Guide To Choosing The Right Wood Flooring

There are different types of wood flooring available and might be confusing when looking for one. The type of wood flooring that you will choose for your home will depend on many factors. For instance, we have the dark woods, and the light woods and each of them has different effects. Wood is a classic material, and if you want to achieve the classic kind of look in your home, then this is a good choice. The best thing with wood flooring is the fact that you can use it for both the traditional and contemporary house design.


How do you choose the right wood flooring?
Type of wood
You need to determine the type of wood before choosing any wood flooring. There are various types of wood flooring available, and it depends on your personal preference. The basic types of wood flooring include the solid wood flooring and the engineered wood flooring. Just like the name suggests, the solid wood flooring is one piece of wood that is installed on a flat floor. With solid wood flooring, you can polish and furnish it to suit your needs. On the other hand, engineered wood flooring includes different layers of wood that have been stuck together to create the floor. The engineered wood flooring doesn’t do well with constant polishing and furnishing because this can damage it.

Species of wood
The wood species is also important in determining the floor that you will choose. The difference comes in the effect that you want to achieve in your home. Some people prefer dark floors while others prefer to have light colored floors. For dark colored floors, we have tree species like mahogany and walnut while for light colored floors you can choose maple and ash. We also have a blend of dark and light color, and you can get this type of effect from oak and hickory. When choosing wood species also consider the durability and hardness of the wood.

Factory or site finished
When it comes to wood flooring, you can choose factory finished wood or site finished wood. For factory finished wood, everything is done in the factory. Activities like polishing and staining are done in the factory before the wood arrives in your home. Once you buy this type of wood flooring, all you have to do is the installation. On the other hand, we also have site finished wood. For site-finished wood flooring, you buy raw wood, and you make all the adjustments in the home. If you want to personalize the floor, then this is the correct type of wood to buy. You can polish and apply the stain depending on your taste and preference to attain an excellent finish. Factory finished wood flooring is ideal if you don’t have someone to do all the details and polishing and you are looking for something that is ready made.

The level of sheen
The level of sheen will determine the type of floor wood that you choose. When it comes to the level of sheen, it is a matter of preference, and you cannot say one is better than the other. For instance, we have the gloss finishes which reflect a lot of light because of the sheen. We also have semi-gloss finishes that reflect average level of light. The wood flooring with the least sheen is the matte finish because it reflects little or no light. A matte floor is ideal if you want to hide all the scratches on the floor.

Color change of the wood
Color change in wood is something that you can never avoid. Some woods will be exposed to color change faster compared to others. For instance, oak tends to fade at a slower rate compared to other types of wood. The best thing about the color change in wood is something that you can adopt as part of the beauty. A color change in the wood will give you the opportunity to experience the beauty of the wood. However, if you don’t want your wood floor to change in color, you can protect it from direct sunlight using rugs and mats.

Weather in your region
The weather in your region is an important aspect when choosing wood flooring. You need to consider choosing wood flooring that will not be affected by weather conditions. Wood is a material that tends to be affected by moisture, and if you live in an area with a high level of humidity, you need to consider engineered wood flooring. With engineered wood flooring, the wood is already sealed and reinforced. You will be guaranteed that your engineered wood will not be affected by moisture. If you live in less humid areas, then solid wood flooring might not be a bad idea as long as you protect it from moisture.

Care of the floor
You need to determine the care that your wood floor will require before you decide to buy any wood flooring. For people who might not have they time to take care of their wood flooring, then a matte finish wood flooring is important. With a matte wood flooring, you will be guaranteed that you don’t have to constantly polish it to achieve the shiny look. However, if you don’t mind the constant polishing, you can choose a gloss or semi-gloss finish. The two types of wood finish will require some regular polishing to achieve the shiny look. You need to choose high quality wood polish to maintain the appearance of the wood. Using low quality furnish might end up damaging your floor.

Cost of installation
The cost of installation will determine the type of wood that you buy. The factory finished wood is cheaper to install because everything is prepared in the factory and all you have to do is to prepare your floor for installation. The installation of factory wood flooring also takes the least amount of time. However, for site-finished wood flooring, you might end up spending more money for the installation. A lot of things need to be done before the wood can be given a complete look. You might need to spend a lot of money to gain a good look.

Conclusion
Wood flooring is a good option for any home. It is one a timeless option that will never go out of fashion. Wood has been existent for a long time and people still use it to date. Apart from being an option that will never get outdated, there are still some reasons why you should consider wood flooring. Wood is an environment friendly time of flooring especially for people who suffer from allergies. It will keep your home warm at all times. With wood flooring there are many options to choose from and you will always find something that suits your style.