Types of Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring adds an air of class to residential interiors and offices, and is looked upon as a flooring option that gives a sense of permanence to the interiors. Hardwood flooring has been used since a long time, and is a popular choice due to its practical and decorative nature. The most attractive feature about hardwood flooring is the large variety in terms of surface, species, finish and stain. This flooring gives a unique effect to the interior, thereby enhancing the beauty of the house.

Hardwood Floor Types

Unfinished Hardwood Flooring
This type of hardwood comprises hardwood without the final finishing processes done, such as sanding, staining, buffing and coating. Unfinished hardwood flooring requires a lot of finishing touches to be added by the user. However, they are useful to constructors who plan to sell apartments. The future buyers would prefer unfinished flooring so that they can choose the color and the type of polish they desire. This eliminates the need to replace the entire flooring. Moreover, all the minute gaps between the hardwood flooring boards can be sealed at the time of finishing. This sealing provides extra protection against moisture, hence the extra effort is well worth it!

Pre-finished Hardwood Flooring
This type of flooring is the most common type found in stores. It is known for its finished and ready to install feature. Compared to the unfinished type, this type does not require any buffing or coating, and saves time and energy in doing so. This flooring is a better, convenient and cheaper means of getting new flooring for the house.

Solid Hardwood Flooring
Made from milled hardwood floor planks, this type of flooring comprises wooden planks that are generally 3/4" thick. These planks are cut in the form of a solid block from the tree itself. The blocks are then sawed to form solid flooring planks. White Oak, Red Oak, Maple and Ash are the most common North American hardwood species. Solid hardwood flooring is also available in many exotic wood species like Australian Cypress, Brazilian Cherry, Tiger Wood, etc. However Red Oak still remains the most popular wood used for solid hardwood flooring.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring
This type of flooring resembles solid flooring in appearance, however, the difference lies in the construction process. Engineered hardwood floors comprise layers of wood material glued together, instead of the single block of wood in the solid type. The layers (3-5 layers) found in engineered wood provide acoustic isolation, increased protection against moisture, comfort, stability, etc. Thus this type of flooring is suited for moist rooms or basements.

Floating Hardwood Flooring
This type of flooring is actually engineered wood flooring that is floated across several sub-floors, such as Oriented Strand Board (OSB), ceramic tiles, vinyl flooring, dry concrete slabs and other types of flooring. This flooring is not secured directly to the substrate. The tongue and grooved edges of the planks are locked together. The installation can be carried out by either stapling or gluing down of the wood flooring. This type of flooring is not specific to any sub-floor, thus can be installed in areas where traditional hardwood flooring types cannot be installed.

Acrylic Impregnated Hardwood Flooring
This type of flooring is new and thus not very popular. However, this type is actually one of the strongest flooring available today. The most notable feature about this flooring is in the way they are colored. The color and the sealant are infused into the planks of wood and floor strips. This gives the flooring a better vibe and look. Moreover, they also last longer (than engineered wood). It is also resistant to humidity and moisture, and gets scratched less easily.

Parquet Hardwood Flooring
Parquet flooring is popularly used in many up-scale country clubs and large houses. It is also used to make stylish entryways. Parquet is a North American term for geometric mosaic. Wood pieces are arranged in square, triangle, or lozenge (diamond) patterns for decorative effect. These wood pieces are either glued together or nailed down. This flooring, when installed, is known to increase the value of the house! Moreover, it is durable and needs very little maintenance.

Longstrip Wood Flooring
These type of flooring is actually a type of engineered hardwood flooring, and is also referred to as floating wood floors or engineered longstrip planks. Several wood planks are glued together to form this flooring. The center core comprises a softer wood material, used to make the groove and tongue. To form the finish layer, a selected wood species is glued to the top of the soft core. Several small solid wood planks are used to form the finish layer. Longstrip flooring is good for basements and concrete slabs.

Hand Scraped Hardwood Flooring
This type of flooring is hand-crafted. It is made with the help of wood-scraping tools so as to attain an old wood appearance. Unlike in the case of traditional flooring, in this type, each plank is shaped and hand-scraped one at a time. Thus, each plank is unique with its own identity. Moreover, each plank is signed by the craftsman who hand-scraped it. Although very expensive, this flooring gives the house an authentic, stunning look.

Hardwood flooring, if well maintained, can last for many years. A few simple tips for cleaning hardwood floors can help hardwood floors last longer. Avoid using harsh detergents, steel wool or wax based cleaners as they dull the finish of the flooring. If you have no experience in installing hardwood flooring, then it is advisable to hire a professional flooring contractor. This way you will spare yourself of the expensive mistakes that follow the inexperienced. Purchase and installation of hardwood floors is expensive, so make the choice wisely!