Flooring factors such as texture, color or patterns might be dominated by the available flooring variety present in this modern age but there is no substitute for the warmth feeling that comes from wood flooring. Real wood is naturally beautiful and fits well in a traditional interior design. Wood flooring in Arizona can come in different sizes and styles depending on two types of wood: solid and engineered wood. The solid wood is obtained from sustainable forests while an engineered wood is consist of layers of wood material.
Whichever you pick for your floor installation, you will have to define your colors and wood species from the options provided. Other factors that may be considered include the cost of flooring and installation; the size of the floorboards and subfloors; the room size and the wood species.
Solid-Wood Flooring
There are three forms of solid wood: narrow strips—1-1/2 and 3 inches wide, planks—3 to 7 inches wide and parquet squares. Strips are commonly used in wood flooring. Planks are mostly used in wide-open space and larger rooms. The Parquet form is ideal for pattern making like herringbones, weaves or geometric shapes. The thickness of all three forms may range from 5/16 to 3/4 inches.
Solid wood flooring comes as either unfinished or prefinished. The unfinished is very popular with homeowners since it is affordable and naturally attractive. Staining can be done to improve on color in maple or red oak hardwoods. Sanding and clear topcoat finish are required to maintain the state of this finishing. The prefinished wood is comparably expensive, but it does not require the normal sanding or finishing- you just install or nail it. It is easy to carry since the planks used are thinner.
Engineered-Wood Flooring
This type of wood flooring has been used since the early 80s and has gained popularity in Arizona and the rest of the world. A plank of Engineered-Wood consists of a top thin solid wood veneer and other two or more glued layers of wood. This type of flooring is considered to be far much stable since it has reduced wrapping, splitting, cupping or shrinking. There are more than 24 species of both softwood and hardwood to choose from this option.
The prefinished type of plank is common in Arizona and other parts of the nation. When picking this type of flooring, it is a rule to make sure that the top veneer is at least 1/8 inch thick. The planks are manufactured with either one, two or three strips- the number of veneer strips visible on the top layer.
Installing this material in floors give out a neat appearance- no nailing or gluing, just simple installation. This can be a reason as to why it is a do-it –yourself wood flooring. If the existing floor is hard, flat, and in sound condition, the planks can be laid directly over it.
Ensure that you get sustainable renewable resources which are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council or similar environmental agency. Determine what is right for your floor by understanding the types of wood that you find available. Apart from the details explained, your budget and taste will guide you to choose the best wood flooring available in Arizona.
Recent Comments