The best flooring material will not only unify your décor, but it will also make your home feel cozy and luxe. If you’ve decided to go with wood flooring but are not sure where to begin, learning about the different types of wood flooring is a good start. Read on for your guide to different types of wood flooring.
Types of Wood Flooring
Check out the three popular types of wood flooring options below:
Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring is engineered straight from ordinary lumber and is typically about ¾ of an inch, with a width range of about 2 ½ to 5 inches. It’s often divided into two categories:
- Unfinished solid wood flooring: This floor comes unfinished and requires sanding, staining and sealing to achieve that perfect look. Although it requires work, solid unfinished wood flooring offers the most natural hardwood look and can be refinished multiple times. This type of wood flooring is also durable and can last a century with proper maintenance.
- Prefinished wood flooring: Solid prefinished wood flooring ships sanded, sealed and finished from the factory. It makes your work significantly easier since all you need to do is install. The catch? Prefinished wood planks may sometimes feature beveled edges making it susceptible to moisture damage.
The primary advantage of both unfinished and prefinished solid wood flooring is that it’s super durable, and can be refinished multiple times to achieve unique wood pattern appearances. On the downside, solid hardwood floors are quite susceptible to moisture damage.
Engineered Hardwood Floors
Engineered hardwood floors are made up of a thin hardwood layer, and a multi-layer, plywood core. The plywood layers are perpendicularly placed to enhance durability and make the engineered floor less susceptible to moisture damage.
This construction also means engineered wood flooring can go on the concrete subflooring. However, the thin solid hardwood layer means engineered hardwood floors can only be refinished once or twice in their lifetime.
Laminate Flooring
Invented by a Swedish company in 1977, laminate is a synthetic wood flooring material designed to mimic the look of real hardwood floors but some designs look like stone flooring. It is made up of a thin image, resin-infused layer, a dense plywood or fiberboard core and an extremely durable protective wear layer.
Despite being synthetic flooring material, laminate flooring is exceptionally durable thanks to its multi-layer build. It is scratch and dent resistant, making it ideal for high-traffic areas such as hallways, dining and living rooms. Laminate flooring is also easy to install and uninstall and can even be reinstalled multiple times.
Thanks to its woody appearance and a range of color variations, laminate flooring blends with nearly any décor and looks extremely realistic. On the downside, it’s highly susceptible to moisture damage, and unlike solid and engineered hardwood flooring, cannot be refinished.
Ready to Invest in Wood Flooring?
Whether you’re remodeling your home or need flooring for new construction, familiarizing yourself with available wood flooring makes decision-making easier. Each type as shown has its pros and cons and whether to buy it, depends on your preferences.
Can’t make up your mind on the type of wood flooring for your project? Contact us today, and let our team help you put the dilemma to rest.