Choosing a Hardwood Floor

While a hardwood floor has been historically used to provide support to a building, it has largely become more of a decorative feature as construction methods have changed over the years. If you have been considering having this kind of floor installed in your home, there are first a few things you will have to take into consideration before you make your decision. This article will discuss a few of the more important factors involved so you are have a better idea of what options are available to you.

The most important decision you will have to make when you are choosing a hardwood floor is between solid and engineered flooring. It can be very difficult to compare the two because they both possess various different qualities. For the most part, keep in mind that solid wood has many limitations so it will not be appropriate in most cases. For example, it should never be installed directly over concrete or below basements. Engineered wood is much more versatile and you do not have to be as careful when purchasing it. It can also be installed in less time thanks to patented installation techniques. You will also appreciate its lower price.

In most cases you will be choosing an engineered hardwood floor for your home, but even so there are still a few choices you have to make because these types of floors are manufactured in different ways.

Rotary Peel – is a process where the log is boiled in water for a certain amount of time and then peeled with a blade from the outside all the way into the center. This process creates a veneer which is then pressed flat. While this is an often used practice, it does create problems sometimes as it wants to cup or curl back into its original shape. You can usually tell a hardwood floor that has been made using this process because it will take on a plywood appearance.

Sliced Peel – is very similar to the rotary peel manufacturing method, but there are some differences. The main difference between the two methods is that instead of slicing the log in a rotary fashion, the sliced peel method slices the wood from the end of the log. After that, the two manufacturing processes are very much the same. This method is very important for two reasons though. First, the wood does not take on the plywood appearance. Second, you do not have to worry about the wood warping because the wood has not been exposed to moisture.

Dry Solid Lawn – The last method when choosing a hardwood flooris Dry Solid Lawn. This is a method that instead of boiling, keep the logs in high humidity and dries them slowly in order to keep the moisture within. After that, the top veneer layer is created in the same manner of the solid hardwood floor process.