When ordering your hardwood floor in Los Angeles or anywhere else you have several choices to consider. First you must consider to go with Hardwood, Laminate or vinyl.
If you plan on going with a hardwood floor (my personal choice) then you have two types of hardwood floor to consider. Whether you are replacing an old, damaged hardwood floor, laying a new floor over plywood or concrete, or looking for a more economical “floating floor”, these are the questions you have to ask yourself.
Searching for the perfect floor can be a confusing process, but with a little guidance you should be OK.
First off Engineered vs. Solid Wood Flooring
First, perhaps the most important decision is WHERE in your house do you plan on installing the hardwood floor? Solid Hardwood must only be installed on a plywood subfloor at or above ground level. If you are looking to install a hardwood floor directly to a cement slab, below ground level, or in a humid location, you should consider an Engineered Hardwood floor. An important note is that engineered floors can also be installed on plywood, or above ground, however we recommend installing a solid hardwood floor whenever possible.
Solid Hardwood must be nailed down into a subfloor. This is the first major difference. So you really need two floors, the bottom floor and top floor. Now depending on if you have a raised foundation or a slab foundation will dictate how the floor is laid. A slab foundation will first need a subfloor nailed into the concrete. This can be expensive. Typically it might make more financial sense to go with an engineered wood on a slab just because it takes less time and thus less money.
Engineered Flooring
Engineered Flooring is made up of several plys of wood;like ply wood but with a nice veneer top. The wood veneer and all the layers of plywood base are glued and dried under extreme pressure to ensure a strong bond. This product, a hybrid of plywood and hardwood, can now be glued directly to the cement slab. There is no need to install a plywood subfloor, saving time and money!
Another alternative to hardwood is Bamboo. It is durable, less expensive than hardwood and looks really nice. In my experience I have seen Bamboo to dent easily but its still a very durable wood. Bamboo floors are easy to keep clean, and with the passing of time, can be refinished and stained.
Your last choice is vinyl flooring that looks like wood. This is the least expensive choice. And there have been allot of advancements lately and some of these laminate products are really starting to look like real wood. Walk into a home and you immediately notice a beautiful solid oak floor. On a closer look you see that is not a wood floor, but it is actually a vinyl floor. Even the experts will be fooled! As advances in Vinyl Flooring take place, people have increasingly turned to vinyl to create a beautiful Faux floor
You have several choice when considering your next hardwood floor and I hope this info helps
