Quick 101 on Hardwood Floors

Installing new hardwood floors can be somewhat overwhelming considering you’re selecting from a wide range of colour, type of wood, finishes, costs, looks, etc.…

I’d like to take the opportunity to guide you towards the basics of selecting a hardwood floor.

We already know hardwood floors are very durable but did you know that there are only 2 types of wood flooring? Solid hardwood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring.  The difference is solid hardwood flooring is milled of solid wood logs and engineered wood flooring is made of layers of plywood and composite materials than surfaced with a solid hardwood.

Having said this, keep in mind that solid hardwood flooring is subject to expand and contract depending on a home’s humidity level. The engineered flooring, due to it’s multi layers, can handle your home’s different humidity levels much better. Engineered flooring is ideal for areas and regions with high humidity.

In the flooring market, various types of woods are available. The harder the type, the more durable it is. The softer the wood, the more easily it can be scratched and damaged.

I suggest you visit a flooring specialist to see what’s available to you. They can show you the various selections that will fit your home décor as well as take into consideration the type of usage that your floor will experience (be sure to mention if you have pets). The styles and finishes are really a personal choice and there is an almost endless selection.

One small advice, protect your floor. Any thing can happen to that brand-new floor, so be pro active! I learned my lesson the hard way years ago. The floor was only one month old, no floor protectors, moved a piece of furniture, made a very visible scratch on the floor. The cost to fix that scratch depending on the coating you go with can be astronomical as sometimes there are no easy fixes. Keep that in mind. Protect that floor!