Wood flooring is any product manufactured from timber that is designed for use as flooring, either structural or aesthetic. Wood is a common choice as a flooring material due to its environmental profile, durability, and restorability, thus it provides value for many homeowners. Such are extensively available in many styles, colours, cuts, and species.
Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood floors are made of planks milled from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood floors were originally used for structural purposes, being installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a building known as joists or bearers. With the increased use of concrete as a subfloor in some parts of the world, engineered wood flooring has gained some popularity. However, solid wood floors are still common and popular. Solid wood floors have a thicker wear surface and can be sanded and finished more times than an engineered wood floor. It is not uncommon for homes in New England, Eastern Canada, and Europe which are several hundred years old to have the original solid wood floor still in use today.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring is composed of two or more layers of wood in the form of a plank. The top layer is the wood that is visible when the flooring is installed and is adhered to the core. The increased stability of engineered wood is achieved by running each layer at a 90° angle to the layer above. This stability makes it a universal product that can be installed over all types of subfloors above, below, or on grade. Engineered wood is the most common type of wood flooring used globally.
The several different categories of engineered wood flooring include:
They do not use rotary-peeled veneer, composite wood (such as HDF), or plastic in their construction.
Laminate and vinyl floors are often confused with engineered wood floors, but are not; laminate uses an image of wood on its surface, while vinyl flooring is plastic formed to look like wood.
Comparison of solid wood with engineered wood
It is difficult to compare solid wood flooring to engineered wood flooring due to the wide range of quality in both product categories, particularly engineered. Solid wood has some limitations. Recommended maximum widths and lengths. It is also more prone to “gapping” (excessive space between planks), “crowning” (convex curving upwards when humidity increases), and “cupping” with increased plank size.
Engineered wood flooring has other benefits beyond dimensional stability and universal use. Patented installation systems allow for faster installation and easy replacement of boards. Engineered wood also allows for a floating installation where the planks are not adhered to the subfloor or to each other, further increasing ease of repair and reducing installation time.
Maintenance
With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft-bristle broom and vacuuming with a soft
floor attachment if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could collect debris. Oil soaps should not be used to clean the floors. The best suggestion is to use the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning products. Excessive grit and foot traffic may affect appearance. A properly finished and maintained wood floor does not accumulate hidden soil or odorous compounds. You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional.