The natural beauty of wood flooring has no match with the marbles and tiles. It perfectly fits in the traditionally designed living room, modern kitchen, classy bedroom, and all the other themes that are used in your home.
It is difficult to say which one is most beautiful because every wood has its own beauty. The gorgeous hardwood flooring is commonly used these days due to its elegant look and warmth effect. Laminate is another modish type of flooring idea that comes with different colors and textures.
A great many kinds of wood are used on the floor. Each type has its unique feature, texture, and color. Before choosing the type of wood, you should know the color and texture of these different types of wood so you can select the one according to the wall and ceiling theme.
In this guide, we will help you in finding the best type of wood flooring.
Hardwood flooring
Two types of hardwoods are available in the market for flooring purposes: engineered hardwood and solid hardwood.
Solid Hardwood
This type of flooring wood consists of solid wood plank or strip that is of ¾ inch thickness. The tongue and groove method of fitting is used to join the wood planks to make a wide floor.
The types of trees used in the manufacturing of solid wood flooring include oak, maple, cork, bamboo, and walnut. Depending on the species of the wood, solid hardwood offers different advantages.
Advantages
Solid wood flooring is well known for its durability and ability to refine. The reason behind the durability of it is its thick plank. You can refinish it from time to time to give it a new appearance. This type of hardwood flooring also gives a warm effect, so it is best for the residents of colder areas.
Disadvantages
Solid wood flooring needs maintenance and extra care because of its susceptible nature. Temperature change, humidity (moisture), and other climatic change negatively affect the floor made of solid wood.
Engineered hardwood flooring
As the name suggests, two to three different types of wood are engineered (join together) to form the engineered hardwood. The upper layer consists of a thin sheet of solid wood that is combined with other types of wood to give the floor versatility.
The engineered wood use for the purpose of flooring has 14mm thickness while the upper layer (veneer) is 4mm thick.
There is no difference in the appearance of solid wood or engineered hardwood because both have a natural upper layer.
Advantages
The engineered wood is more resistant to heat and humidity than solid wood and cheaper than the different types of solid wood flooring.
Disadvantages
In the sense of durability, engineered wood can not beat solid wood. Also, the refinishing cost of engineered wood is higher than solid flooring.
Some manufacturers use extremely thin upper layers to form the floor that can not be refinished, so be careful of them. To get the best quality of wooden flooring, click here.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a little different from hardwood flooring. The laminate flooring is constructed by combining three different layers.
The layer which is at the base is called fiberboard (engineered wood). At the top of the fiberboard, there is a photographic image of wood, tile, or what you asked for. The third layer is the seal called plasticate.
You can install the laminate flooring in your living room and playroom. Waterproof laminate wood is also available in the market that is used in kitchen and bathroom floors.
Advantages
This type of flooring is budget-friendly and easy to maintain. The coating of plastic protects it from dents, so it lasts for longer than 10 years.
Disadvantages
Laminate wood is susceptible to heat and moisture. It swells up if water seeps inside through the gap or joint. It is less durable than solid wood.
Parquet Flooring
The flooring expert combines the blocks of either solid or engineered wood to construct the parquet. These blocks are arranged in a specific pattern called herringbone or basket weave and chevron. This flooring style is famous for its decorative look.
Parquet flooring can be installed in the living room, bedroom, study room, and playroom.
Parquet is moisture sensitive so avoid using it on bathroom and kitchen floors. It costs around 35 to 65 euro. The thickness of wooden pieces varies between ¾ to 5/16 inches.
Advantages
The patterns of parquet are very eye-catching that can not be given through any other wood flooring type. The parquet also provides a warm effect like solid wood, and it is durable and can withstand high traffic.
Disadvantages
Like all other wood flooring types, parquet is also moisture sensitive, and another con is that it is cost restrictive.
Bamboo flooring
Although bamboo flooring comes under solid wood flooring, the reason for its separate discussion is its unique features and high demand among other wood. The woods of bamboo are extremely hard and highly durable.
Bamboo flooring is constructed in the same pattern as solid wood flooring. Bamboo plants grow more quickly than other hardwood trees, and so it is a renewable resource.
Advantages
The first and foremost important feature of bamboo is that it is eco-friendly. This flooring has high durability, and its ability to resist moisture is also high.
Disadvantages
It is more prone to damage, and it is scratch-sensitive.
The bottom line
Wooden flooring is the most demandable type of flooring that gives your home an elegant look. There are various types of wood flooring but which one is best for you depends on your budget and the area where you are going to install it.
