Are Solid Hardwood Floors Right for Your Home?

Have you ever been somewhere and seen beautiful hardwood floors that someone laid on a concrete slab or in a basement? They were a mess, weren’t they? That’s because wood soaks in moisture, and both of these situations involved damp places. When the moisture dries up, it leaves horrible gaps between the floor boards which appear in the winter when the wood contracts. The gaps disappear in the warmer summer months, but the moisture problem is still there to cause more damage.

Now you know that you should never lay solid hardwood floors in damp areas, and you should also realize that you need to allow for a little space so that the floors can expand and contract. You’ll find, though, that there’s a whole lot more you need to know about hardwood floors. For example, the wood used for most hardwood flooring is either ash, maple, red oak, or white oak.

There are three different categories of solid hardwood floorings. The different types are:
- Strip flooring which is between 5/16" and ¾" thick. It is available in widths of 1 ½", 2", and 2 ¼".
- Plank flooring is sold in two different thicknesses and can be between 3" and 8" side.
- Parquet floors are made up in patterns using wood slats.

When you talk about a hand-scraped hardwood floor, you’re actually talking about a floor that was crafted by hand. The process used to make the flooring leaves it with very distinctive markings. These floors look great as part of a modern world look or if you want the look of old, reclaimed wood. When you buy this type of flooring, read the labels. Even though it’s known as hand-scraped, you will also find engineered versions on the market.

Real solid hardwood hand-scraped floors are very expensive. The engineered floors are best-suited for concrete slabs and high humidity. Some companies also manufacture what is known as distressed flooring which is designed to resemble hand-scraped flooring by adding markings to the wood. Distressed floors aren’t as expensive and hand-scraped floors, but they do have somewhat of the same rich look the more costly hand-scraped ones have.

Maintaining Solid Hardwood Floors

Each flooring manufacturer will include cleaning instructions with the flooring. Only use the recommended products when cleaning the floor. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt, mud, grit, and stones that can mar the finish. This kind of floor needs to be protected by having a doormat at each door. In addition, when you purchase new furniture items, stay away from pieces with sharp metal or wood legs which might scratch or dent your floor.

You can use furniture coasters or some other type of protector under furniture legs to avoid scratching. There are also wide rubber cups that will not stain the floors available for use on heavy items, like pianos. You can’t fix a hardwood floor by applying a coat of paste wax, either, because all that will do is damage the floor. If something gets spilled on your floor, use a paper towel or a soft damp cloth to clean and dry it right away. These kinds of floors are kind of touchy to keep looking nice, but you can’t beat the way they make your room look.

Are you looking to find out more about refinishing hardwood floors? Refinished Hardwood can also help you with information on installing hardwood on a concrete floor and removing dark stains from hardwood floors.