About Hardwood Flooring
Solid Hardwood is any product manufactured from timber that is designed for use as flooring, either structural or aesthetic. Wood is a common choice as a flooring material due to its environmental profile, durability, and restorability. Bamboo flooring is often considered a form of solid hardwood flooring, although it is made from a grass (bamboo) rather than a timber.
Solid Hardwood Flooring
Solid hardwood floors are made of planks milled from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood floors were originally used for structural purposes, being installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a building known as joists or bearers. With the increased use of concrete as a subfloor in some parts of the world, engineered wood flooring has gained some popularity. However, solid wood floors are still common and popular. Solid wood floors have a thicker wear surface and can be sanded and finished more times than an engineered wood floor. It is not uncommon for homes in New England, Eastern Canada, and Europe which are several hundred years old to have the original solid wood floor still in use today.
Solid wood manufacturing
Solid wood flooring is milled from a single piece of timber that is kiln or air dried before sawing. Depending on the desired look of the floor, the timber can be cut in three ways: flat-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn. The timber is cut to the desired dimensions and either packed unfinished for a site-finished installation or finished at the factory. The moisture content at time of manufacturing is carefully controlled to ensure the product doesn’t warp during transport and storage.
There are a number of proprietary features for solid wood floors that are available. Many solid woods come with grooves cut into the back of the wood that run the length of each plank, often called ‘absorption strips,’ that are intended to reduce cupping. Solid wood floors are mostly manufactured .75 inches (19 mm) thick with a tongue-and-groove for installation.
Other wood manufacturing styles
Rotary-peel
This process involves treating the wood by boiling the log in water at a certain temperature for a certain amount of time. After preparation, the wood is peeled by a blade starting from the outside of the log and working toward the center, thus creating a wood veneer. The veneer is then pressed flat with high pressure. This style of manufacturing tends to have problems with the wood cupping or curling back to its original shape. Rotary-peeled engineered hardwoods tend to have a plywood appearance in the grain.
Sliced-peel
This process begins with the same treatment process that the rotary peel method uses. However, instead of being sliced in a rotary fashion, with this technique the wood is sliced from the log in much the same manner that lumber is sawn from a log – straight through. The veneers then go through the same manufacturing process as rotary peeled veneers. Engineered hardwood produced this way tends to have fewer problems with “face checking”, and also does not have the same plywood appearance in the grain. However, the planks can tend to have edge splintering and cracking due to the fact the veneers have been submersed in water and then pressed flat.
Dry solid-sawn
Instead of boiling the hardwood logs, in this process they are kept at a low humidity level and dried slowly to draw moisture from the inside of the wood cells. The logs are then sawed in the same manner as for solid hardwood planks. This style of engineered hardwood has the same look as solid hardwood, and does not have any of the potential problems of “face checking” that rotary-peel and slice-peel products have, because the product is not exposed to added moisture.
There are many benefits to having Solid Hardwood Flooring installed in your home. Whether it’s a residential interior, or a commercial installation, hard wood floors add an air of class, as well as structural strength. Hardwood floors are said to lend a sense of permanence to an interior and remain to be the most popular flooring choice for those who value tradition the most.
- Variety: Hard wood floors offer maximum choices in appearance. There are many colors, styles, stains and species available. An addition is a choice in the available finish that is pre-finished and unfinished hard wood floors. No matter how diverse and unique your needs are, there is always an option for you with hard wood floors.
- Better acoustics: A properly installed hardwood floor never gives you hollow sounds or vibrations.
- Low maintenance: Hard wood floors and the floor finish are easy to keep and maintain.
- Healthy indoor air quality: These floors are a healthy choice for interior environments. It has no fibers, grout lines or embossing that can trap dust, pollen, particles, animal dander and allergens that occur with carpets. They are the best choice of flooring with allergy sufferers and improve air quality.
- Ageless quality: When other floors will begin to look tired and worn, your hard wood floors will still look beautiful. And your hard wood floors become more valuable as time goes by. Also keep in mind that unlike carpeting and vinyl, hard wood floors can be refinished rather than replaced when the finish has worn out.
Installation
Installing a hardwood floor yourself can save you a lot of money – if you know what you’re doing. Improper preparation and installation can lead to warping and buckling, which will ruin flooring that might otherwise remain beautiful and durable enough for your grandchildren’s grandchildren to grow up on. The most important thing you can do to ensure the structural integrity of your floor is to properly prepare.
Choice of wood flooring is crucial. The factors that determine how and where hardwood flooring can be installed are:
Moisture – Consider the humidity levels in your area before deciding what kind of wood to choose. If you live in an area with high humidity or your land is at or below grade (sea level), engineered flooring may be a more appropriate choice than solid wood, or you may choose a wood with minimal response to moisture, such as teak.
Subfloor – Subfloors are generally wood or concrete, although some people choose to install over an existing floor; never install over carpet.
Difficulty – Level of installation difficulty should also influence your choice of wood flooring. Interlocking engineered wood is easiest to install and least likely to cause issues due to poor installation. Standard solid hardwood floors require glue or staples, and are a little more difficult to install due to the extra steps involved.
- Thick solid wood – 3/4″ profile – should only be installed over wood subfloors, above grade, and should be nailed.
- Thinner wood – 5/16″ profile – can be installed over wood, concrete, or over existing floors above grade using staples or glue.
- Not recommended to be installed in basements and subterranean environments.
Cleaning and maintaining a hardwood floor is very important to how it looks for years after the installation. When properly maintained, a hardwood floor can look as beautiful as the day it was installed and for many decades later. While the hardness of the species does play a role in how well it will hold up to the hustle and bustle of daily life, it really all comes down to how well the floor is cared for.
Cleaning and caring for a hardwood floor depends on how it is finished, rather than the type of wood it is. This is where many owners make mistakes in the products they use to clean their hardwood floors. It is important to understand that the approach to cleaning your hardwood floor first depends on how your floor has been finished. There are two broad categories of finish types, “Surface-sealed” finishes (the predominant type of finish) and “Penetrating-seal-treated” & “Penetrating-oil-treated” finishes.
In general proper use of vacuuming, sweeping, and damp mopping is usually all that is required to maintain the cleanliness and appearance of a wood floor. Oil soaps should not be used to clean the floors. The best suggestion is to use the manufacturer’s recommended cleaning products. Excessive grit and foot traffic may affect appearance. A properly finished and maintained wood floor does not accumulate hidden soil or odorous compounds.
Contact Us, We’re Here To Answer Your Hardwood Flooring Questions
At G Home Improvement, we are experts in the installation and refinishing of hardwood flooring. Contact us today for a free consultation to discover how installing hardwood flooring will increase your home’s value while providing beauty and comfort.
