Are you ready to install hardwood flooring in your home, but feeling very overwhelmed about it? You'll definitely want to know all the things you need to decide on so you can narrow in on your final flooring choice.
The Hardwood Type
One of the first things you need to decide on is what type of wood you want to use for your floors. Some of the most popular options for flooring include maple, oak, walnut, and cherry, which all have their own unique benefits. They are all very hard and durable flooring materials that do a great job of resisting wear, but they all have their own unique look to them.
The Wood Grade
Not all hardwood is created equally, even if it is made out of the same type of wood. Hardwood has different grades that describe the quality of the wood. Clear grade is the highest quality you will find, which is free of knots and other imperfections. Select grade falls in the middle, with some minor imperfections like mineral streaks and knots. Rustic grade is the lowest quality, with many imperfections in the wood. You'll need to pick a grade for the type of wood you'll use.
The Floorboard Width
Another visual decision you have to make is the width of the floorboards that you will use. Using a wide wood plank can help make a room look spacious and big and will complement a big room quite well. Narrow planks tend to have a formal look to them. With that in mind, you may notice the width of the floorboards less when you are using clear-grade wood.
The Finish
Will you be getting wood that is prefinished or wood that is finished after the installation? The main difference to know between the two is that prefinished flooring material tends to wear down faster, but will install quickly because there is no finishing process involved. Sanding and staining the floors in your home will take longer, but it creates a look that will last longer as well.
The Installation Method
The two main options to install natural wood flooring is to glue or nail it down. The benefit of gluing down wood flooring is that you are not going to see any nail holes in the material, which can be a very appealing aspect of the method when you want it to look seamless. Nailing a floor down may not always create noticeable nail holes though, which depends on the diameter of the nails and the color of the wood floor you are using.
For more information on hardwood flooring, contact a company near you.