So you have decided to go with hardwood flooring at your home. Easy enough, right? No it’s not, unless you have some know-how of the wood flooring. But don’t worry, this is what we are going to help you with in our today’s read.
There are tons of factors that will determine what kind of wood floor would be perfect for your home. You will have to go for not just the aesthetics but also for other factors like durability, affordability, etc.
The first thing you need to know is the wood flooring options available. The two most famous types are the engineered wood and solid wood. Engineered wood is treated with a veneer layers that sits on the top of a plywood, so basically it’s not wood entirely, but it provides some added protection, shine, and lots of customisable designs. The other one is the solid wood which is simply thick, solid planks of hardwood. Engineered wood is more suitable if you are living in a place with too much moisture. But above all, the construction of your subfloor will determine what kind of wood you can use for the flooring.
We have a few important tips and tricks that you can make use of. Have a look:
Know where the wood will be going
Installing a hardwood in a basement is much different from doing so on a second story. The basement is known as below grade, while the floor on the ground level is considered on grade. The floor above any the ground floor is called above grade. Where you are going to install the wood will determine what kind of floor options you will have.
For example, you can’t use solid wood for below grade because of the moisture, so engineered wood is recommend for that.
Know the subfloor type
You need to know the kind of subfloor you have. There are three common types of subfloors, and they are: plywood, concrete slab and particleboard. So this will also determine if you can install the solid wood or if you have to go with engineered wood.
For those who have a concrete slab floor, they can only resort to engineered wood. But don’t fret, because you can get every kind of wood in an engineered format. The thickness on the veneer wood also varies, so if you want to give your floor the look of solid wood flooring, go for thicker engineered wood.
There is another way you can use the solid wood flooring on a concrete slab by installing a plywood layer. But this would mean additional cost to your flooring plans. But if you are really looking forward to wood flooring, this is your only choice.
Know your living habits
To decide on the type of the wood also depends on how you plan to use or abuse the floors. If you are a person with pets at home or do you have larges parties quite often, go for harder wood, because it’s more durable.
