Choosing Hardwood Flooring

Choosing what type of wood floors best suit you home is an important decision. The 3 main types of hardwood floors are: solid wood – engineered wood – acrylic impregnated flooring. When choosing your flooring you should keep in mind that solid hardwoods may require more upkeep than engineered wood flooring, but they can be re-sand and refinished.

 

Solid wood flooring comes in unfinished and pre-finished  the difference is that unfinished floors need to be installed, sanded, stained and sealed. Pre-finished wood floors just have to be installed; they have been finished at the factory. Three main types:

 

Solid wood:

 

            Strip flooring – has a set width, from 1 ½, 2 and 2 ¼ inches

            Plank flooring – comes in 2 thicknesses, but is available in widths from 3 to 8 inches

            Parquet flooring – made up of geometrical patterns composed of individual wood slats

 

Engineered wood flooring is produced by adhering layers of plastic laminate veneer with real wood. (You should not confuse engineered wood flooring with laminate flooring; there is no actual wood in laminate flooring.)

 

Acrylic-impregnated wood flooring is infused with color and sealant throughout the thickness of the wood, so the finish is actually all the way through the wood. (Mostly used commercially)