Types of Wood Flooring

Wood flooring includes any type of product that is manufactured from wood or timber and it is designed to be used for flooring. It is a common type of flooring which can be used for structural benefits or to add aesthetics. Wood flooring comes in various shapes, colors, species, and styles.

Types of wood flooring

You can never go wrong with this type of flooring because wood has a natural and unmatched type of beauty which can go with any type of décor i.e. official, traditional, casual, country etc. They can also be used in any type of room e.g. living rooms, kitchens, offices, basement among others.

1. Solid Wood Flooring
The floor planks of solid wood flooring are manufactured from one piece of wood and they normally measure between 18 and 20 mm in thickness. Its boards are usually made of grooves and tongues so that they can perfectly fit together during the installation process. The timber species used in this type of flooring determines the hardness of the floor. Using wood from harder tree species means that the floor will be less susceptible to scratches and dings. Sometimes the floor may be refinished or sanded several times in order to restore the original beauty.

Solid hardwood flooring offers an amazing way of adding more visual appeal in your house or office. Even if you are planning to put your property on market, it helps to add value. Installation of this floor type should be done with great care because the wood might swell when it is exposed to moisture and contract in size as it dries up.

2. Engineered Wood Flooring
It consists two, three or more layers of wood which are glued together resulting into a thick plank. In engineered wood flooring, real wood of around 4 mm thick is placed at the top surface so that it can be sanded and also re-finished to remove any wear, tear or damage. The stability of this type of flooring is achieved by placing each wood layer at a right angle to the above layer. They come in a wide range of styles and they match different types of décor. It is less expensive than the solid wood floor but less attractive compared to laminate flooring. Engineered wood flooring comes in categories such as:

• Veneering flooring which uses a thin wood layer, usually a composite product of wood, to cover its core.

• Timber wood floor which is made by using various sawn wood layers. Note that most types of engineered-wood flooring fall into this category. Composite woods like HDF, rotary-peeled-veneer, and plastic aren’t used in their construction.

• Impregnated Acrylic Wood Flooring is basically an engineered wood flooring which has been impregnated with the liquid-acrylic and then it’s hardened by the proprietary process.

3. Bamboo Wood Flooring
It is made from the bamboo stalks which are common in Asian countries. Bamboo Wood Flooring comes from a tropical grass and unlike wood from trees, it’s not affected by moisture. The bamboo stalks are pressed together under very high pressure to produce the bamboo wood.

If you are looking for a wood flooring that is environmentally friendly, bamboo wood is the best choice to go for. The plant usually grows very fast and compared to hardwood trees, it takes a short time to regrow. It’s a durable and soft type of flooring although it is very brittle.

4. The Cork Flooring 
Cork wood flooring is made from the barks of the cork-oak trees. It is an environmentally friendly type of wood floor because the cork is a renewable and sustainable resource. The beauty of its material suits a wide range of décor. Cork flooring is used in areas where most people tend to place their feet for long periods of time because its structure is soft hence it provides comfort. It also helps to reduce noise that comes from dropped items or traffic. Its natural properties make it hypo-allergenic and it’s also resistant to damaging insects.

5. Laminate Flooring
It is made by compressing fiber-board planks together and then adding a photographic wood, tile or stone image at the top as the cover. A protective coat is also added to protect the laminate.

As much as wood floors can increase your home’s or office’s beauty and make it warm, some of the things that you should consider before installing it are:

• The type of wood species to be used. Different types of wood species each have unique characteristics. For example, maple is light in weight, cork oak is heavy. They also have different kinds of grain variation.

• The price because not every type of wood that is expensive has very high quality. The bamboo type of wood flooring is one of the most expensive but it is soft and brittle and it can only support a certain amount of weight.

• Maintenance and repair. Various types of timber require certain forms of maintenance and different methods of repair are used to restore the wood’s natural grandeur.

• Consider the color of the room and the type of furniture you have before selecting a wood flooring shade that suits your office’s or house’s motif.

• The type of installation and finishing required because some wood floorings require tongue and groove, the glued-down method, floating, floor connection or nailed down installation. Compared to solid, engineered wood flooring are very easy to install. You can use a natural finishing by using varnishes or shellacs; oil finishing or the polyurethane finishing.

The best type of wood floors is usually made from wood species that are durable and appealing. Maple flooring, cherry flooring, and oak flooring are some of the best choices. Other great choices include bamboo, mahogany, ash, and walnut and if you need a premium exotic choice, you can have mesquite, Jarrah or Elgon teak although they are very expensive. Getting to know the different characteristics of various types of wood flooring will help you to make the right choice and you will end up choosing a wood flooring type that suits your décor, location and also budget.