So you’re redoing your flooring, and you’ve made THE crucial decision. Out of all the possible options, you know in your heart of hearts nothing will make you as happy as wood flooring! Hooray, decision made! Until you start shopping for that wood, that is. There are so many different options out there and without a set of guidelines it can be overwhelming to the point of feeling as though you’re starting back at square one. We’re here to help make life easier – at least when it comes to flooring.
First up, the ever-popular Hardwood floor. A classic look, popular in many homes, be they urban digs or country escapes. They’re also a smart choice if you know you’ve got the redesign bug – as you can keep treating them usually up to 5 times, talk about life expectancy.
Engineered wood (Plywood with a top Hardwood layer) is also good if the natural look and feel of wood is what you’re hoping to attain, possibly at less cost. They also withstand treatments, but only 2 or 3 at the outside.
Other options in the world of wood – Bamboo! This funky flooring element can spice up any living space, and is green to boot as it is technically a grass that replenishes itself every four years – much less time than most trees. Plus it’s strong – at least as strong as Red Maple, and that’s saying something.
Your final option – Laminates! Clear plastic wear layer over a decorative layer backed up with a hard board core. Pretreated, they still maintain that luscious look of wood, but without the necessary maintenance of other flooring options.
When settling on one of these options, the things you ought to take into consideration are Budget, Traffic, and Style. The first and the latter are things that are fairly self-explanatory. If you’re broke, you might have to sacrifice when it comes to wood quality – but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a look for your floor that works for you. Traffic isn’t something we often think about. However, if you’ve got dozens of people coming in and out of your space daily, you might want to avoid something softer and untreated, and go with a heartier option.
(Courtesy of HowStuffWorks.com)
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Posted by admin at 1 May, 2009
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Selecting the perfect hardwood floor requires just a quick look around the house.
Got Dogs? A pre-finished with aluminum oxicde.
Cats? Cats do well on all floors including laminate.
Kids? I’d stick with solid or engineered wood floors.
If you are installing flooring in narrow or high traffic areas then I’de recommend solid flooring. a 3/4′ solid floor can be professionally sanded 5-6 times throughout its lifetime and will take abuse much better.
Thank you so much for the info!!
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