The timeless beauty of hardwood flooring enhances the décor of any home. Its freshness and warmth gives your home a welcoming feeling – seeing a shiny, wooden floor always gives off a great first impression.
Wooden floors have different natural patterns, which change over time, so you are not stuck with the same colour or shade. You can also sand and refinish them to change the colour.
There’s no doubt that wooden floors are beautiful, but are they for you?
According to a carpenter from Carpenter Johannesburg the first thing to consider is the wide variety of wooden floors that are available on the market, and which one is the best for you.
He says there are 23 different species of hardwood that flooring can be milled from and each type has different characteristics such as colour, hardness and grain variation. Sometimes the same species of wood can have different colours so it’s a good idea to ask a specialist to show you the different colours that are accessible.
There are three styles of hardwood floors. These are strip or linear, parquet and plank. Strip floors give off the illusion of a larger, more open space. The parquet flooring style consists of wood flooring pieces. These pieces form geometric designs, which range from glue down to glue and nail down bits.
Plank flooring is considered to be a wider type of linear flooring.
After considering the styles, the next step is to choose a type. There are three types of flooring, namely acrylic impregnated, solid and engineered. The acrylic hardwood is hard; this is because acrylic is injected into the wood. This type of wood is mostly used in commercial buildings and in high traffic areas of the home such as the kitchen and living room.
Wood flooring is great for people with allergies because it doesn’t trap dust and other allergens.
Solid hardwood is one, complete piece of wood. With this type, you can choose your own finish and stain; it can also be professionally refinished up to five times. Engineered hardwood flooring is mostly used in places with high levels of moisture such as the basement and bathroom. The grains of the engineered flooring run in different directions for added stability.
Also take into consideration, the cleaning and maintenance process. Find out if the wood needs to be professionally cleaned and how much time and energy it will cost to do it yourself.
Pros and cons of wood flooring
1. Wooden floors are easy to maintain and clean because stains and dirt do not stick to the surface.
2. The colour remains the same for a long time.
3. Wooden floors have different natural patterns, which change over time, so you are not stuck with the same colour or shade. You can also sand and refinish them to change the colour.
Wood flooring is versatile and fits with most décor themes and design styles.
4. Wood flooring is versatile and fits with most décor themes and design styles.
5. This flooring option is made from a renewable natural resource that is sustainable.
6. There is a wide variety to choose from.
7. These are great for people with allergies because these floors don’t trap dust and other allergens.
8. When it comes to wood flooring, expense is a great disadvantage. This may limit installation for persons with a limited budget.
9. The floors have to be waxed every now and then with a special machine to maintain their shine.
10. The wood is vulnerable to humidity and moisture.
11. Wearing certain types of shoes may cause noise.
According to Meyer, the price of your flooring will vary based on the style and type you choose. He says engineered flooring ranges from R395 to R1 300 per square metre. Solid wooden floors cost R480 to R1 500 per square metre, and acrylic impregnated costs R600 to R1 700 per square metres.
Another important factor to consider is whether you want your floors to be pre-finished or finished in place. Pre-finished wooden flooring goes through an intensive finishing process at the manufacturing plant. The finish in place process consists of installing the unfinished wood and then finishing the wood in place. It is more labour intensive, but it allows for more customisation. Finishing in place is also a dusty business and the process takes a number of days to be completed.
Meyer advises homeowners to get professional carpentry guidance before committing to buying their wooden floors. He says doing so will ensure that your money is well spent, and that you get the best possible results.
SOURCE: www.property24.com
