Hardwood flooring has been a very popular, and sturdy, flooring choice for decades. It raises the re-sale value of a home, is made from recycled materials, and it brings a warm feeling to the room that it is in. It is important to know how to choose the right hardwood flooring for your home and how to take care of it once it is laid.
Choosing the Flooring
Today’s hardwood flooring comes in all kinds of wood types and colors. Some wood types you may want to think about are wenge, rustic pine, oak, and bamboo. There are also many types of hardwood flooring. Solid flooring is a solid wood throughout the piece. It is sturdier than other types and lends itself to different stains well. Engineered or laminate flooring is not a solid piece of wood. It is several layers of wood pressed together to make one piece in either 3 or 5 plies, or layers, with the grain going in several directions. This kind of wood is great for places that may be exposed to water, such as a bathroom or laundry room. Acrylic impregnated floors is flooring where acrylics are injected into the wood to make an almost concrete-like harness in the wood. This is great for high traffic areas that will get a lot of wear and tear.
You will also need to decide what kind of installation style you would like. Strip flooring is long strips of wood that are 1/4″, 1 1/2″, or 3 1/4″ wide. Many people love this because the wood strips are very long and not broken up. This creates a long line, making your room look longer. Plank flooring is a lot like strip flooring, but the strips are a lot wider at 3, 4, 5, or 6 inches. Parquet flooring is large pieces of wood that is laid out like quilt pieces to make an interesting design.
Cleaning your Flooring
The hardwood floors of today are snap to clean thanks to new technology in stains and finishes. Gone are the days of the kid gloves. Hardwood flooring can be put in any part of the home, even high-traffic areas, and still be easy to take care of.
For the most part, hardwood flooring only needs to be swept or vacuumed regularly. Then, once a week or so, the wood needs to be mopped with a wood floor cleaning product recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring. Hardwood flooring should not be wet mopped because standing water can cause discoloration in the wood. Never use any kind of vinyl cleaner on hardwood, it may permanently ruin the finish. The floor will need to be buffed and re-waxed periodically throughout the year. Many carpet and drapery cleaning services also offer this service as well.
