When selecting a quality hardwood floor, there are several key aspects to consider. Here’s a simple step-by-step approach for first-time buyers:
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Choose the Species: Start by selecting a wood species. Different species have unique characteristics such as color, grain pattern, and texture. Consider the appearance you desire and how the wood will look in your space. Species also vary in properties such as hardness (which impacts durability) and dimensional stability (how the wood reacts to changes in temperature and humidity).
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Determine the Pattern: Next, decide on the pattern of the floorboards. Common options include traditional straight planks, herringbone, and chevron patterns. The pattern will affect the overall aesthetic of your space.
Strip Flooring: Strip flooring is typically 2 1/4″ or 3″ wide and comes in random lengths. It is commonly chosen for a more contemporary or modern look, as its narrow width creates a linear effect that can make a room feel larger. When selecting a clear/select grade, the uniformity of color enhances the clean, streamlined appearance.
Plank Flooring: Plank flooring is generally wider, ranging from 3″ to 8″ in width, and is available in both fixed and random widths and lengths. Planks are perfect for traditional, rustic, or country-style décor. The wider planks bring a sense of depth and warmth to the space, and they can also include knots for a more natural, rustic appearance.
Longstrip & Longplank Flooring: These are typically boards about 7 feet long and 7″ wide, with strips glued together in the engineered construction. They offer a more modern, larger look, and work well in spaces where a more expansive, seamless appearance is desired.
Parquet Flooring: Parquet flooring consists of square tiles, usually 12″ by 12″, and offers endless geometric design possibilities. It can add an elegant, sophisticated touch to a room. With its ability to incorporate custom inlays, borders, and medallions, parquet offers a distinctive, exclusive look.
Color Considerations:
- Dark Colors: Darker woods, or dark-stained floors, tend to convey a more formal, traditional ambiance. Some species, like American Cherry and Brazilian Cherry, naturally darken over time due to sunlight exposure and age.
- Light Colors: Lighter woods, such as maple and oak, are ideal for country, rustic, or contemporary settings. They give a brighter, airier feel to a space, making them perfect for casual or modern interiors.
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Select the Construction Type: Hardwood floors come in different constructions: solid wood, engineered wood, and floating floors. Solid wood is a traditional choice, while engineered wood offers better moisture resistance and stability. Floating floors are easy to install and can be a great DIY option.
Solid Wood Flooring: A solid wood floor is made from a single, solid piece of wood from top to bottom. It is typically installed over a wood subfloor and must be nailed down. For smaller strips (18 inches or shorter), glue-down installation may be required. Solid wood floors offer a natural, timeless appeal and can be sanded and refinished multiple times, but they are more sensitive to moisture and temperature fluctuations.
Engineered Wood Flooring: Engineered wood floors are made of 3 to 5 layers of wood laminated together, with the grain of each layer running in different directions. This construction gives engineered wood floors excellent dimensional stability, making them less prone to expansion and contraction compared to solid wood. Engineered floors can be installed at any grade level using nail-down, glue-down, or floating installation methods. They are often pre-finished, offering convenience and durability right out of the box. Engineered wood is a good choice for areas with higher humidity or for installation over concrete subfloors.
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Pick the Finish: Hardwood floors come in various finishes, including prefinished (factory-applied) or unfinished (applied after installation). Prefinished floors are easier and quicker to install, while unfinished floors offer more customization options for finishing.
Pre-finished Flooring: Pre-finished hardwood floors come with a durable and consistent factory finish, meaning they require no sanding or additional finishing on-site. This makes installation quicker, typically taking just one day compared to four to six days for site-finished floors. With pre-finished flooring, there is no need to move out during installation, and you won’t be subjected to the dust, noise, or odor associated with on-site finishing.
Unfinished (Site-finished) Flooring: Unfinished hardwood floors, also known as site-finished, have long been considered the traditional choice. These floors offer more flexibility in terms of colors, stains, and finish types, allowing for a more personalized and customized look. However, they require additional time and effort for sanding and finishing, making the installation process longer and more involved.
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Consider Workability: Think about how easy the wood is to work with. Some species are easier to sand, nail, and finish than others, which may affect your installation process.
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Assess Cost and Availability: Different species and finishes come at different price points. Exotic hardwoods may cost more due to shipping and rarity, while domestic species tend to be more affordable and widely available.
Many exotic or sub-equatorial hardwood species offer the option of wide or even super-wide plank widths and long lengths, providing a bold, elegant look for your floors.
Custom Floors: Custom flooring offers the most variety, allowing you to choose from an extensive range of wood species, plank sizes, and surface treatments such as hand-scraping, colors, and finishes. These floors can be either solid or engineered, providing flexibility for different styles and budgets.
Quality Considerations: It’s crucial to ensure that your wood flooring is made in the USA. Much of the flooring available at big box stores comes from China and may be made with substandard plywood, potentially containing harmful levels of formaldehyde.
Parquet Patterns: Parquet patterns, like the classic Versailles design, often come in larger formats, such as 36″. Smaller parquet tiles can range from 16″ to 22″. With a custom parquet, you can adjust the size slightly to fit the proportions of your room, and you can opt for a border of planking to frame the design.
Wood Flooring Grades: Wood flooring comes in different grades, and it’s important to understand the grading system. Unfinished wood has well-defined grades with clear, legally binding criteria, explaining the natural characteristics of the wood, such as knots, mineral deposits, sapwood, and grain patterns. On the other hand, prefinished wood uses descriptive grades defined by each manufacturer’s marketing departments, which can be vague. The grade often reflects the size and number of natural features in the wood and production factors, like board lengths and imperfections. Just as you can buy different cuts of beef, flooring can vary widely in quality, ranging from premium grades (Clear, Prime) to more rustic options (Standard, Country, Cabin) depending on the wood’s appearance and defects.
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Bevel or Eased Edges: When selecting your hardwood flooring, you have the option of choosing between a beveled edge or a square edge. Today, most manufacturers refer to the beveled edge as an “eased edge,” as the tapered edges are much less pronounced than the old-fashioned grooved designs.
Benefits of Beveled or Eased Edges:
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Cost-Effective Production: Beveled edges are easier and faster to produce compared to square edge planks, reducing production costs, which are then passed on as savings to the buyer.
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Forgiveness on Irregular Subfloors: Beveled edges are particularly helpful when installing over subfloors that may not be perfectly even. This allows the planks to fit more seamlessly, avoiding a condition known as “overwood,” where uneven plank heights cause an unsightly or problematic fit.
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Expansion and Contraction: An eased edge helps to mask the visible and physical effects of expansion and contraction in the wood, which can occur with changes in humidity. Unlike sand-and-finish floors, which may display noticeable gaps when contracted, eased edge floors provide a smoother transition and feel more consistent. Additionally, there are no sharp edges to feel underfoot, even when walking on the floor in socks or bare feet.
Choosing between a beveled (eased) edge or square edge is largely a matter of personal preference, but considering the practical benefits can help you make an informed decision based on your needs and the environment in which the floor will be installed.
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In conclusion, by following these steps, you’ll be able to make a well-informed decision on the hardwood flooring that best fits your needs and budget. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how Unique Wood Floors can assist you in securing the best price while ensuring you choose the perfect hardwood flooring for your project, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 952-994-9696. We’re here to help!