With the variety of woods, colors and finishes available today, choosing wood floor can be mind-boggling.

Homeowners evaluating new flooring owe it to themselves to consider the benefits and beauty of wood. Wood floors are comfortable, durable and surprisingly affordable, and nothing quite compares to the character and warmth they bring to every room in the house.

While there is a myriad of choices available, not every type of wood flooring is suitable for every application. If you are shopping for a wood floor, here are some things to keep in mind.

There are primarily two types of wood flooring products—solid hardwood and engineered hardwood. Solid wood flooring is milled from solid wood logs and is joined with a traditional tongue and groove along both the long and short edges.

Solid wood is available prefinished or unfinished, in strips and planks ranging in thickness from 5/16 to ¾ inches. Strips are 1½-inch- to 2¼-inches-wide and planks are 3 to 8 inches wide.

Engineered wood flooring is comprised of multiple layers of plywood and composite material, and topped with a layer of solid hardwood. Engineered wood flooring comes in thicknesses ranging from ?- to ¾-inch and from 3 to 10 inches wide; the hardwood layer on top ranges in thickness from .6 millimeters to 4 millimeters.

While both types offer the same beauty of real hardwood, the primary difference between solid hardwood and engineered flooring is in the floor’s composition. Since solid wood flooring is subject to expand and contract relative to a home’s humidity it needs to be installed on the ground floor or above grade. Engineered flooring, which is more stable due to its multi-ply construction, can be installed on all levels of the home.

For further details and information call Elegant Floors: (408) 778-8624