Is Hardwood Flooring the Right Choice for Your Home?

Few things can compare to the beauty and charm of a hardwood floor.  Hardwood is a timeless flooring option, giving you access to tremendous beauty, durability, longevity and more.  However, hardwood does require special care and maintenance methods.  Is hardwood flooring right for your home?  What types of hardwood are available for your use?  What does solid flooring offer? Is engineered hardwood flooring a better choice?

Hardwood flooring is exactly what it sounds like – a floor made from a hardwood tree species.  There are numerous species of tree that can be made into flooring, as well as domestic and exotic options available.  In addition, hardwood flooring can be natural, or it can be engineered; both methods offer benefits.
 
Natural Hardwood Flooring – This method of flooring manufacture uses planks of natural wood. These can be plain sawn, or they can be rift sawn or quarter sawn.  All three sawing methods produce a different look.  For instance, plain sawn planks give you a wide look at the rings of the tree, while rift-sawn planks can be used to provide a uniform look across the entire floor.  Quarter sawn planks are cut at right angles to each other from the center of the tree and offer a better aesthetic.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring – Engineered flooring is manufactured using strips, or layers, bonded to each other.  Dual ply and triple ply flooring options are available.  Of course, the top layer is a veneer of natural wood that resembles natural hardwood flooring, though the bonded layers provide better rigidity and improved durability for the flooring.

You will also need to determine if you want to use domestic hardwoods or exotic hardwoods.  Domestic hardwood floors are made using trees grown and harvested in the US.  Exotic hardwood floors are made from trees grown and harvested outside the US.  Both offer wonderful looks, though exotic hardwoods can provide you with a unique flooring option that few others will have.  However, exotic hardwood has come under fire from environmental concerns due to unsustainable harvesting methods and severe deforestation resulting from harvesting.