How To Choose The Right Hardwood Floor?
Most people look in all directions – up, left, right and all around – when looking to change their living space. The one direction we sometimes forget is down. Changing the flooring of a room/area can refresh and brighten up your space. Hardwood is one of the options out there and what makes it so popular is that a wooden floor look is very much within budget given the variety of flooring options available. No matter which option you choose, there are three things to be considered: style, durability and area. All three need to be compatible with each other and your lifestyle; otherwise they will not blend well with each other.
Let’s have a look at your choices and explain them in brief:
- Solid Wood Flooring
As the name implies, solid wood flooring is made from real wood. The quality and type of wood used can differ. In some cases, for the sake of durability and/or lower prices the top layer of the plank used may be different from the bottom layers. You can choose between strip flooring which consists of strips of the same width, plank flooring which can have variable width, and parquet flooring which are made up of geometrical patterns.
- Engineered Wood Flooring
People sometimes confuse this with laminated wood flooring. Engineered flooring DOES have a laminate portion but the top layer is always real wood. This option costs less than solid wood flooring because it is produced by adding a layer of real wood on top of layers of plastic laminate veneer which makes this a better option for areas where solid wood cannot be used for e.g. basements or areas with higher humidity levels. The prices can range between $3 and $6 per square foot depending on the type of top layer selected. Gohaus offers a choice between Maple, Oak and Acacia wood, you should definitely check them out.
- Laminate Wood Flooring
Laminate is long lasting, easy to clean and gives you the warm look of hardwood floors but at a much lower cost. Laminate wood can imitate almost all the types of “real” wood flooring options available and the packaging is also convenient because they are available in smaller plank sizes than their counterparts. It can also be installed over almost any kind of existing flooring saving you the hassle of removing what’s already there. Moreover, it’s the easiest DIY project because it only required a layer of material underneath before the planks are installed.
- Luxury Vinyl
Contrary to general belief, this term no longer applies to the thin sticker-like material you may have come across before. This (relatively) newest addition to flooring options gives you the wooden floor look while keeping the durability of vinyl. It is very realistic looking and the best option to use for kitchens and bathroom because it is moisture resistant.
These are the top options in hardwood flooring. If you have something extraordinary in flooring designs, please share with our readers.