Many homeowners understand the value of timber flooring. The material is durable, elegant, and stylish. But if you have never installed hardwood floors in your home, you may be wondering where to start. Indeed, hardwood floors can be as complicated as they are stylish. They vary by grade, shade, application, and texture.
So, how will you know that you've made the right choice for your home? Here are some of the most important factors to consider when installing hardwood floors for the first time.
Colour
Colour is perhaps the easiest place to start when considering wooden floors. While shades of brown are most common, you can increase customisation by going for natural blends, shades of grey, and even red/white planks. It all depends on the theme that you have in mind for your home. Grey tones have become popular during recent years because of their rustic appearance. However, dark brown shades never fail when going for that timeless, antique look.
Many hardwood floors resemble the original bark of the tree that they came from. If you have a specific tree in mind, you can go for floors that resemble that colour. Different shades can also be achieved through hand-scraping, coating, and polishing. Ask your contractor about the choices that they can offer and compare their samples to your desired look.
Thickness
Thickness is a feature that many people don't consider during the purchasing process. The thickness of your planks will determine warmth, durability, and ease of maintenance. In most cases, thicker planks are durable, stylish and more costly. Thinner planks may enable you to save, but they could also get easily damaged from scrapes and spills.
Consider where you'll be installing the hardwood floors in your home. If it's in an area of minimal traffic, thinner planks will work just fine. High traffic areas such as living rooms and mudrooms may necessitate thicker planks.
Origin
One of the most exciting parts of hardwood floor shopping is picking woods from different parts of the planet. Some common species such as red oak and acacia may be found locally, while others, such as hickory and maple are often imported. Consider the type of veining patterns that you prefer for your floors when picking a species of wood. You may also wish to match the species with other types of furniture in your home.
Ease of installation
Hardwood floors can be installed by glue, nail, staples or a combination of the three. Glue installation is quick and convenient, while nail installation takes more time. However, nail installation is more thorough and will prevent the planks from coming off over time.
