Changing Floors, Consider Hardwood Flooring

Changing Floors, Consider Hardwood
Flooring

Table of contents
Changing Floors, Consider Hardwood Flooring
Difference between Solid Hardwood Flooring and Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Solid Hardwood Flooring
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Why choose unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring
Styles of Hardwood Flooring

Changing Floors, Consider Hardwood Flooring
You can never go wrong with hardwood floors. Hardwood floors give your floors a
captivating and a natural look no matter your décor style. The best thing about wood floors
is that they are durable and renewable too. Hardwood flooring can be installed in all the
rooms except for the basement and kitchen. You have to first consult with your
constructors.

Five hardwood species are commonly used for residential flooring in Canada. These are:
• Oak- This species is very common. People like it because of its warm tone of colours. This
hardwood has a swirled grain pattern which can match with different décor styles.
• Walnut–Walnut hardwood is the most sophisticated choice. The specie has a large grain
pattern.
• Cherry – This hardwood is a bit softer than other hardwoods. It has natural swirling grain
patterns.
• Maple – Maple hardwood is very durable and can be installed to any rooms. The wood has a
fine pattern that has a few dark specks that makes it even more attractive.
• Hickory – Hickory hardwood is mostly used for gymnasium floors in schools.

Hardwood floors come in different types, colours, style and grains to fit individual
preferences and décor design.
Before we discuss the hardwood species, it's important to know the types of hardwood
floors and their advantages and disadvantages.
The types of hardwood floors are:
• Solid Hardwood Flooring
• Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Difference between Solid Hardwood Flooring and Engineered
Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwoods are milled from single species of wood. Engineered hardwood is made
from multi-layers of wood, and then the top is a veneer made from different species of
wood.

Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood flooring has been in existence for a very long time. The floors made of
solid hardwood can be refinished severally. Hence they are very durable. However, solid
hardwood floors are not ideal for areas that have moisture because it will cause the wood
to warp.
Previously, solid hardwood flooring used to be installed in an unfinished state, but
nowadays the planks come pre-finished with a coat that protects the planks.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring
This hardwood flooring is also referred to as the "floating floor". Engineered Hardwood
planks can be installed over any kind of floors. The planks of the engineered hardwood are
simply snapped together with the help of grooves found on their sides.

Engineer flooring can withstand a lot of humidity and moisture so you can use it in the
basement or the kitchen. Just like the solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood
flooring can be refinished provided the layer is thick. Most manufacturers claim that their
engineered hardwood can be refinished twice, but in most cases, the engineered
hardwood seemed not to hold the refinishing.
Engineered hardwood flooring usually comes pre-finished, so you just purchase the planks
once they're installed you’re done.

Why choose unfinished Hardwood Flooring
Advantages
• Smooth –It’s very easy to smoothen unfinished hardwood flooring. To do this,
you install the hardwood flooring then sand it to get your desired
smoothness.
• Customized - Unfinished hardwood flooring is good because it allows you to
customize it to fit your needs. You can decide to colour it to your desired
colour.
• Cheap – The cost of unfinished hardwood flooring is cheaper compared to
pre-finished hardwood floors.

Disadvantages
• Expensive: The cost of installing unfinished hardwood floors can be costly, especially
when you call professionals to do the job because they will install and finish the
flooring. This option, therefore, seems expensive than pre-finished hardwood
flooring.
• Time Consuming: Installing unfinished hardwood floors is time-consuming because
the process involves installation, sanding and polishing/finishing. This process cannot
be completed in one day.
• Harmful: When sanding the floors, toxic fumes can be produced which are harmful
to your health.

Pre-Finished Hardwood Flooring
With pre-finished, your choice of colours is limited. It's hard to customize the
colour of these planks to march your décor. Pre-finished hardwood floors are a bit
expensive, but their installation costs are not high. These hardwood floors come
with warranties.
Now that we've discussed the types of hardwood it’s time we take you through the
styles of hardwood flooring.

Styles of Hardwood Flooring
Hand –Scraped floors
Hand-scraped floors are the most common kind of wood flooring in this era. So
many people go for this style. It has a urethane finish which makes this style very
durable.
Wire Brushed Floors
Just like the hand-scraped style, wire-brushed wood has a urethane finish which
makes it durable and beautiful.

Plank Flooring
Plank flooring style is stripped, and a bit wider and is used to create a rustic and
historic look.
Strip Flooring
This flooring comes with stripes which bring a traditional appearance, and it also
gives the illusion of a bigger space.

Now that you have an idea of what hardwood flooring is and the types and styles
ensure that you choose a kind of hardwood flooring that fits your interior décor.
Identify the type of wood that interests you or visit a local store to get guidance in
making choices.

Contact details
LV Flooring
Address: 5050 Dufferin St #101, North York, ON M3H 5T5, Canada
Phone: Main Line: (416) 665-5645
Secondary Line: (647) 728-1111
Email: info@lvflooring.ca
Website: https://lvflooring.ca/