Posts Tagged ‘sustainable flooring’

Posted on November 9, 2011 - by admin

Hardwood Flooring for you Home is a good Idea

Hardwood flooring is a popular upgrade choice for adding value and sophistication to a home. There are many options for colour, width, finish, and species that open a virtually endless array of possibilities for a unique result. Colour choice might depend on the colours of other furnishings in the area such as existing wood furniture or cabinetry, although it is not necessarily the case that you must stick to just one wood colour in both your flooring and furniture. Lighter colours make rooms feel larger and more expansive, and hide dust and some types of animal hair more easily. Darker colours can appear more dramatic and sophisticated.

Width can range from very narrow to wide planks, with the price often increasing for larger widths. Wide planks do make a space look larger, although a budget-minded home-owner might choose to counter the narrowing effect of smaller planks by using a lighter colour. Finish is another choice point that presents opportunities to create a desired effect in a room. Pre-finished hardwood flooring is less expensive than flooring that is sanded and stained after installation.

Using pre-finished hardwood flooring also sidesteps the potential inconvenience and extra installation time associated with sanding and staining the wood after it is laid down in the room. However, hardwood flooring that is sanded and finished after installation can be more smooth across the seams between planks and the colour is often more consistent. Some people prefer the variegated look of pre-finished hardwood, and this type of look does make it easier to use non-premium pieces of flooring. Species choices can be made based on cost, grain appearance, sustainability, durability, and personal preference. Both exotic species and more traditional choices, such as oak, are easily available nowadays.

Other considerations when planning a hardwood flooring project are the area to be covered (for instance, where to have borders to the hardwood installation in an open floor plan space and whether to include special spaces such as stairs), what type of moulding to use where the wall meets the new flooring, and what underlying material the floor will be set upon. Area rugs might be a wise choice for protecting brand-new hardwood floors in high traffic areas, spaces exposed to large amounts of sunlight that could fade the finish, or for safety on stairs.