Discussing Wood Flooring Types Wood flooring is probably the most favored flooring type, becoming progressively so in recent years. Its natural organic appearance, vast species, color and grain variations allow it to be a flexible match to almost any type of room design. This ever increasing popularity has result in the rise in new wood flooring types, especially ‘Laminate Flooring’. Despite some reservations among purists, laminate flooring is a cost efficient substitute for real wood flooring, and in fact, has a few benefits as compared to real wood, the primary of which is durability. The outer layer comprises of cellulose paper bearing a photographic image of wood that has been impregnated with melamine resin; the subsequent material is very tough and provides high impact resistance and protection; it is actually more than ten times stronger than natural hardwood. Laminate floors don’t fade or tarnish since they resist ultra violet light, and so, keep a freshly laid appearance. One remarkable appeal to this kind of flooring is the ease by which it can be fitted. Generally, laminate flooring systems are glue less and floating instead, they depend on a system of interlocking tongues and grooves to form a strong mass. When it fits, a gap is kept around the perimeter of the floor to let it to expand and contract at its natural rate. Natural wood floors are categorized in two main categories: Solid or Engineered. Solid wood floors are the most genuine form of wood floor. They are machined instantly from logged timber as complete, single planks; and match together using a simple ‘tongue and groove’. Because of the characteristics of natural wood, there are size limitations to the width and thickness of boards to be able to maintain their integrity-resisting cupping and splitting. The main advantage of a solid wood floor is that it can be resurfaced multiple times by sanding down the top layer and refinishing. Nowadays, more care is taken to make sure timber supplies are gathered from ecological sources in order to be kinder to the environment. Engineered wood floors are manufactured by layering strips of wood in different grain directions with a top layer of pre-finished veneer-cheaper types occasionally substitute plywood with MDF board. Based upon the thickness of the surface veneer, engineered floors is often sanded down and refinished to get rid of scratches; however, much care must be taken to ensure sanding doesn’t go beyond the depth of the top layer since this will expose the lesser-grade wood below. This
kind of plank construction provides strong, stable yet thinner flooring, which is often laid as a floating floor system. Wood floors usually do not perform well in locations susceptible to extreme damp or moisture; thus, if used in kitchens or bathrooms, proper care must be taken to prevent spills settling for extended periods of time as this will lead to permanent, irreversible damage.