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Wood Flooring
By peace | June 27, 2007
Wood flooring is beautiful. They provides a unique blend of sleek, uncluttered lines and warm, natural tones that ensure it never goes out of fashion. Less yielding underfoot than carpet, it offers a more inviting surface than stone or ceramic tiles. However, it is vulnerable to moisture and slippery when wet.
The most expensive, and the most durable wood flooring is made from hard timbers such as oak, birch, maple or one of the tropical hardwoods. While at the cheaper end of the market, softwood of some kind such as pine, is the main choice. However, softwood is much more vulnerable to scratches, dents, warping and general wear and tear.
There are three main kinds of timber flooring:
1. Solid Timber Flooring
Solid Timber Flooring is available as conventional planks or boards in a variety of widths; as strip flooring; block flooring or parquet, sometimes known as mosaic block flooring. Solid wood floors are costly, but they can be endlessly sanded and re-finished, and they not only last indefinitely, but often improve with age as well.
2. Veneered Flooring
Veneered Flooring consists of a top layer of hardwood or softwood that is bonded to a base material. Available as planks and blocks, it comes in a wide range of prices depending on the thickness of the veneer and the timber used. Many examples are cheaper than solid floors, while others cost almost as much, but none are as durable.
3. Laminate Flooring
Laminate Flooring is the cheapest of the three options. This is because its surface is actually a photograph of woodgrain printed onto a softwood base, then coated iwth tough vinyl or PVC, it is very easy to look after and extremely hard-wearing. However, once damaged, it cannot be sanded or refinished.
Another economical flooring option is plain hardboard or plywood. Available in large sheets or square tiles, it has a pale, smooth, regular surface that’s ready for painting, staining or varnishing.
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