Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is a timeless, classic floor which has survived and thrived through centuries of flooring options.  Natural beauty, design and patterning which only nature can create, and a versatile, strong option, hardwood flooring has always been the go-to for quality.  Today, with the advent of new technologies and finishes, your hardwood flooring is nearly as stable as many of its synthetic counterparts.  Engineered planks help reduce expansion and contraction, and stronger finishes ensure that your hardwood floors will stand up to the most agressive traffic in your home.

 

Types of Hardwood Flooring

Without getting into the wood simulations, the 2 basic types of hardwood flooring on the market today are engineered and solid.  Each has its benefits and drawbacks, and each has its preferred uses.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is exactly as it sounds – a solid piece of wood milled to 3/4 inches.  As a solid hardwood, it is susceptible to expansion and contraction, which is compensated for on installation by leaving gaps around the edges of the floor.  Because of this expansion and contraction, long runs of uninterrupted hardwood are not recommended.  As a natural product, there are often variations in grain and texture, which is often seen as a feature, rather than a drawback.  One of the big advantages of solid hardwood is that its thickness allows for it to be refinished without worry about wearing through the façade.  This means that a good hardwood floor can last for generations.

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Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood is essentially a plywood made of multiple layers laminated together for structural integrity. If you’re installing on concrete, below grade, or in an area where humidity changes dramatically, engineered hardwood is a good option. It retains the look and feel of real wood because it is real wood, but adds a layer of stability which a solid hardwood can’t deliver.