Guide to Choosing and Ordering Wood Flooring

Purchasing a new wooden floor can be quite an investment. Therefore, investing in a new wooden floor is a decision you don’t want to take light-headed. Of course, you can approach the things with no prior organization and preparation and dive into a jungle of options and opportunities, but this will be quite an overwhelming and confusing experience. On another hand, you can approach the situation well-organized and know what you want and what you need for sure before rushing to the showroom. So here we have created a helpful step-by-step guide to how to shop for wood flooring in an organized and efficient manner and ensure a successful purchase.

Engineered Wood Flooring or Solid Wood Flooring

One of the first and most important questions you will have to consider before buying a new floor is choosing between solid wood and engineered wood flooring. There are many factors that will affect this choice, including where you will have the floor installed, the type of subfloor, whether it comes to a domestic or commercial setting, are there any moisture issues, what are your preferences and needs, etc. Facing this dilemma, you need some time and considering the specifics of your home or office and your desires and requirements.

Solid wood floorboards are manufactured from single pieces of timber. They can be made out of a great variety of wood species, depending on your requirements and preferences. Solid wood flooring looks very elegant and classic, adding a lot of charm and classic beauty to every space. They are durable, long-lasting, and hard-wearing, especially if you choose the right finish to make them stronger and well-protected.

However, solid wood floors are very prone to water damages and they don’t have to be exposed on moisture, humidity, temperature fluctuations, otherwise, there is a high risk of serious damages such as breaking, cupping, etc. However, engineered wood flooring is designed to ensure better resistance to moisture, water damages, high traffic, stress. Engineered wood floorboards are made out of real wood, softwood, plywood, and other lumber materials. The engineered wood floorboard is made out of layers that are glued together crisscrossed and then topped with a layer of hardwood lamella that can be manufactured from different wood species, depending on your preferences and requirements. The specific structure of engineered wood flooring allows floorboards to expand and contract, when exposed to excessive moisture, without breaking or getting damaged.

While solid wood floors are a very beautiful and stylish addition to spaces of the house such as the living room or the bedroom. However, engineered wood floors are a better choice for areas, where moisture can be a problem, or where high traffic is expected, such as the kitchen, hallway, even the basement and bathroom, also commercial premises. Also, engineered wood flooring is a good choice for over underfloor heating systems.

Wood Species

Real wood floors can be made out of an impressive variety of domestic and exotic wood species. In general, it is up to you and your preferences what wood species you are going to choose. Different wood species make floors with different density, durability, colours and undertones, texture, pattern, etc. Also, the choice of wood species is highly dependant on your budget. Most of the exotic wood species tend to be more expensive than domestic ones. In general, oak is one of the most popular choices for its durability and long-lasting power, simple yet beautiful appearance, and, of course, reasonable price.

Grade

Wood floorboards are categorized into four different grades, depending on some natural characteristics of the wood species. These four categories are prime, select, natural, and rustic. The four categories do not grade the quality of the wooden floorboards, only some natural specifics of wood such as size and number of knots, colour consistency, the amount of sap, the wood’s natural pattern, etc. Prime grade is the highest on this scale, which means that it has a very simple appearance, little to none knots, with highly consistent colour, a small amount of cap. The rustic grade is at the other side of the spectrum and has a very unique and charming look with the beauty of the wood’s natural patterns. It adds a lot of character and distinctive style whenever installed.

Floor Finish

When it comes to the wood floor finish, nowadays you can purchase prefinished wood flooring, which means that the floorboards are already treated with a finishing product before they are installed in your home or office. One of the main advantages of this choice is that you don’t have to worry about a sanding and finishing service after the installation of the floor and you don’t have to spend money on additional service fees. However, if you decide to purchase an unfinished wooden floor, you will have the freedom to decide what finish you want and how to match it to your interior design.