How to Choose the Best Hardwood Flooring
Whether you’re researching hardwood floor installation for your Bay Area cottage, or you’re hoping to install quality engineered wood flooring for a bed and breakfast you’re building by the water, you must confront a fun but trick challenge: There are way too many flooring choices!
This article can help you make sense of your options.
The National Wood Flooring Association reports that homebuilders in the U.S. buy 9 million plus square feet of wood flooring, annually, on average. Hardwood is naturally “pretty” and versatile. You can choose from diverse sizes and styles, but the two fundamental categories are engineered wood and solid wood.
Your ideal flooring solution will depend on:
- your budget;
- the nature of the space;
- what subfloor type you use;
- whether you do a DIY installation or hire a professional;
- the species of wood you choose;
- the amount of wear and tear you expect the room to get;
- other aesthetic and structural requirements of the project.
Solid Hardwood vs. Engineered Wood Flooring
Solid wood floors are built from individual pieces of wood. Common types include parquet, narrow strips, and planks. You can choose an unfinished wood and finish it yourself to save money (and bond with your family over the home remodeling project!) or buy prefinished wood, which does not require a topcoat finish or sanding.
Engineered floors are made of multiple layers of wood glued together. This dynamic construction sidesteps common annoyances, such as cupping, warping, splitting, etc. A solid wood veneer “tops off” the wood layer “sandwich.”
Finding a Solution That Will Work for Your Budget, Construction Needs and Aesthetics
Rather than obsessing over the various specs or accidentally over-complicating your project, connect with a Bay Area hardwood floor specialist at Elegant Floors for a free consultation and estimate for your project. Give us a call at (650) 961-1339 or fill out our online contact form for us to contact you with more information.
