Perhaps one of the most desired and treasured part of a homes décor in consumer’s minds is a home that has hardwood flooring. Ask any home realtor they will confirm that a home that has hardwood flooring will sell faster and for more money. Hardwood flooring will add warmth and beauty to any home and it is the most desired floor covering and will increase the value of any home.
When we think of a solid Hardwood flooring we generally think of the standard strip red oak wood flooring that is 3/4" thick by 2 1/4" wide, but solid Hardwood flooring is also available in various sizes from 3 to 6 or more inches wide (called plank floors). Prefinished versions of solid wood flooring are available in various thicknesses from 5/16 - 3/4 thick are sold as random lengths anywhere from 12" - 84" long.
The most common Hardwood flooring species used for solid wood floors are Red Oak Hardwood flooring, White Oak Hardwood flooring, and Maple Hardwood flooring-- but many other species are offered.
Solid Prefinished hardwood flooring is not difficult to install and if you use factory prefinished flooring where the finish is applied at the factory and has cured, you will be able to move your furniture back in as soon as the flooring is installed.
Engineered Hardwood:
The best engineered wood floors are built having 3-12 multiple ply layers (see picture below) that are cross layered, glued and pressed together. The inner core layers are are generally built up with either a hardwood and/or soft plywood type of material, which incorporates the tongue and groove system. The top thicker hardwood veneer wear layer is then glued and pressed on the top surface of the core. Engineered hardwood flooring is available in almost any wood species.
The benefits of using engineered wood floors include more resistance to higher moisture levels than solid wood flooring, which adds to their appeal to use in damp basements or in regions of the country that have higher relative humidity levels. Also, engineered flooring (excluding the newer Click Lock flooring) can be direct glued-down over (dry) concrete slabs above or below grade or stapled down over a wood subfloor. Quality Engineered Hardwood flooring has the same resale value as 3/4 IN. solid wood flooring, if you ever decide to sell your home.
Engineered Hardwood floors range in widths from 3-7 inches wide and in thicknesses from 3/8 - 3/4" they also come in a wide variety of domestic and exotic hardwood species and some are even available in the popular hand scraped styles. Some brands of engineered flooring have a thin .6 mm wear layer that can only be re-coated and cannot be sanded and refinished new again once they get worn. They have an average lifespan of between 20-30 years depending on traffic. Other brands or styles can have a thicker 2 - 6 mm thick wear layer that can be completely sanded and refinished 1- 5 times if they ever needed to be. These thicker wear layer engineered floors can last from 40 - 80 years before having to be replaced which add to their appeal.
