The benefits of solid wood flooring
If you are thinking of buying solid wood flooring, you might be put off by the cost. This is not a cheap form of flooring, but will last years and years, unlike most flooring materials like vinyl, laminates and carpets. There is quite a choice of solid woods and their finishes, which ensure that you can have a floor that looks and feels first class. It is important not to confuse hardwoods like oak and walnut with softwoods like pine – you need hardwood flooring for a home. It is best to buy hardwood flooring, in oak or birch flooring. These are all suitable for homes. They are also fairly easy to install – you saw them to size, and nail or glue the panels in place.
Solid wood flooring can be obtained with various finishes – lacquered wood is quite common, but you can also get brushed and oiled or a handscraped finish. The brushed and oiled surfaces have some advantages in that they can easily be oiled to repair any minor blemishes that may occur.
Quality is important with solid wood flooring, whether it is oak parquet flooring or oiled walnut. It is not a good idea to buy cheap C or D grades of wood, as these are not so likely to last. There can be problems with them when they dry out fully.
You also need to distinguish between solid wood flooring planks and planks made from recycled wood chippings, and coated with a thin layer of wood veneer. These engineered wood floors are actually stable, but do not have the feel of real solid wood. Further down the range of flooring materials are laminates which have an artificial covering which resembles wood. Laminates look all right to the superficial glance, but the fact that they are not real wood is easily seen. Also, these laminates are easily damaged, and one the surface is broken, it is difficult to repair then neatly.