Wood Flooring

What is wood flooring?  Well, that's a broad term.  Wood flooring is hardwood, softwood, laminate, engineered, pre-finished, or unfinished wood flooring.

Hardwood

Hardwood flooring is any type of deciduous, or broadleaved, wood flooring.  These wood species are usually harder than their coniferous, or evergreen, relatives.  Examples of hardwood are Oak, Walnut, Cherry, Hickory, Birch, Elm, etc.  Deciduous trees produce a more durable and dimensionally stable floor.  Solid hardwood floors can be installed in a variety of situations with a variety of stains and finishes.  We will discuss wood finish in a future blog post.

Softwood

The term softwood designates wood from conifers or gymnosperm trees (plants having seeds with no covering). Examples of the softwood trees are Pine, Spruce, Cedar, Fir, Larch, Douglas-Fir, Hemlock, Cypress, Redwood, and Yew. There are about one-hundred times as many hardwood species as softwoods.  Flooring is not often made with softwood lumber.

Engineered Wood

Engineered Hardwood is made up of several layers of pressed wood.  The layers are pressed with the grain running in alternating directions. It is much more dimensionally stable than traditional solid wood floors.  In other words, it is more resistant to expansion and shrinkage due to changes in relative humidity.  Engineered wood is great for installation below grade (below ground level) or in areas with a lot of moisture (bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms) or areas with very little moisture (Colorado!).

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a synthetic or composite recycled material with a layer of aluminum oxide finish on top.  Laminate flooring is made to look like natural products, such as wood flooring or natural stone.  Most laminate flooring is essentially a photograph of wood sealed with a plastic coating. Laminates are often much harder and more durable than 100% natural wood products.

Bamboo

Though bamboo makes a durable floor, it is neither a hardwood or softwood.  In fact, bamboo is not a tree at all, but a grass.  Bamboo is becoming increasingly more popular due to its perceived benefits to the environment.  Special precautions must be taken when installing bamboo in Colorado.

Cork

Cork flooring is manufactured from the bark of the evergreen Cork Oak tree. The hardness of cork is rarely discussed because it is starkly different from other wood and laminate flooring materials. Its Janka rating is 200, but that doesn't accurately reflect its durability. Because cork is soft, it is often thought of as being a low quality flooring option, however, cork has an uncanny ability to “heal” when dented or torn.

We'd love to help you select the right Wood Floor for your home!

Call US Floors Direct today for a flooring estimate!

(719) 391-9319

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