Hardwood floors are all the rage with homebuyers and those looking to remodel rooms with other less durable, tough, or natural flooring materials. Many different looks and types of hardwood floors are available today. Depending on your budget, there is a hardwood floor product for you. Make a trip to your local home center store to see firsthand the different options available. If you're not the weekend handyman type ask for preferred installation contractors at the home center.Here are some handy tips and hints. -Solid hardwood floors come in three varieties. Strip floors; this is the most common. Plank floors, random widths give any home a rustic, colonial, or country look. Parquet are short wood pieces glued to backing on 12 inch square tiles. Solid hardwood floors can be sanded up to three times in their lifetime. -Common hardwoods and softwood used are; birch, beech,maple,oak, red oak, pine, fir, and cherry. -Laminated hardwood floors are not the same as solid. A thin layer or veneer is bonded to another less expensive wood, and typically pre-finished with both stain and sealer. The down side is these types of floors can't be sanded and refinished. -Bamboo floors are becoming more and more popular. Considered green-building-friendly, they are an easy-to-replenish species. Bamboo floors are more flexible than oak and maple. One downside is that it does stain more easily. Make sure that you apply an extra two coats of sealer. -All wood flooring should be placed in the space where it is to be installed for a couple of days to acclimate the wood to the heat and humidity level in the space. -All wood floors need to be applied or float over concrete or supporting floor joists. Sub-floors are a must for slab concrete installations. Wood floors should be installed perpendicular to floor joists. -Squeaks in hardwood floors can be daunting to find and fix. Squeaks occur when a board works loose and rubs against another board or against the subfloor. Hire a professional to fix squeaks and you'll get it done right the first time. -Wood floors can be easily cleaned using a product such as Murphy's Oil Soap once a week. Be sure you don't wax wood floors that have been sealed with any polyurethane product. |
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