A Complete Guide to Hardwood Floor Selection and Installation

03/13/2019

While undertaking a home building or renovation project, the choice of flooring underpins most other things. Out of many different available options, hardwood is one material that has stood out from the rest for many years. However, it is important to remember that all hardwood floorings are not the same. Hardwood floor selection is not just about choosing a color of your choice. There are many other factors that may impact the performance and aesthetics of your hardwood floor. Mentioned below are some of the most important factors to take into account while selecting hardwood flooring.

• Solid or Engineered Hardwood Flooring: Traditional hardwood floorings are available as planks of solid timber. However, these days, engineered flooring options are offered by many companies. These are planks with a thinner top layer bonded to other layers. Engineered hardwood is designed mostly to restrict the shifting of the floor because of contraction and expansion cycles.

Engineered flooring is certainly advantageous for apartments and basements with concrete subfloors. In general, solid wood is installed over one or more layers of plywood.  This may reduce the ceiling height or interfere with existing doors marginally. On the other hand, engineered hardwood can be glued directly to a concrete floor. However, be mindful of the fact that some engineered floors cannot be sanded or refinished in the future because they have an extremely thin top layer.

Despite the advantages of engineered hardwood, some homeowners believe that solid wood has a timeless appeal and can create all the difference in terms of aesthetics. Fix your priority carefully before making your choice.

• Site-finished or Pre-finished Flooring: You have the option to purchase prefinished hardwood planks or planks that can be finished after installation by a professional expert. Prefinished planks arrive with the topcoat and stain applied, and the buyers know exactly what they are receiving. This can help coordinating the color palette of the home and selecting design elements such as cabinetry, wall coverings, textiles, etc. Also, installation of prefinished floorings require relatively less time.

Site finished flooring is preferred bay many homeowners because this option is customisable, and gives them more control over the sheen and stain. Also, in case of site finish, the final product is smoother because it is finished as just one continuous plane.

• Choose the Wood Type: Oak is considered to be the gold standard in hardwood flooring for many reasons. It is durable, responds well to stain, and has a natural grain that is extremely appealing. Moreover, it is reasonably priced because of its easy availability.

Another popular choice for hardwood flooring is walnut. Though slightly softer compared to Oak, its deep color is perfectly suited for rooms where a darker finish is required. Some other widely available choices include ash, maple, cherry, and hickory. Your final selection comes down to your preference for grain and color.

• Selection of Grain Pattern: Plain-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn are three different ways in which logs are cut. Each of these cuts yields a different grain pattern. Plain-sawn represents the traditional wood grain characterised by undulating patterns. On the other hand, rift-sawn boards feature grains that are more consistent, linear, and longer without any undulating patterns. Quarter-sawn boards are similar to rift in appearance, but they come with additional irregular figuring.

When it comes to wood grain selection, there are no good or bad choices. The selection depends entirely on your applications and preferences. For example, plain-sawn is probably a great choice for a more rustic property. However, quarter-sawn can bring a lot of life to an urban property.

• Plank Width Determination: Traditionally, the use of two to three inch hardwood strips is common for flooring installation. However, these days, wider planks are also used based on the room size and application. A floor made of wider planks has fewer seams compared to one made of thin strips. However, these seams may become more prominent due to expansion and contraction of the wood because the changes are distributed across a limited number of boards.

Hardwood Floor Installation: Depending on flooring type, different types to tools are required for hardwood floor installation. Some common tools include drill, pneumatic flooring nailer, hammer, drill bits, saw, and pry bar.

• Decide on Installation Method: The first step is to determine the right procedure for installation. Depending on the width, construction, and thickness of the hardwood, these methods may vary. In most cases, solid floorings are stapled or nailed to a wooden subfloor. Engineered hardwood, on the other hand, is installed, glued, or mechanically fastened as a floating floor.

Please remember that hardwood floor installation requires precision, time, and technical know-how. Therefore, if you are not confident, seek professional help immediately.

• Acclimatise the Floors: Don’t forget that hardwood floors require adequate time to acclimatise to the room climate. In order to do this, move all the packaged boards to the room where they will be installed and open the cartoons. Leave them for several days to allow proper acclimatisation of the boards. However, acclimatisation is not required for engineered flooring.
• Prepare the Space: Before starting, gather all necessary tools and please ensure that the subfloor is dry, clean, and flat.
• Floor Installation: If required, start by rolling out the underlayment. Lay the floor pieces parallel to the room’s longest wall. Allow for expansion by placing spacers between the boards. Ensure that there are no darker or lighter patches on the floor.

Whether you are building a new home or renovating your existing home, Enoak has the expertise to provide you the peace of mind you deserve. Please contact our experts today to discuss your hardwood flooring requirements.