result in some engineered floors lasting as long as the traditional ¾" solid flooring. One of the most important factors contributing to the longevity of any hardwood floor is the amount of refinishable material.

Solid 3/4" hardwoods have approximately 1/4 of an inch above the tongue and groove construction. Once it is sanded to that level, nails or staples begin to appear and should be replaced. The better and thicker engineered hardwood floors have 1/8" to 3/16" above the tongue and groove. Since the veneer is real wood, it can be sanded up to two to three times.

Engineered floors are the ideal solution for hardwood flooring on concrete. The dimensional stability of the way they are constructed. Each ply layer is pressure glued and set in the opposite direction. Engineered hardwood floors expand and contract with high humidity, as opposed to hardwood flooring. The more plies the greater stability.

Installation of most engineered hardwood floors are done by the glue down or floating floor method. It is very important to note that not all engineered products have the same type of installation specifications. Some floors may be floating, glue direct, or staple only. Maunufacturers specifications should be followed explicitly. The majority of prefinished engineered hardwoods have limits on lengths at 42 to 48 inches, opposed to most solid hardwoods at 72 to 84 inches. Typically, lower end flooring will have shorter pieces. Typically, longer lengths are preferred as they offer a more appealing look on completion.

What is a floating floor? It is a method of installing a floor rather than a specific type of flooring material. In this method, the individual planks or boards attach to each other - either by means of gluing or snapping together, but do not attach to the sub floor on which it is being installed. This is in contrast to a solid wood floor which requires nailing down to the sub floor. A jigsaw puzzle is one great comparison. With a jigsaw puzzle, pieces connect to each other, but not to the table. A floating floor is like a jigsaw puzzle. An advantage of the floating floor method of installation is it allows for the floor to move and expand in response to changes in the room's humidity.

Wood Flooring Hardness Rating

The hardness of wood flooring is measured by something called the Janka Test. A.444 inch steel ball is driven into the wood to half the ball's diameter. The test measures the force needed to embed a steel ballot half of its diameter in the piece of wood being tested, with rating measured in pounds of force per square inch. So with this rating, the higher the number the harder the wood.

Wood hardness is important since one of the key considerations in selecting the species of wood floor, you should be aware how much resistance the wood has to scratches and indentations. For example, if you have a dog with long nails then scratching the floor is a consideration and you should select a species with a higher rating such as hickory, maple, oak, or ash.

While it may seem logical to pick the hardest wood, certain factors should be considered:

o Soft wood can be hardened to some degree by the application of polyurethane finishes

o Hard wood is nearly always much more expensive than the softer and medium grade woods.

o Hard wood is more difficult to saw, drill, and nail than other woods, requiring more time and labor, therefore more money.

Hardwood Floor Appearances Can Differ

Hardwood veneers have the same surface appearances as solid hardwood flooring because they are both natural hardwoods. Different appearances result from the different ways the hardwood is sawn. The different sawing methods are:

o Flat Sawn (also referred to as plain sawn) - can be flat grain, which has a cathedral or gothic effect or vertical grain which has a radial or edge grain effect.

o Rotary Cut - method of cutting wood in which the hardwood layer is peeled off the log using large wood lathes. This peeling method shows dramatic, wilder graining.

o Off-Set Rotary Cut - method of cutting wood which gives a sliced appearance and grain pattern with the added cross grain stability of sliced, without the sliced cost. Hardwoods are more dimensionally stable across the grain, and off-set rotary cutting takes advantage of this property. The yield is lower than a regular rotary cut creating a slight price increase vs. standard rotary.

o Sliced Cut - method of cutting wood in which the hardwood layer is sawn like regular lumber. This shows finer graining.

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Hardwood Flooring Maintenance Tips - Clean and Maintain Your Hardwood Floor the Proper Way

While there are many modern types of flooring nowadays, hardwood flooring is an old favorite of many. It has a natural look and feel to it that no other floor covering has. Also it is very easy to clean and maintain and it can be refinished many times, unlike engineered flooring or laminates.

To properly clean your hardwood flooring you need to pay attention to a couple of things, since it is very easy to scratch if you're not careful. Dirt, grime and grit are killers for this flooring type as they tend to mar it unless removed right away. Also if you live in a rather dusty area, it shows more on hardwood than on other materials. This is why one of the most important aspects of caring for your hardwood floor is regular sweeping and dusting. You should do it once a week or if you see dirt accumulated before the week is over, do a sweeping again.

When you're dusting and sweeping make sure to use only products that have been expressly approved by the manufacturer. If you simply use normal household cleaning products you might be in danger of damaging your floor instead of cleaning it. If you prefer vacuuming, you could easily do that instead of sweeping as it's also a faster way of removing dirt and grime from the surface.

Depending on your hardwood type, you might have a floor with a glossy finish or with a matte finish. If it's glossy, it means it has been treated with a water based urethane finish to give it that protective layer over the actual hardwood. The matte finish has been protected with a layer of wax or oil, or a mixture of the two. You should not use any regular detergent on any of the two types as it will easily destroy the protective layer over your hardwood.

If you use water for moping, use only a little, so the water doesn't penetrate the oil or wax layer. If your hardwood has the glossy finish, you can use some household hardwood cleaner as long as the finish doesn't contain oil or wax in it.

Avoid using ammonia on your flooring surface and avoid using wax if your have a glossy finish floor.

If you have any water marks on the surface, first you need to remove the glossy or wax protective layer and then use fine grade steel wool to rub the water marks. Then clean the surface and refinish the hardwood.

When moving furniture across the room, try to avoid dragging it and lift it instead. This will avoid leaving various scratches and marks on it. Also avoid walking over the floor with high heel shoes and make sure to trim the nails of your pets.

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Maple Hardwood Flooring - 3 Things You Must Know Before Shopping

Maple hardwood flooring has been a well kept secret in the floorcovering industry. It presents a beauty that is hard to beat if you are looking for a lighter, natural, and bright colored hardwood. Maple may not be one of the hardest wood species used for floors, with a Janka rating around 1450, but if it can hold up on a basketball court, it should do well in your home shouldn't it? There are several things to consider when shopping for Maple hardwood floors.

1. Will you have the Maple wood flooring installed over a concrete or wood sub floor? By knowing this, you can decide whether you need a solid construction or if you can use an engineered designed product. A solid construction Maple floor can only be installed on a wood subfloor. An engineered design can be installed over wood or concrete.

2. Do you want a superior factory finish or are you willing to sacrifice a better finish for the perfect color? A factory finish will provide many more years of wear and luster versus a custom in home finish and stain. Of course if you're looking at Maple, you're probably in love with the light, natural color, so the factory prefinished look should be a perfect fit for your room or home design.

3. Do you want to shop locally or online? A local, independent hardwood flooring dealer can offer a pleasant shopping experience with Maple wood floor samples you can see in their showroom. An online wholesaler or retailer will probably have better prices than the local retailer. Most online dealers offer free samples as well and usually sales tax is avoided by shipping out of state which offsets shipping charges. It's a decision you will have to make and one you will need to be comfortable with.

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An Introduction to Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is made from all natural timber and is offered in two different states: unfinished and pre-finished. Unfinished is when the wood arrives in it's natural state and it is sanded and finished on site when you receive it. However, these days it is much more common for this wood to simply be finished in the factory so it will be shipped to you ready to install. This wood will be either solid or engineered by one of three processes: rotary peel, sliced peel, and dry solid sawed. This article will provide a brief explanation of each of these topics.

When purchasing hardwood flooring, one of your first decisions will be to choose between solid and engineered wood. Solid woods often come in planks that are 3/4 of an inch thick. This type may be installed by nailing it down onto the wood sub floors. One thing to keep in mind however is that it is very susceptible to the effects of moisture and extreme temperatures, which often causes it to expand or contract. Engineered hardwood flooring uses layers of wood veneer instead of the single plank that is used in solid. This veneer will range in thickness. Ultimately this makes it less susceptible to temperature and moisture.

It is quite interesting how engineered hardwood flooring is created which is by three different methods, rotary peel, sliced peel, and dry solid sawed. The rotary peel method is accomplished by boiling the wood in water. Afterward the wood is peeled away with a blade creating a veneer which is then pressed flat. These rotary peeled woods seem to have plywood like appearance when it comes to the grain. One downside to this type is that it is more prone to warp back into its original shape.

The next method by which engineered hardwood flooring is created is the sliced peel method. This process is quite similar to that used in the rotary peel method, but the manner of slicing the wood is different. Here it is sliced from the end of the log instead of the rotary fashion. After this it pretty much follows the same process as in rotary peel. There are a few differences in the finished product however. For one thing, it does not have a plywood appearance and it is not as prone to warp.

Finally, there is the dry solid sawed method of preparing hardwood flooring. Here instead of boiling the logs they are instead kept in an area of low humidity so that the moisture is dried out from the wood cells. This style has the same appearance of solid wood flooring and doesn't feature any problems whatsoever when it comes to warping.

When it comes to choosing the type of hardwood flooring to install in your home, the decision is ultimately up to you. Each of the different types listed above has its own pros and cons, so weigh them carefully before buying.

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5 Types Of Hardwood Floors Popular Today

There are types of hardwood floors that look good in virtually every type of room. Before choosing a type of hardwood floor to install in a room, you need to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of the various types. There are currently five popular hardwood flooring types. When you know the hardwood flooring types that are popular today, you will be able to make a choice you will be happy with for years to come.

- Types of Hardwood floors: Prefinished

Prefinished hardwood floors have quickly become the most popular type of hardwood flooring. They are easy to buy and completely ready for installation. Purchasing is just a matter of finding a wood grain and finish that matches your home. In most cases, for installation, all you have to do is lay the floor panels down and make a few cuts to fit them as you reach the wall with each row of paneling. This is by far the easiest among the types of hardwood floors to install.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Unfinished

When you put your floor together with unfinished hardwood, it is left to you to manually handle the finishing process. This means you will need to sand, buffer, stain, and coat the hardwood floor after you install it. This is a big time and labor disadvantage from the prefinished floor.

But there are reasons why you may prefer an unfinished hardwood floor installation. One of the best reasons for installing this type of floor is if you are planning on selling the building soon. You can then have the new tenants choose the color that matches their needs or desires before finishing the wood. If you install prefinished wood in such a scenario, you would face a choice of losing a customer or reinstalling the wood floor.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Solid Wood

This was a popular hardwood floor type until recently. It is very hard to install and to remove. You can find the lumber for solid wood floors in the form of either parquet, plank, or strip. Strip is the easiest to install by far, but those looking for ease would do better with one of the other types of hardwood floors.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is made out of multiple layers of veneer. These layers of wood are glued together with high quality glue. This design makes them very sturdy, as they benefit from the grains and features of each layer of veneer. Also, this allows you to use one wood at the surface to match your house, and higher quality woods make up the lower veneer layers.

For example, if you want a house full of birch furniture, you can have the surface layer of the floor made of birch, with sturdy oak layers supporting the floor. This combination would give you the durability of oak with the beauty of birch.

Engineered wood flooring can also handle a wider variety of climates. They are much more immune than the previously mentioned hardwood floor types to humidity, spills, and temperature extremes. This is why engineered wood floors are often recommended for basements where water is often prevalent.

- Types of Hardwood Floors: Acrylic Impregnated Wood

Acrylic impregnated wood floors are similar to prefinished floors, except that they are built with a special new process. The coloring and acrylic are put into the wood planks' pores under high pressure. The floor planks that result are very durable. These floors do not get as easily scratched as the other hardwood floor. They do really well in busy places and with frequent furniture moves. They are also much more resistant to climate extremes than the other types of hardwood floors.

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5 Tips for Choosing the Best Hickory Hardwood Floors

When it comes time to purchase and install the best hickory hard floors for your home or office needs, it is time to get some advice on what choices are best for you. The deciding factor is what you will want in the look, feel, and lifespan of your hardwood flooring. Knowing what you are looking for before hand, will save you countless wasted hours, and make for a cherished hardwood floor that will last a lifetime.

1. Finished or unfinished. When you are choosing your initial hardwood flooring, it is best to know if you want finished or unfinished planks. Finished planks are already smoothed, and often time finished planks are already stained. This does save you some time, and it can often save the installer a little money. However, many people choose the unfinished planks for their hickory hardwood floors because they get to choose the stain and finish after the installation.

2. The truth is in the size. When you are choosing hickory hardwood floors, you should consider the width of the planks. Common widths are between 4 inches and 6 inches, and increments in between. The wider planks may give the installer a shorter project time, but many people choose the less wide plank because it gives more stability and a better look to the end product.

3. Dark or light wood. This is forever the conundrum of hickory hardwood floors. Is a dark finish or a light finish preferred? Well, this is actually one of the true personal choices given the installer. The only true benefit of choosing a dark over a light is that dark wood tens to show signs of wear and tear better. However, many people prefer the beauty of the lighter, more natural finish to their hickory hardwood floors.

4. Engineered or natural. There are benefits to both types of flooring. Usually, most people choose engineered because it will not be as susceptible to moisture. This is great for moisture rich and humid areas. Since natural hardwood floors tend to breathe more, engineered flooring does not buckle or warp as easily. However, many people see natural flooring as the best and only option. Natural flooring can be installed carefully to make room for the natural breathing.

5. Finding the right manufacturer. There are quite a few manufacturers that will offer hickory hardwood floors. Finding the right one is a journey best completed before you even step into a store. Doing some quick searches within these informational pages will provide a lot of useful suggestions in finding the right manufacturer for your hardwood flooring needs. Of course, there are many opinions, but finding the truth in those opinions can be difficult. Go by your best judgment and no one else's. This will make you happy with your purchase, and give your hickory hardwood floor the longest lifespan possible.

Choosing hickory hardwood floors for your home or office is a beautiful decision made with knowledge and compassion. You get all the benefits of our experience to make your purchase as smooth as possible. Following these useful tips may not answer all of your questions, but it sure will give you a positive start on your hardwood flooring need

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