The type of hardwood flooring you choose has a significant impact on the feel, look, and use of each room. Hardwood floor is easy to clean, durable, and elevates your property value. Whether you are moving to your new home or renovating the current one, FMH flooring will deliver high-quality flooring materials at competitive prices. AFH has made a name in supplying hardwood floors in the North Georgia mountains region. Living near a beach, owning pets, or having a smaller space will determine the type of flooring material you choose. This guide will help you choose the right hardwood floor.
Types of Hardwood Floor
There are two main types of hardwood floor known as engineered hardwood and solid hardwood. Both types of hardwood floors have merits and demerits based on the foot traffic of where they will be installed and where your house is located.
As the name suggests, solid hardwood is made of solid wood planks. Most of them are ¾inch thick, meaning that they are easy to install and replace.
On the other hand, engineering hardwood is made of factory manufactured wood. Each planks’ top and bottom layers are made of natural wood but from various species. The middle layers consist of five or seven layers of manufactured plywood, making them dense and resilient.
Selecting the Best Hardwood Floor
You are thinking of contacting the wholesale specialty hardwood flooring dealers, but you don’t know the suitable hardwood flooring material for your home. The following are the factors that determine the best hardwood floor for you.
Hardness
For floors subjected to high traffic of people, it is imperative to choose the most hardened hardwood floor. Additionally, if you have small kids and pets at home, you will also need the hardest species. Hard species are more resistant to wear and tear. On the contrary, soft species sustain scratches after coming into contact with a sharp object. In this category, the choice between solid and engineered hardwood is likely to be dictated by the subfloor, location, and chosen installation method.
Wood Species
Hardwood species have different grain patterns, durability, and color. The hardest species are oak, cherry, and maple. Species that have striking appearances such as Brazilian cherry and mahogany aren’t much durable.
Texture
Hardwood species vary in texture, some have a shiny appearance while others have an antique appearance and adds a timeworn character on the surface of your room. Most hardwoods give your floor a timeworn appearance for a short time after installation and then fades overtime.
Color
Hardwood floors come in an array of colors. The colors range from black to blond, depending on the finish and species.
Finish
Besides protecting the surface, hardwood floor can be used to achieve a particular color and luster. Most hardwoods are prefinished, which makes installation easier and eliminates chemical fumes, dust, and waiting time. However, prefinished hardwood floor is less durable compared to site finished floor. Wholesale specialty hardwood flooring dealers have both the prefinished and site finished hardwood. It is prudent to note that site finished floors are more comfortable to repair.
Each type of hardwood floor has its strength and weaknesses, whatever type of hardwood you choose, maintain it well to prolong its lifespan.