Products: Hardwood
Wood floors are timeless. They add value to a home, and a beauty that is both warm and inviting. Its natural look and feel enhances a room's furnishings and decor. They are durable, affordable and can last for many generations.
There are two main types of hardwood flooring available for home installation - solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring.
Solid Wood Flooring - wood pieces that are nailed to a home's sub-floor. Usually installed on the main and upper floors of a house, and not on home-basements.
Engineered Wood Flooring - each piece installed consists of several thin layers pressed together. The layers keep each wood piece stable at high-humidity level areas of the home - such as basements, utility rooms, and kitchens.
Your wood floors come from different breeds of trees - from Brazilian cherry to Tigerwood, American Maple to the Classic Oak. Each breed of tree will determine the look and texture of your wood floors. These pieces are stained in different wood shades to match the specific room decors of your home.
Each type of wood has its own hardness level, which determines its volatility to scratching, denting, and aging. Here is an example:
Based on the Janka Hardness Scale:
The widths of individual boards have a significant influence on the look of your hardwood floor. When selecting a type of hardwood, go for the look and width that best suits the style and architecture of your home.
Widths
Wide width boards, which are called planks, can complement a large room, but can overwhelm a small area. Strips, which are narrower than planks, add length to a tight-feeling room.
Gloss
Hardwood floors also come with different gloss levels. Depending on the look you desire, low and high gloss boards can complement or go against your room's furnishings.
Low gloss tends to hide the appearance of minor surface scratches, while higher gloss floors can make such scratches much more obvious to the eye. Gloss does not affect the durability and performance of wood.
Each wood plank installed on your floor has multiple layers of protective coating on the surface. A mixture of aluminum oxide and polyurethane protects your wood floors from scratches, dings, and stains.
Like all things, wood needs to be cleaned and cared for to have it last for generations. Fortunately, wood floors require only little maintenance to preserve its beauty and shape.
Tips on How to Care for Your Hardwood Floors:
- Do not wet mop a wood floor
- Do not vacuum with a beater bar
- Use doormats to prevent dirt and grit from getting into your floors
- Use area rugs under roller chairs
- Place a rug in front of your sink to prevent damaging spills
