Interior designers and builders agree that the first element to consider when beginning to finish a room is flooring, because it sets the mood.
More and more professionals these days are choosing wood flooring over tile and carpeting. What kind of wood should you choose? Beyond the basics of solid hardwood, engineered wood, and reclaimed antique wood, there are many options to choose from. Despite all the options, making the right choice for your tastes and circumstances is easier than it appears. Following are some important factors to consider, as well as advice from the experts.
Which Wood-Flooring Type Should You Choose?
Solid Hardwood: Many shy away from solid hardwood because it expands and contracts and sometimes creaks. But its natural beauty adds value to your home. Further, it can be re-sanded and refinished, so it’ll retain that value.
Engineered Wood Floors: They construct these floors at the factory, gluing together thin sheets of wood and refinishing them. This results in a more stable product than solid wood, because it resists buckling and warping. Whereas solid wood can only be nailed to a subfloor, engineered wood floors (although developed to be glued over concrete) can also be nailed or floated.
Reclaimed Antique Wood: For customers with a unique vision, this is the best flooring option. Reclaimed antique wood is custom made one plank at a time according to customer specifications. This flooring type is especially stable, because it can cut from the center section of a beam.
Finished vs. Unfinished
If you go with solid hardwood flooring, it’s available finished or unfinished. Go with an unfinished option if you want to match an adjacent floor. Then it can be custom stained to blend. Finishing the floor on site will insure a more uniform color and finish. An unfinished wood floor, however, may take several days to install, stain, and finish.
One of the benefits of finished wood, whether solid or engineered, is that it’s factory sanded, stained, and finished, so it’s much easier and quicker to install. You also avoid the mess of sanding and finishing on site. Finished wood is durable and is therefore a great option for high-traffic areas. And don’t forget that it’s less expensive than unfinished wood.
Important Things to Consider
More and more people are installing radiant heating in their homes, where the heat source is under the floor. If this is your heating system, then engineered wood would be a better choice than solid hardwood because of its durability. The National Wood Flooring Association also recommends using quarter-sawn or rift-sawn wood due to the durability factor. According to the NWFA, strip flooring is preferable over plank flooring, since narrow boards expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity less than wide ones.
If you live near the beach, Stoddard recommends an engineered wood. Not only is it scratch-resistant and less likely to be damaged by sand tracked in from the beach, it requires less maintenance. Engineered hardwood flooring is clearly the best option for any interior that’s not environmentally controlled, such as those in cottages, summer homes, or below-grade installations.
Some Simple Design Tips
As you begin to personalize a room, it’s important to pay attention to the understated detail. Use a lighter wood and add a dark border. Or drop in a maple medallion that looks like an area run.
It’s become more and more popular to mix woods from room to room. Dark woods, like walnut and cherry, work well in cozy rooms such as a den or bedroom, but it’s best to choose a lighter, brighter wood, such as maple or birch, for the kitchen.
Darker wood is a better fit for homes that are formal, traditional, or historic, whereas country, casual, and contemporary homes are better suited to lighter woods. Be sure to choose flooring that will complement all your fabrics, furnishings, and accessories.
Current Trends in Wood Flooring
The latest options in the flooring market include hand-scraped wood and “exotics” from far-off lands. Woods such as Brazilian cherry, Santos mahogany, and Amendoim have delightful grains and colors. All are available both in solid hardwood or engineered wood.
Owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboard are increasingly going for the old look and simplicity of woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine. For owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboard, woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine are prized for their old look and simplicity. Lately, dark woods have significantly increased in popularity, with walnut in the greatest demand.
DIY and Maintaining Your Wood Floor
Installing a wood floor yourself is definitely an option. Almost 30 percent of homeowners do it themselves. Anyone who can operate a nail gun and a saw can do it. There are also many resources to help you available online and at your local bookstore.
One of the great thing about wood flooring is that it’s low maintenance. If you keep a step-off mat at any doorway to collect incoming dirt, then a regular schedule of sweeping and vacuuming is all you really need. Clean up any standing water immediately; it should never be left on a wood floor. It’s advisable to keep an extra box of wood in case you need to replace a strip.
Natural hardwoods will survive a household accident much better than laminates and synthetics, since their grain and pattern go all the way through. Scuffs and burns that would be permanent in a synthetic surface can be repaired with relative ease.
Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior decorating and interior flooring community for the past 25 years. He owns and operates a carpet installation company in California. The carry the best in elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. Searching for that perfect carpet rolls for your new town house or carpets roll to remodel your older home? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.
