Ways to Protect Your Solid Wood Flooring Investment

Finishes work by providing your hardwood flooring with a coating that protects it from many environmental factors. There are several categories with which hardwood flooring finishes fall under. They could be classified as oil-based and water-based, and penetrating and surface finish. The attributes and disadvantages of each finish category will be discussed below to help you make informed decisions regarding your hardwood floor.

Choosing a Finish

Firstly, the type of hardwood flooring you have installed would likely determine which hardwood flooring finish you should apply. Certain solid wood floors do not take well to certain finishes, and there could be an instance where applying a finish would do more harm than good. It is always best to discuss projects like these with a trusted professional.

A penetrating finish gets deep into the grain of the wood to protect it from within. There are hardwood flooring species such as maple and cherry that do not absorb this type of surface as evenly as other species.

Surface finishes protect the floor by providing it with what looks like a clear plastic coating on top of the wood. This protects it from minute scratches and some water damage, as well as exposure. Most pre-finished floors have a surface finish applied and this looks to be the most popular choice.

Both surface and penetrating finishes could also fall under two major categories: oil-based or water-based.

The use of oil-based finishes seem to be favored by some homeowners because of the smoothing effect it has on the hardwood floor, filling in ridges and warming up the floor's appearance overall by somehow tinting the wood. These oil-based finishes protect the wood from outside elements by building a film over the wood. However, they take quite some time to dry. With water-based finishes, there is said to be the disadvantage of raising the grain of the wood, making it seem rough, but this is only true with the first coating. A sealer takes care of evening the surface, and usually drys fast enough so the floor can be walked on in an hour.

Water-based finishes are also absolutely clear, and will not darken with age as is the case with oil-based finishes. This is great for homeowners who want their light-colored flooring to stay that color.

Graded Wood and Your Hardwood Floor

If you’ve ever wondered how companies decide how to price wood and which quality is best, there is definitely a method to their pricing and categorization of different wood species and their classifications and specifications.

National standards exist for wood quality, and these standards ensure that each species and type of wood is given a rating, called a “grade.” The percentages of variation and characteristics of different woods completely depend on the set of standards by which every wood is judged. These standards are made by major trade associations and professional organizations.

While grading is usually concerned with hardness of a species, and thus its correlating amounts of hardwood and sapwood, some grades depend on the mix of the two. Woods like hickory, cherry, and many exotic woods have especially contrasting colors of heartwood and sapwood. These woods may be ordered and graded as mixed (sapwood and heartwood), sap-only (only sapwood) or no-sap (only heartwood).

Four general grades exist for categorizing many species of different woods. Classifications are based only on appearance, as the structural soundness of most woods in generally the same all around.

It is the level of aesthetic beauty that is graded and given a score, and it is by this standard that prices for wood are set. A higher grade means a higher price, and a lower grade means a lower price. First grade or clear wood has to have a surface almost completely free of imperfections, such as knots, dents, marls, or other flaws. Light streaking, burling, or few pinholes may be allowed. Variations in color are ok, but sapwood content has to be extremely minimal and almost non-existent.

Second-grade or Select wood standards accept small, sound tighter knot marks and other small defects as long as they aren’t large. A small amount of sapwood is allowed, as are variations in color.

Third-grade or Common wood is allowed more defects than the previous two, as well as larger knots on the surface. They can have a higher amount of streaking, more variety in color, and a larger amount of sapwood. Fourth-grade or Lower Common Grade is the lowest wood grade on the scale, and is limited to very little. There may be large knots, heavy grain and surface imperfections, and great differences in color and large amounts of sapwood. It is often described as “rustic,” and is common because of that quality.

The Best of Hardwood Floors: Real Hardwood Flooring Take Center Stage

Real wood flooring counts itself among the top flooring choices today. That is no surprise, considering the benefits that one can get from having a hardwood floor in the home. With the many alternatives out in the market, real wood flooring still is in a class of its own, surpassing all others in terms of beauty, strength, durability, and ultimately longevity.

The Advantages of Having Real Wood Flooring

Wood flooring today does not bear the stigma of being bad for the environment. In fact, installing a real wood floor in your home is one of the most eco-friendly decisions you could make. Real wood flooring from controlled forests ensure that the floor you have comes from a sustainable source that does not harm the environment. The use of natural real wood flooring also means less use of harmful substances that are used to process other real wood flooring substitutes.

Versatility

Real wood flooring also provides homeowners with a flooring material that can go with any design genre. The use of wood can add warmth to a home bearing industrial characteristics all without seeming out of place. The timeless appeal of wood also contributes to the total look of your home, giving it character and depth that no other flooring can give.

Oak hardwood engineered oil finish flooring for elegant look

If you have been planning to redecorate your house or add a new look to your home décor with new floorings then one of the best options of floorings to choose from comes with oak hardwood engineered oil finish floorings. These oak hardwood floorings are the best choice to make from all the wooden floorings in the market. The oak hardwood floorings being exceptionally beautiful provide the best alternative to laminate floorings or expensive carpets. These floorings made of oak hardwood would most certainly transform the feel and aura of your place.

Add to home décor with oak hardwood flooring

Owing to its unique individuality and exclusive warm hues, the beautiful oak hardwood flooring offers the much needed aura and warmth to the interiors of your house. Oak hardwood engineered floors have layers of hardwood being glued and pressed together which makes for its great strength and durability. Oak hardwood engineered floors have been used in houses for centuries as they can best bring about the desired beauty to any style of home décor. You would not find the kind of timeless beauty of the oak hardwood engineered oil finish floors in any other kind of hardwood flooring.

These wonderful oak hardwood floorings add immense appeal to your home décor and are most certain to add a royal look and feel to your house. Contrary to popular myth, oak hardwood engineered floorings do retain the warmth of the house while keeping the draughts away. Unlike carpets, the oak hardwood floorings do not allow dust and dust mites to be trapped in the layers and so it prevents any sorts of allergies and respiratory problems resulting from dust particles.

Unmatched Features

The wonderful oak hardwood floorings speak of unmatched classic beauty and elegance not to be found in any other kind of hardwood. You just need to add a firm oak hardwood flooring oiled and with a brushed finish to your home décor and you could be sure of bringing a level of sophistication to your house. This feel could well be accredited to the exclusive classic finish that comes with the natural shine and oil finish of oak hardwood. Moreover, to your advantage, these oak hardwood floorings easily match with any kind of fixture, furniture or theme of décor making your house floors versatile. Choice of colors in oak flooring

Another significant aspect of these oak hardwood floorings is that they come in an array of colors and different styles offering home owners a plethora of options to choose from. The versatility and adaptability of the oak hardwood floors widens the choice of the variety of shades and color tones which you can pick from. Apart from this, these oak hardwood engineered floorings could be natured, oiled and even brush finished, the choice is completely yours as it depends on your taste as to what way you want to nature it.

Oak flooring is durable

The best aspect of installing oak hardwood engineered oil finish floorings is that they are the most durable floorings and last for years and years to come. These floorings do not lose their luster as soon as the oak wood comes with a natural shine, uniquely its own but, if you want them not to become dull and keep their luster for long then you can just add oil to it and care for their maintenance.

Laminate Flooring - Things You Need to Know

Laminate flooring is a great alternative to hardwood when you want the warmth and beauty of wood flooring without the installation and maintenance hassles. This attractive flooring solution is available in a wide range of prices, colours and grains. It's also more scratch and dent resistant than hardwood flooring, which makes it the perfect choice for homes with active children or pets. Laminate flooring is the one of the most versatile, durable and well-constructed types of flooring on the market today.

HOW TO CHOOSE LAMINATE FLOORING

Laminates warranty range from 10 years to lifetime. Entry level laminates come with a 10 to 15 years warranty but they are designed for light traffic areas. Used in a high traffic area, they will begin to show wear and tear usually within 3 to 5 years. Remember that choosing the right laminate flooring is not as easy as it seems, but by doing that, you will save money in the long run. Just think of things like the amount of time you are planning on staying in that house or the amount of traffic, because there is no point in buying really expensive laminate flooring with extended warranty if you know that you are moving sometime in the near future. Also consider buying laminates with Paraffin wax impregnated joints, as this wax acts as a water repellent and prevents water from penetrating down to the core.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Laminate Flooring is made up of six layers, and comes in varying sizes of either planks or squares with a tongue and groove interlocking system. The surface layer of laminate is the melamine wearlayer, which is a tough clear melamine layer with aluminum oxide particles. When fused together with heat and direct to the core the wearlayer becomes an incredibly hard, durable finish. The resin-filled wearlayer is so dense it becomes extremely difficult to stain, scratch, or burn. The second layer is the Print Layer, which is the decorative layer giving the flooring its appearance of real hardwood or tile. The third layer is a clear thin plastic sheet that floats freely above the substrate before the laminate floor is floated. Melamine is a plastic-type resin used throughout the construction process to add durability and stability to the laminated planks. The thickest layer is the core, consists usually of high-density fiber board (HDF), particle board to add resistance and form the tongue and groove locking system. Melamine plastic resins are used to improve moisture resistance of the core by some manufacturers. A thing you should consider when buying laminate flooring for bathrooms or kitchens is it's core. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable and sounds more like the real hardwood floor when walked on. Quality laminate cores are treated with water repellent chemicals. The melamine plastic backing is used to add more structural stability and moisture protection to the planks.

INSTALLATION

As glueless locking mechanisms has been introduced to the market, laminate flooring has become the perfect choice for households because it has a quicker installation, it's easier to repair and it can be installed by people without experience or specialized tools. This will save you a considerable amount of money. Installing laminate floors eliminates the need to nail or glue your floor in place. It is also a very attractive, low cost and long lasting flooring option. With an easy to clean surface, impact and dent resistance, laminate flooring can be installed over many different types of subfloors and on all grade levels, making it a versatile flooring choice. Installing laminate floors can be used in any room in the house and in most commercial areas as long as they are flat and in solid condition. Installing laminate floors can be done over concrete, wood, ceramic tile and even your existing linoleum floor. Even though laminate floors can be installed in any room in the house, they should not be installed in garages or on outside porches. The biggest reason for this is moisture. Moisture and laminate floors do not mix. On a scale from one to ten, installing laminate flooring requires a skill level of about a four. The most challenging part of the installation process will be clearing your schedule for a couple of hours. The easy to follow instructions and simplified interlocking clicking system mean that most do-it-yourselfers will be able to install an entire floor in one afternoon. A laminated floor that is properly installed, protected and maintained will go a long way to help your laminated floor last as long as your home.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF LAMINATE FLOORING

Laminate Flooring is available in one of 2 types, planks and tiles. Flooring planks can be interlocking or tongue and groove where flooring tiles have tongue and groove edges. There are many different manufactures of laminate flooring and as the laminate flooring producers continue to expand colors, styles and increase quality, the growth of laminate flooring industry will continue.

REASONS TO CHOOSE LAMINATE:

• A laminated floor is tough and durable.
• A laminated floor is chemical resistant and harsh household chemicals and cleaning agents will not harm your laminate flooring surface.
• A laminated floor can resist dropped cigarettes for a time without burning the floor.
• A laminated floor will keep its color or design for years. The surface will not fade even when exposed to direct sunlight.
• A laminated floor is hypoallergenic, it doesn't contain any hazardous PCB's, dioxins, plasticizers or chlorines. It repels dust, dustmites and other allergy causing particles.
• A laminated floor is stain resistant and can be easily cleaned. Cleaning up a spill on a laminated floor is as simple as wiping up the mess. Also, scuff marks can be easily cleaned off a laminated floor.
• Installing a laminated floor is quick and easy. It can be floated over your existing K-3/lino, wood, concrete, tile or even low grade commercial carpet saving value time and expense. There is no need to wait, you can walk on your floor immediately after installation is complete.
• A laminated floor comes in many different designs and colors.
• A laminated floor is easy to care for.

Reasons To Consider Buying Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring has become more popular recently because it is good for the environment and it is very durable. It is a good alternative to hardwood flooring. Bamboo is a kind of grass that grows in Southeast Asia and China. It is not as expensive as other flooring options but it is high in quality.

Flooring professionals are always looking for new materials to offer their customers. These materials need to be durable, affordable and attractive. The professionals are well aware that consumers are looking for flooring that is attractive but that will also stand up to everyday life. Bamboo Flooring fits all of these categories. It is an excellent choice.

Bamboo stalks mature in only three to five years and can grow up to 50 ft. Since bamboo renews itself naturally it is an environmentally friendly alternative to harvesting trees that can take from 50 to 100 years to mature. Even though it is a grass, bamboo grows into a material that is very hard and durable. In addition, bamboo can grow in areas with relatively poor soil, where other crops are impractical. Even after harvesting bamboo will continue to grow vigorously, making it one of the fastest growing plants in the world.

An alternative to hardwood floors for adding value to your home are Bamboo Floors. It provides the same level of hard, durable and attractive flooring as hardwood. It is practical, attractive and brings style into a room. It is becoming easier to find it because it is eco-friendly and in higher demand.

Bamboo flooring is available in colors similar to hardwood. These colors include honey, light wood, dark wood and amber. The darker colors that can be found in bamboo floors are made by using pressure steaming and carbonization. The panels are also able to be arranged in different patterns such as flat grain or vertical.

Installation can be accomplished by gluing, floating or 'secret nailing'. The boards can be glued directly to the subfloor or glued tongue to groove (floating). A secret nail gun can be used to shoot nails at a 45 degree angle through the tongue into the subfloor. It is called secret nailing because the tongue and nail heads are covered by the next board. Pre-finished and unfinished bamboo panels are available and available online through flooring vendors.

Timeless contemporary appeal, and warm, comforting ambiance, are just some of the adjectives used to describe the new bamboo flooring option. It brings added value to your home as well as being reasonably priced, fashionable, durable and environmentally friendly. Being an cheaper alternative to the expensive traditional hardwood floor and easy to maintain, a homeowner looking or shopping for new flooring should seriously consider bamboo.

Prefinished Hardwood Vs. Hardwood Laminate

Hardwood is a better investment as far as longevity goes. It has a more natural and
polished look uch longer. Even after the hardwood has led a rough life there are
options. You can refinish, or just let the personality be apart of the decore.
Hardwood has a look and a feel that even the best laminate can not replicate. But, it
comes at a price. it is about twice the price of laminate.

Twice the price, you say. Good laminate does look great for a long time. It stands up
to "life" very well. There are many options and colors. Installation is a snap (literally)
to install. If you have kids or have dinner parties where women wear the sharp
heels. laminate may be a better choice.

I am always partial to prefinished hardwood. I have installed hardwood laminate
before. I was not impressed with the "feel" and the "clack" that I heard and felt
walking on it. It looked beautiful though.

The best way to choose between prefinished hardwood and hardwood laminate is
how you will use the room slated for installation. The other is price. It is difficult to
tell the best laminate from hardwood.

Sorry, but even given all the information, my choice is still the prefinished
hardwood.

About Hardwood Floors

One of the greatest things you can do for your home is to get hardwood floors, there is something about hardwood floors that makes a house, a feeling that is unique to hardwood floors and if you ever visited a house that had these kind of floors I am almost sure you know what I mean.

Hardwood floors are a great design idea, one of the most significant home improvement tricks in the business and a wonderful way of making a house feel a whole lot like a home. For those of you in the market for a new house this is one thing that you should look for, and if you can not find a house that already has hardwood floors you should think about getting them right away. On the other hand any house that has quality hardwood floors would enjoy a significant increase to its value and the level of interests from the potential buyers, it has been proven that hardwood floors are one of the major house selling features in this market.

The other great thing about hardwood floors is that there is a huge selection of hardwood in the market, this means that you can choose the exact color you want for each room or for the whole house, there is no need to compromise on the looks of the hardwood floors simply because there is such a verity of color and textures that almost anyone can find what is best for him or her house.

A good quality hardwood flooring will serve a house for many years, it creates a perfect setting for a nice and warm house, the hardwood is certainly for those who like to build their house as a warm and friendly place, wood furniture and warm colored walls will make a house with hardwood floors look right at any time and for any propose, the only question is on what shade of wood will the home owner go.

The advantages of having a hardwood floor is that it is relatively easy to clean and that in the last few years there have been a lot of cleaning products that have been developed exclusively for cleaning hardwood, it is also true that natural wood will collect less dirt and dust than other materials so the mere fact of having hardwood will keep the house a little cleaner, and making your life a little easier if you have kids and you worry about the air quality in your house and dust levels in the kids rooms.

For those in the market for a new hardwood flooring there are a few basic questions they will need to think about, the costs are an important part of hardwood floors and the whole design that comes with them is also an issue and maintenance is not such a big deal. Only one thing is sure, if you get quality hardwood floors you will enjoy a unique feature and in a very short time you will not understand how you could have lived in a space that had no wood floors.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring: A Problem Free Hardwood Alternative

Simply because of their dimensions, your room’s walls and floor are its most noticeable features. And one of the quickest ways to rejuvenate a tired room is to change its floor. While carpeting or area rugs are a great way to introduce color and textural interest to your floor, engineered hardwood flooring is another.

You may have been an admirer of the appearance of hardwood flooring, but steered away from it after hearing tales of the way it expands and shrinks in warm and cold weather, and how it may warp in damp climates. Relax, because the construction of engineered hardwood flooring immunizes it against such shortcomings.

What Is Engineered Hardwood Flooring?

Engineered hardwood flooring is composed of a hardwood “wear layer”, from 1/16” to 3/16” thick, laminated or glued to plywood. The plywood backing is assembled in a crossing pattern, usually of 3 or 5 plys.

This construction gives the engineered hardwood flooring both additional stability and resistance to climactic changes. It also allows engineered hardwood flooring to be used on a below-grade or concrete sub flooring, because it is the plywood and not the hardwood which is in contact with the sub-floor. That concrete basement floor can finally get a bit of class!

Just like solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood flooring cam be sanded and stained or varnished. It is available in the same widths and thicknesses as regular hardwood, in wither plank or strip style floorboards. Some engineered hardwood flooring is even designed with a snap tongue and groove to simplify its installation.

Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered hardwood flooring can either be floated, meaning it is not actually glued to the sub-floor; it can also be stapled, nailed, or glued. Its price per square foot is similar to that of regular hardwood, but its installation costs are significantly less, averaging about $1.75 per square foot. The lower installation cost is a result of the flatness, and excellent grain and color match of engineered hardwood flooring boards.

The advantages of 12mm laminate flooring

A. The thickness is especially suitable for the the purpose of hardwood like appearances. The dimensions for the relevant finishes are as follows: pressed or painted V groove(807*126*12mm, 807*90*12mm, 805*143*12mm,), mould pressed finish(807*126*12mm, 807*143*12mm, 807*163*12mm), square shape(600*600*12mm, 500*500*12mm), UV-shine(1214*143*12.3mm, 1214*163*12.3mm) and hand scraped surface(807*163*12mm, 807*143*12.3mm).

B. 12mm laminate flooring is not easy to be curving due its thickness. So customers will not require thicker laminate flooring such as 14mm to avoid higher prices.

C. The 12mm thickness can reduce much noise and it is more press resistant due to its thickness.

D. Its shape is like hardwood plank but the prices are much cheaper than that of hardwood. The price difference is often 3 times or even more. What’s more it is much more wear resistant and easy to install and care.

Bathroom Flooring

Flooring is an important aspect for any room. When we select bathroom flooring, we have to take many things into consideration like if it is durable, will it look clean and nice, will it be easy to maintain, and will it be able to stand moisture. We have many options to choose from like Ceramic Tile, Sheet or tile vinyl, Stone, Engineered Wood, Laminate flooring, Solid hardwood and Carpet, among all these options, ceramic tile is the first choice for any person. It has got a rich, textured solid feeling like a stone. It is water proof, easy to cleanup, various design and color to select from. You can also go for octagonal or hexagonal shape to select from. Though it is expensive but you can also select ceramic tiles which looks alike stone. A Mosaic tile which is widely used comes in plastic mesh sheets which are pre-mounted so this reduces to individually set them up. Its disadvantage is it is cold like stone, slippery though you can texture it to avoid being slippery. Second is a sheet or vinyl tile which has thousands of style option and is very easy to install. Vinyl tiles disadvantage is that is tends to come out after a while. We can go for sheet vinyl to avoid that but its difficult to install though it comes at lower price range. The next option for flooring is stone. You can select from marble, limestone, granite, it doesn’t have moisture problem. It has its own drawbacks like it is most expensive, cold, and slippery. The fourth option is engineered wood. It holds up great against moisture and it looks really beautiful as its top layer is rely wood. You can say one of the best options as bathroom floor. The fifth option is laminate flooring which is better than solid hardwood because laminate flooring is no more than resin-impregnated paper atop a wood chip base. The laminate plank’s surface is actually a photograph the wood it is simulating: oak, cherry, slate, marble. And above that is wear layer which is very strong and is actually a melamine. For example DuPont RealTouch, and they promise the warranty of 30 years as the seams are glued together, and it will be difficult to get it affected by moisture. It is very easy to clean but by any chance if moisture gets in contact then all the flooring will have to tear out. The next option is sold hardwood; it looks great and gives warm feeling but again moisture if big drawback, while installing one has to make sure that there is no moisture in the gaps. The last option is carpet which people generally don’t prefer as the moisture and carpet doesn’t go well.