How to Choose the Right Hardwood Flooring for Your Home

Shopping for hardwood flooring in Toronto can be a bit overwhelming for some homeowners. There are so many different types and styles available that it can be difficult selecting the one that suits your needs, and your home. There is pre-finished hardwood to consider, engineered hardwood, and even solid hardwood is an option. You also need to consider what type of surface you’ll be laying the hardwood flooring over, how much and what kind of traffic the room will get, and even the moisture content of the area where you’ll be laying the floor.

Consider the Sub-Floor First

Before even choosing a particular type of flooring you’ll first need to consider the sub-floor, and where it’s located. For instance, a sub-floor in a basement or below-ground level will be more susceptible to moisture than one that is located at ground level or above. If your flooring will be laid below ground, solid hardwood flooring is not a good idea. Solid wood flooring will be susceptible to the high moisture levels of basements and dens will very likely twist, shrink, or warp. For below ground floors it is best to use engineered hardwood flooring, or the locking hardwood which has a tongue and groove construction.

Choose Your Planking

The construction of your planking is also crucial to consider. Solid hardwood comes in both ¾" and 5’16" thickness. The 3’4" variety can only be applied over a plywood sub-floor, as it is especially vulnerable to moisture. If there is a crawl space below the sub-floor, you’ll want to install a moisture barrier as well. The 5’16" solid planking may be laid over concrete, but only at or above ground level.

Engineered hardwood flooring was designed especially to be laid over concrete and to withstand high moisture levels. It is also a more environmentally friendly product as the surface veneer is only a few millimetres thick. Don’t get engineered hardwood flooring confused with cheap laminated flooring which has only a thin paper on the surface.

The locking hardwood planking is actually engineered hardwood flooring but with the added benefit of an inter-locking tongue and groove system. Besides the benefit of extra resistance to twisting or warping, the tongue and groove constructed planking can be easily laid, making it the perfect choice for do-it-yourself projects.

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Canada's premier hardwood flooring store. Proudly selling Hardwood Flooring in Toronto since 1977. We have hardwood, laminates, engineered, and exotic flooring; we also provide hardwood flooring ins