Aesthetic Elements for the Right Hardwood Flooring for Your Home

If you have decided that your new flooring should be the sturdy and neat hardwood flooring, there are options galore, indeed. Hardwood floors are available in a variety of types and colors. A careful consideration of both your aesthetic tastes and flooring purposes is essential to ensure that you have chosen the right wood floor. The various design elements of hardwood floors are discussed right here.

Appearance

The three main elements that influence the appearance of a hardwood floor are its color, grain, and variations. As the appearance of hardwood determines its grade, it is important to invest in only that kind of flooring which is good-looking, functionally attractive, and capable of casting a spell on its onlookers. Here’s a list of common grades to choose your flooring from:

• Clear Wood – Character marks are minimal and have a uniform appearance.

• Select Wood – Natural color variations with knots, streaks, etc.

• No. 1 Common – Light and dark color variations with knots, streaks, and wormholes.

• No 2. Common – Species specific wood characteristics that give it a rustic appearance.

• First Grade Wood – Natural color variations with limited character marks that impart this type of hardwood a uniform appearance and similarity to Select Wood.

• Second Grade Wood – Color variations with knots that give it a varied appearance and similarity to No 1. Common wood.

• Third Grade Wood – Visible wood characters of the species that impart a rustic appearance and similarity to No 2. Common wood.

Types

The type of hard wood floors that you may like to choose also depends on how you want the finished product to look like, and where you want it installed. The following points give a comprehensive analysis of high quality hardwood floor types.

• Unfinished Wood Flooring – this is apt if you would like to sand and finish the wood at the job site by yourself, or with the help of your installer. This option is a feasible one if you are looking towards matching existing flooring patterns and color.

• Factory Finished Wood Flooring – Here, the sanding and finishing are done at the manufacturer’s factory. The hardwood is ready to install and can be walked on immediately after installation.

• Solid Wood Flooring – With a thickness ranging from ¾" to 5/16", solid wood flooring is a single piece of wood that can be sanded and finished several times in future and installed either above or on grade.

• Engineered Wood Flooring – This type of wood flooring is made by using wood veneers of same or different species. These veneers ensure the floor’s stability and prevent wood from expanding and contracting due to humidity changes.

Finishes for Hardwood Floors

Deciding your wood floor finishes has a huge impact on the floor appearance and long term maintenance requirements. The following is a list of finishes you can choose from:

• Surface Finishes – Remain on the surface of the wood as a protective coating.

• Wax Finishes – Soak into the wood, forming a penetrative seal.

• Acrylic Impregnated Finishes – Injected into the wood for a hard and durable floor.

• UV Cured Finishes – Waterborne finishes cured with UV light.

• Penetrating and Hardening Oils – Natural oils blended with additives to harden the wood.

Styles

Choosing the right style elements can turn around your living space entirely. You have access to a wide variety in terms of species, colors, and widths when it comes to choosing the style of your hardwood floor. The three common floor styles are:

• Strip Flooring – Less than 3" in width, creates a linear effect, and gives a traditional look.

• Plank Flooring – Greater than 3" in width, creates a linear effect, and gives a casual look.

• Parquet Flooring – Varies in size, creates a geometric, non-linear effect, and, depending on your choice, gives a simple or complex look.

Intriguing Facts about Hardwood Flooring Shoppers

Know these interesting facts about discount hardwood floors and shop with confidence.

• A floor made of solid hardwood provides decades of durable service, extraordinary beauty, and flexibility. It can be refinished for changing preferences and tastes, or for replacements necessitated due to excessive wear. This kind of flooring may cost a little more initially, but then, it serves to be a worthwhile investment in the long run.
• Hardwood floors trap no allergens like mold spores or dust, and are completely non-toxic. They require simple maintenance like sweeping, dust mopping or vacuuming for keeping themselves allergen-free and looking great.
• U.S. hardwoods, in general, are truly sustainable. In a 2008 report, the US Forest Service has verified that the overall average annual net growth of hardwoods is higher than its average annual removals. The hardwood timberlands in American forests have now doubled in volume from what they were 50 years ago.
• U.S. hardwoods boast of being carbon-negative, all-natural materials. Devoid of emissions for nitrogen oxides, methane, and other inorganic matter, they are homegrown. As they are regionally sourced, they minimize their carbon footprint further.
• While considering a specific U.S. hardwood species, it is important to note its hardness rating scale, via a measure known as the Janka Scale. Oak, Maple, Ash, sand Cherry species, which flaunt a higher hardness rating, are the best choice for high traffic areas.

Design Elements

The various design elements that have to be kept in mind while choosing your hardwood flooring includes borders, medallions, hand-distressing, painted floors, mixed media, imported woods, and staining. Whatever your style and design needs are, there is always apt and elegant hardwood flooring solutions available. Therefore, making the right choice will ensure an extremely satisfying flooring experience.

Are you ready for the best floors that your money can buy?

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