The image of hardwood flooring evokes a sense of charm and richness that can never be experienced with any other. Unless you know what exactly you want, selecting the best hardwood flooring can indeed be a very daunting task. Since this is a huge investment, some factors have to be taken into account before finding the perfect flooring.
Things to consider while buying a hardwood floor:
- Solid Vs. Engineered: The solid hardwood flooring is made up of a single, solid piece of wood. These are ideal for living and bedrooms or any place that is above ground and the thickness of them can vary from ¾ inches to5/16 inches. The main advantage of using this it can be refinished as many times as required. In contrast the engineered wood flooring uses multiple layers and is ideal for basements.
- Factory finished or site-finished: This selection is completely based on personal preferences. In factory finished type, the finishing is directly applied in the factory itself and though you cannot achieve a customization as per your needs, this minimizes the noise and dust that is involved during an installation process.
- Living habits and style of home: The living habits of the inhabitants of the house determines the placement of the hardwood floorings. If you have a lot of kids or pets that leads to a high-traffic house, its best to go for harder wood such as red oak. This can withstand wear and tear. It’s important to keep pet’s nails trimmed in order to avoid scratches. Preventive care and proper maintenance can keep your wooden flooring in great condition. Coming to styles, if your house is modern, nature maple can be used. Maple is inspired by Norwegian design. Grey colored stained oak boards also create a modern look. If your house is traditional, make use of hickory. The boards here are likely to have knots and more wide planks.
Cost involved in using hardwood floors:
If budget is the important concern for you, normal oak flooring of different colors can be selected. They start at around $3 per square foot. Also staining the woods might cost more. Oil finishes are more in trend than matte finish. While the initial investment is higher, in the long run it is more economical to use oil stained floors and can be taken as a best hardwood flooring option. The broadness of the veneer on wooden floors how often it can be sanded down. Engineered hardwood can become difficult to repair when they are damaged and there it is cheaper to use solid hardwood planks.