Hardwood flooring is - made using poplar, teak, maple, oak, cherry, elm, bamboo, beech, birch, or ash trees. It comes either unfinished or prefinished.
Where can this flooring be installed ?
This flooring is durable. It can be installed in a room above ground level. Better not use it for some of the locations such as bathrooms, saunas, washrooms, or porches that are enclosed or verandas or in such places where there is a need for wet-mopping. This is due to the fact that it is one of the natural products. This flooring may swell, crack or warp if exposed to moisture for longer duration.
Some of these hardwood species are softer than others. For heavy traffic areas, harder hardwood species are recommended.
Installing hardwood flooring:
It is easy to install your own floors, if prefinished hardwood floors are chosen. Your job gets over if you have the knowledge of basic carpentry and adhere to installation instructions by the manufacturer. Experts are best recommended to complete the job of sanding and finishing, if you decide to install unfinished flooring.
The benefits of using hardwood flooring :
This is long lasting. Most types of hardwood flooring lasts for decades to come.
How to maintain hardwood flooring:
Professional installation of this flooring is expensive and this also costs higher. But the value of your home is increased by this. Therefore, many experts consider this as an investment. Its strength lies in its durability. Due to this property, it is not required to replace it until it gets damaged. As research shows, most real estate agents believe that it is easier to sell homes having this type of flooring at higher prices and faster than homes with other types of flooring.
Following are a few tips to make your hardwood flooring last longer :
1. In areas of high traffic sweeping regularly is recommended.
2. If your vacuum cleaner has a hardwood setting, then, you can remove dirt from your flooring easily.
3. You can use a pH cleaner that is neutral, which is specifically made for this kind of flooring to maintain its appearance.
4. Do not be bothered if the flooring shows gaps during winter season. Wood is a natural product and it is common for it to shrink and expand during winter and summer respectively. If the relative humidity is stabilized in home, then this problem can be avoided. De-humidifiers, humidifiers and air-conditioners are essential to control the moisture in a home.
Wood is a good insulator and hence it is not cold. The inside is warm. The warmth can be felt during the usage.
Engineered Flooring:
HDF, plywood or hardwood core, with its top layer as hardwood veneer, when glued to the core's top surface, makes engineered hardwood flooring. This is available in any of the hardwood species. The natural characteristics of any chosen species of wood are present in this, and therefore, this is not a mere photographic layer. This engineered product makes the hardwood highly stable, at places where heat and moisture pose a problem to it.
Cleaning hardwood floors:
For cleaning hardwood floors, floor cleaners are recommended. Vacuum cleaning and dry mopping is also recommended. Remember to dry mop it as soon as you wet mop,so that it absorbs any water left on the floor.
For pet owners:
1. As against carpeting, these floors are recommended for homes with pets.
2. In a hardwood floor, ticks, mites, fleas, allergens or animal dander is not trapped.
3. In fact pet messes can be cleaned easily and odors are not trapped in here;
4. For the purpose of avoiding scratch marks, clip the nails of your pets.
5. Your floors get damaged if liquids and spills are not attended to; so immediate cleaning is recommended.
6. Stable based water bowls are best recommended to avoid spills and do not forget to place a mat or a throw rug beneath the pet's bowl to absorb spills. But if it becomes very wet you have to dry it after removing it.
Where can this flooring be installed ?
This flooring is durable. It can be installed in a room above ground level. Better not use it for some of the locations such as bathrooms, saunas, washrooms, or porches that are enclosed or verandas or in such places where there is a need for wet-mopping. This is due to the fact that it is one of the natural products. This flooring may swell, crack or warp if exposed to moisture for longer duration.
Some of these hardwood species are softer than others. For heavy traffic areas, harder hardwood species are recommended.
Installing hardwood flooring:
It is easy to install your own floors, if prefinished hardwood floors are chosen. Your job gets over if you have the knowledge of basic carpentry and adhere to installation instructions by the manufacturer. Experts are best recommended to complete the job of sanding and finishing, if you decide to install unfinished flooring.
The benefits of using hardwood flooring :
This is long lasting. Most types of hardwood flooring lasts for decades to come.
How to maintain hardwood flooring:
Professional installation of this flooring is expensive and this also costs higher. But the value of your home is increased by this. Therefore, many experts consider this as an investment. Its strength lies in its durability. Due to this property, it is not required to replace it until it gets damaged. As research shows, most real estate agents believe that it is easier to sell homes having this type of flooring at higher prices and faster than homes with other types of flooring.
Following are a few tips to make your hardwood flooring last longer :
1. In areas of high traffic sweeping regularly is recommended.
2. If your vacuum cleaner has a hardwood setting, then, you can remove dirt from your flooring easily.
3. You can use a pH cleaner that is neutral, which is specifically made for this kind of flooring to maintain its appearance.
4. Do not be bothered if the flooring shows gaps during winter season. Wood is a natural product and it is common for it to shrink and expand during winter and summer respectively. If the relative humidity is stabilized in home, then this problem can be avoided. De-humidifiers, humidifiers and air-conditioners are essential to control the moisture in a home.
Wood is a good insulator and hence it is not cold. The inside is warm. The warmth can be felt during the usage.
Engineered Flooring:
HDF, plywood or hardwood core, with its top layer as hardwood veneer, when glued to the core's top surface, makes engineered hardwood flooring. This is available in any of the hardwood species. The natural characteristics of any chosen species of wood are present in this, and therefore, this is not a mere photographic layer. This engineered product makes the hardwood highly stable, at places where heat and moisture pose a problem to it.
Cleaning hardwood floors:
For cleaning hardwood floors, floor cleaners are recommended. Vacuum cleaning and dry mopping is also recommended. Remember to dry mop it as soon as you wet mop,so that it absorbs any water left on the floor.
For pet owners:
1. As against carpeting, these floors are recommended for homes with pets.
2. In a hardwood floor, ticks, mites, fleas, allergens or animal dander is not trapped.
3. In fact pet messes can be cleaned easily and odors are not trapped in here;
4. For the purpose of avoiding scratch marks, clip the nails of your pets.
5. Your floors get damaged if liquids and spills are not attended to; so immediate cleaning is recommended.
6. Stable based water bowls are best recommended to avoid spills and do not forget to place a mat or a throw rug beneath the pet's bowl to absorb spills. But if it becomes very wet you have to dry it after removing it.
About the Author:
If you really want to know a few of the hardest woods, see the hardest wood . For lots of related topics, visit http://www.A1DesignerFlooring.com .
