Options for Layout and Construction of Your Wood Floors
When most homeowners decide that they want to install a hardwood floor, they assume the major decision they must make relates to the actual type of wood they want to use. However there are other things you need to consider to ensure you get exactly what you want. Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring can help you make the right decision.
The width of your wood and how it is laid out is something that you will need to decide before you actually decide what type of wood to get. As a homeowner you have the option of choosing between strip, plank and parquet flooring.
Strip flooring is very popular in homes built within the last few years, and it is often what homeowners choose when installing a new floor themselves. It is installed going across your room in a linear direction, so that all wood strips are parallel as this makes the space look bigger. Strip flooring uses very narrow pieces of wood, and experts generally recommend this type of flooring for homeowners unsure of what they want. It is often more durable due to the fact the narrow pieces respond less to changes in moisture and temperature.
Similar to strip flooring is plank flooring. It is laid out on your floor the same way as strip flooring but instead uses wider boards such as those traditionally found in older homes. While planks are not as durable as strip flooring, many homeowners choose them to match current plank floors in their home or give their home an old-fashioned appearance.
Finally, you have the option to use parquet flooring, although this is not commonly found in homes. This type of flooring allows you to use wood in a pattern that results in a geometric shape or design rather than being laid linear across the floor. If you want to make your wood floor unique, parquet flooring can make it happen.
When choosing a type of hardwood floor you will also have to determine the actual construction of the floor you want from the three choices of solid, engineered and acrylic impregnated. Solid floors result in your floor being one layer of wood laid down on an even plane. This is a great floor to use if you want to customize your floor, or if you are installing wood floors on the ground level.
Engineered floors are more durable as they are 3 or 5 layers of wood that have been pressed together with grains of the wood going in opposite directions to increase its strength and stability. This type of floor should be installed in basements, kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms and other areas of your house that may have great pressure or weight on them.
Finally you as a homeowner have the option to use acrylic impregnated floors. These contain acrylics that have been put into the wood to make it extremely durable and stable. Most often acrylic impregnated floors are used in businesses and other commercial properties, although you can place them in your home if you feel it is necessary.
