Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are truly a sign of elegance and beauty.  Hardwood floors provide warmth, luxury and grandeur to any home. There are many other benefits of hardwood floors as well, such as the cost value they add to your home, their simple care and cleaning, their great style coupled with durability and as always, they're a natural and a safe flooring choice for the environment. 

 

The hardwood floor selecting process can be a bit overwhelming though.  Experts state that the selecting process for your home or office is simply a matter of knowing the facts, comparing the types and prices, and selecting a reputable wood flooring professional to install your new floor.  There are many factors to consider when shopping for types and materials.  The looks, feel, color, and even the sound of real hardwood are important to the choosing process. 

 

Everyone knows the longevity that these floors have. They can be refinished several times and they will look like a new one. Hardwood floors will last a lifetime, and also will be the investment of a lifetime.  Certainly hardwood floors will stand up to the demands of everyday life due to their durability.  Many people believe flooring such as laminate, cork, vinyl and tile just can’t hold a candle to the beauty and authenticity of hardwood floors. 

 

There are three types of hardwood floors: solid, engineered, and acrylic impregnated.  Solid simply means solid constructed.  Engineered means products constructed in various layers with graining alternating in various directions.  Acrylic impregnated is wood injected with an acrylic material resulting in a very hard and durable hardwood flooring choice.  There are also three styles of hardwood floors:  strip, plank, and parquet.  Strip is hardwood flooring with a lineal tongue and groove construction that comes solid or engineered, unfinished or prefinished. Plank is the same as strip except in comes in varying widths.  Parquet is hardwood flooring that is pieces of wood constructed into a pattern or design, most often geometric in nature. 

         Experts also agree there are certain things you should remember when setting out to choose a hardwood floor for your living or work area.  First it is always important to set a budget.  Remember, if the price sounds too good to be true, it’s most likely of lesser quality.  Choose a wood floor according to the rooms use – many types of wood are more suitable for a certain room than others.  Next, choose a style or design to match or compliment the room’s décor.  Nowadays experts suggest picking a floor shade that is opposite the color of furniture in the room to avoid a serious clash.  Choose a wood floor product with proper finish that can handle the traffic for that specific area/room in your home.  And lastly, and probably the most important factor, is to always use a professional wood floor contractor.  There are many technical concerns that can adversely effect or compromise the life of your beautiful new wood flooring.