If you are interested in the purchase of new hardwood flooring for your home, you will want to make sure that you are taking your time when it comes to selecting the perfect flooring. Remember, not all hardwoods are equal and what might work well for one person might not work as well for you and your home. To help ensure that you are taking certain things into consideration before contacting a local hardwood flooring supplier, you will want to check out the following.
Solid Versus Engineered Hardwood
There are two categories for hardwood flooring and those are solid and engineered hardwood flooring. The solid hardwood flooring is sort of self-explanatory in that each plank of wood is a solid piece and it can be sanded and refinished multiple times over. This will allow you to change up the look of the flooring because you can remove the old stain and apply something different. The engineered hardwood is much different in that it is a manufactured wood. The top and bottom layers of the engineered wood planks are made out of a variety of natural wood types. The middle of the planks is more of a plywood material. While it is a sturdy material, it is not something that you are going to be able to sand down and stain over and over again like solid hardwood. Consider whether you might want to change up the look of your floors often in order to determine which type of hardwood you should purchase.
Consider The Types Of Wood Species
If you end up selecting a solid hardwood floor, you will also need to select the type of wood species. You need to remember that not only do they differ in color, but they also differ in quality. For example, if your home has a lot of foot traffic through it and you have a dog or cat, maybe even some young kids running around, you will want to consider purchasing a harder wood. Woods such as oak, hickory, and maple are some of the stronger wood species. If you are replacing the floor in a part of the home that does not see a lot of foot traffic or you do not have any pets, you might consider a softer wood, such as black walnut, ash, cherry, and birch.
Should you find that you still need some assistance when it comes to selecting hardwood flooring for your home, you can always consult with a flooring sales and installation professional.
