A Look At Your Choices When Buying A New Hardwood Floor
Posted on: 20 July 2017
It's hard to beat real hardwood flooring when you want an elegant and classic look for your home. Other flooring materials may look like real wood, but they don't feel the same or wear the same as the real thing. Wood floors might be more expensive, but if you take care of the floor, it should last for decades. Here are some tips for picking out your new floor.
Choose Harder Wood If You Want Scratch Protection
Several types of wood are used to make flooring and they wear differently as well as look differently. If you'll have small kids in the house for years to come, or if you plan to have dogs, you may want to pick one of the harder varieties of wood because they don't scratch as easily. Harder woods usually cost more, but you don't have to be as careful with them as you do a soft wood such as pine. You can refer to the Janka scale when you pick out the type of wood flooring you want to buy. This scale ranks wood according to hardness.
Consider A Factory Finished Floor
Traditionally, wood flooring was stained and finished after it was installed. This added to the installation time and filled your house with a lot of dust and disruption. You can avoid that mess when you buy a factory finished floor. The planks are already stained before they're installed. It's a more convenient option if you find a finish you like. However, the benefit of finishing the floor after it is installed is that you can choose any stain and degree of gloss you like. You may want a floor with a high level of sheen. These reflect light so they appear shiny, however a high sheen does show scratches more readily. Gloss, semi-gloss, and satin finishes protect your floor equally well, so you can choose the level of sheen that fits your preference when you have your floor finished after installation.
Check The Grade For Grain And Knots
Some types of wood are graded according to how much color variation they have. For instance, the clear grade is flooring that has a nearly uniform color throughout the length of the planks. At the other end of the scale is cabin grade that has a more rustic look with a deep level of grain, color variations, and knots. The grading system allows you to pick wood with a lot of character and have an idea of how the floor will look once it's installed.
Once you start looking at real hardwood flooring, you may be surprised at all of your options. Choosing the variety of wood allows you to pick a specific color and pattern to the flooring as well as the degree of durability. Then you can further customize your floor with your choice of stain and sheen to get the exact look you want for your home's decor.
For more information, contact a flooring company, like Blair & Sons Floor Co.
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