floorihgr finishes that add value to the home Selling hardwood

f fgr-ptNc HoMEowNh.RS, remodelers lland builders select hardwood flooring for their homes can be a valuable investment. Surveys estimate that hardwood flooring can add as much as $7,000 to $10.000 to a home's resale value. And a study conducted by the National Wood Flooring Association revealed that 99a/a of U.S. real estate agents asserted that homes with hardwood flooring are easier to sell; 907o said that homes with hardwood flooring sell for more money-up to 1.07o more, in fact.

In order to get the most out of their valuable investment in American hardwood, here are the flooring options they need to know about before they buy:

Solid Wood Floors

Solid hardwood flooring comes in three basic types: strip, plank and parquet.

Strip flooril?g accounts for the majority of hardwood installations. It is installed by nailing the wood to the subfloor.

Plank floor boarcls are at least 3" wide, and can be screwed or nailed to the subfloor.

Parquet f'looring comes in 6"x6" blocks, but specialty patterns can be made much larger. Parquet floors often create a dramatic geometric look.

One tip to keep in mind is that solid hardwood flooring expands and contracts cluc to chlnqcs in your hone's huntiditl'. Installers can contpensate fbr this b1' lcai'ing alt expansion gap betu,een the 1'loor ancl thc wall.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is made of rnultiplc la1,e1s of diff'erent gradcs or styles of wood that are stacked and gluecl toscther under high heat and pressure. This type of flooring is less likcly tcr bc aU-ectcd by changcs in humidity.

Wood Laminates

Wood laminatcs consist of a pl,vwood base topped with a la1,er of vencer. Thc vcneer coatirrg on *,ood laminatc 1'loors cun be sandcd and rel'inishetl un t() lhtce trrrrc: irr rrrosl cases.

After selecting the tvpe ol' harclwood floorin-t. thc next step is choosin-e a finish that uill enhance thc wood's beautl' ancl protccl tl'rc 1'loorfrom evervdir)' \'!'ear. dirt and lt-toisture. The finish u'ill also -{ivc hardwood a rich color and luster to ntatch 1,our home's look and feel.

There are a few hardwood finishint options to choose liom:

Surface Finishes

Thesc are the most popular choice of stains. and involve apply'ing a stain to achic','e color follori'ed by a top coilt to acld a la1'er of protection. Surfacc finishes are dulable and easv to rrurinltrirt.

Oil-busel rtretltutte is the most conrmonlv usccl floor finish. It is ar,ailablc in clil'f'crent shccns. nnd is genclallv apltlicrl in multiple coats and aiso anrbcrs vu ith agc.

Wutcr-bu.sctl urcI ltttttc provides a clear finish and produccs t'ewcr odors, quicker clry timc ancl easicr clcan-up.

Moisture-t'ut'ctl urcthunc is a solvent-based solution mosf ly usccl in commercial applications. It is rnor-c durable and moisturc-resistant thalt other options.

Conversion varnishes are a prof'cssionals-only application product that is often used in commercial spaccs.

Penetrating Stains & Ftntsnes

Thcse finishes penetrate the 'uvood to lornt a protective seal. The stains soak in to provide the color. and a wax coating pror.,ides a lou'-gloss satin shccn. Thesc finishes require spccial carc. as certain products (rvatcr-hascd products) should not be used on the floors.

Sheen Options

Choicc o1'shccrr is a personal prcfererrce but it's hclplirl to kccp in ntincl that high-gloss finishcs shou, scuffs and scratchcs morc casilv than lorigloss or satin finishcs. tJirh-gloss I'inishes also re flccl ntorc lisht uncl itr.c typically usccl in contnrclcial scttings. while satin finishes arc usuallv lrruled l'or rrrorc tludiliorrul irPPlietitlOns.

Extra-Durable Finishes

One of the latest trends in harclwoocl finishes are products designecl to ertcnd the life of the floor ancl nrakc thcrn extra-durable. Somc manutacturcls state that these finishes are l0 timcs ntore clurablc than other finisl'rcs. ancl can last fbr up to 25 ycars. Swcclish l'inishcs and acrylic f inishes are the rnost popular types of extraclurable products.

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