The flooring industry features a dizzying display of hardwood floors for sale.
To prevent information overload, we’ve condensed the main tips for helping you find the best hardwood floor for your needs:
Crash Course: Two Main Subgroups of Hardwood Floors
The best starting point for choosing hardwood floors is learning the difference between the two primary categories available:
- Solid Hardwood Flooring
- Engineered Hardwood Flooring
In a Nutshell: Solid Hardwood
Think of solid hardwood floors as prime cuts of lumber left in their natural or organic state.
Even though solid hardwood flooring is coveted for its charm and natural beauty, it is also flawed in some respects. Mainly, solid hardwood flooring is renowned for expanding and contracting under the pressure of weather extremes. A too hot or too cold climate, for example, will typically cause the flooring to become unstable with cracks and bubbles. There are however workarounds for such issues, which a flooring expert can help with.
Modern Marvels: Engineered Hardwood
Flooring companies in Orlando Florida consider engineered hardwood floors to be a more stable choice because these are intentionally designed to withstand weather extremes.
The manufacturing process involves stacking multiple thin layers of wood on top of each other, compressing them into a solid plank. Next, a natural wood layer tops off the base. This intentional design offers homeowners more plasticity to fit wood floors in unheard of areas – like the kitchen, bathroom, or basement, for example.
Ratings and Durability, Flooring Companies in Orlando Florida
Flooring companies in Orlando Florida rely on the Janka scale to weigh the softness or hardness – plus the resistance levels – of various wood species. Subsequently, recommendations can be made for different placement areas based on this criterion.
Flooring companies in Orlando Florida will moreover factor in these variables to determine the best hardwood floor type to use:
- The Family Size
- Number of Pets in the Home
- Lifestyle Factors, Including Activity Levels
Based on these considerations, flooring boutiques can make educated guesses on the best wood species for the client’s needs.
If, however, you have your eyes set on a softer wood species, there are also workarounds to extend durability and performance.
For example, if you opt for walnut, cherry, or birch, for instance, these can be hardened using a protective finish.
Other Top Considerations for Selecting Hardwood Flooring
Some other factors to keep in mind during the selection process include:
- Edge Styles
- Home Lighting
- Pattern (Strips, Planks, or a Mixed Design)
- Surface Treatments
- The Color of the Wood
- The Wood’s Character
- The Wood’s Texture
More Options for Heavy Traffic and Pets
Flooring companies in Orlando Florida, such as Ability Wood Flooring, can help you navigate the daunting process of choosing the best hardwood floor for your lifestyle and needs.
For example, we offer more options, including the ability to customize other types of floor coverings, including tile and stone to resemble hardwood.
To learn more about this service option,
Find the best hardwood floors for the kitchen or bathroom at Ability Wood Flooring. We are one of the best flooring companies in Orlando Florida.
