Wood flooring is popular in both residential and in commercial areas. The ability of wood to instantly create a sense of warmth is the reason why it is used throughout various properties as furniture, beam construction (often exposed) and, of course, as flooring.
In this guide, we review your various options as wood flooring can be somewhat overwhelming.
Wood flooring plank construction:
There are two construction types. The good news is that in most cases either type will suit your interior well and, when fitted, these two look identical. The difference between them lies under the hood. They represent solid construction and engineered constructing.
Solid wood floors – Each plank is made, as you can gather from the name, from complete natural wood through and through. These are the more popular of the two and also the dearer. These planks are available from common species such as Oak and Walnut, as well as from exotic species such as Iroko, Bamboo, and others.
Engineered wood floors – Their top layer is made from solid wood (as explained above), however below this layer each plank contains 3 to 4 additional layers of syntactic materials. The introduction of engineered boards is meant to overcome the limitation of solid wood in areas that experience damp conditions. These planks are suitable for the kitchen, bathroom, conservatory and other rooms that may experience moist conditions at times.
Wood flooring color options:
In the past, the species of wood determined the color. While this is still true, flooring technology has allowed for special colors to cover the planks and thereby meet the precise shade to compliment your interior. Examples include:
Wood flooring grades:
Your final important decision relates to the grade of the floor as it will also impact the visual aspect of the planks.
When it comes to deciding which grade is best for your flooring, there are four grades of wood to choose from. Each grade gives a slightly different look. The grades are:
Prime or AB – Sourced from the center of the log, this grade of wood is highly uniform in its appearance and has very few knots.
Select or ABC – These planks contain some knots, which may be up to 20mm (.8 inches) in size, some sap (in this case, up to 10% of the plank).
Natural or ABCD – These planks of wood feature knots of up to 30mm (1.2 inches) in size, contains sap and has some color variations.
Rustic or CD – This grade of wood can have color variation, has sap and typically has knots of up to 35mm (1.4 inches) in size.
So when it comes to deciding on wood flooring for your property, consider the construction type, color and grade.
Article written by Michelle Strassburg of Wood and Beyond. London based flooring and solid wood worktop seller.
What can you add about solid or engineered wood flooring? Which do you prefer?
