Long-lasting, hypoallergenic, and also convenient to clean, it’s no surprise hardwood flooring is so preferred, however, selecting the most appropriate wood for your house is a bit more difficult than just picking one you prefer and slapping it down.
Lifestyle. Regardless of whether yours is an active family with children and also pets or perhaps you are single and then out many of the day will figure out the kind of hardwood and also finish which will be best for your house. A high-traffic household, for instance, will benefit from a matte finish with a burned out or even wire-brushed look, which can disguise scratches and dents more than a high-sheen or maybe clear grain wood.
Kind of wood. You will have two choices with regards to hardwood. Solid wood, the thick planks most of us think of as hardwood or perhaps engineered wood. Engineered wood is made up of a layer of solid wood on top of multiple layers of plywood.
Engineered is much more stable in an environment in which there’s moisture such as a basement, however, the top layer is similar (as solid wood), which means it is possible to sand down an engineered floor in the same way you sand a solid wood floor.
High-quality engineered flooring appears similar to solid wood, however with one advantage — its size adaptability.
If you love the stylish look of wider planks, your very best bet is engineered wood because of its stability. Due to the fact, each layer in engineered wood is laid at a 90-degree angle, the wood does not have any room to expand, which means it won’t buckle. Engineered flooring is recommended for anything wider than four inches.
Location. Solid wood is not advised for below-grade floors because wood is quickly damaged by moisture which comes up through the ground. Engineered wood is recommended for basements — it may be installed on a concrete slab floor.
Above-ground floors may have the most flexibility when selecting flooring mainly because both solid and engineered wood can be put up over a plywood area.
Style. Think about cabinets, furniture and also paint colors to be sure the wood won’t conflict with these design elements. In case you have a lot of windows, you most likely have enough light to compensate dark floors, however, a darker house might be more suited to a lighter floor to brighten it up.
Cost. Hardwood ranges from $4 to $10 per square foot, despite the fact that it is recommended that budgeting $10 to $15 per square foot to incorporate installation fees.
Get a sample. The final thing you must do is install 1,000 square feet of hardwood according to a sample from a showroom just to find out it clashes with your current cabinets. Always request a sample with your selected stain and finish on it so that you can check it out at home with your decor.
The color frequently changes from the store to your house as lighting varies between them. Make sure to check out the flooring both in the daytime and in the evening to be sure you have the color you want.
