Buying Wood Flooring As an Alternative To Laminate Flooring:

Wood flooring is one of the most popular types of residential and commercial flooring and often the most obvious alternative to laminate flooring. If you are reading this article, chances are that you have decided to fit wood flooring sometime in the near future. As you will read further down the article, there are several considerations you should take into account when deciding on the precise wood for your property.

Buying Wood Flooring As an Alternative To Laminate Flooring:

Type – There are two common types that both fall under the category of wood flooring. The most common and often called ‘real wood flooring’ is solid flooring and it is made from complete wood. The second type, one that was introduced as an alternative to solid wood is engineered wood flooring.

Engineered flooring contains real wood, however only on the top whereas the rest of the floor is made from Plywood, MDF, Softwood and other similar materials. These are glued together and the result is one strong floorboard.

In most cases and for most types of properties both solid and engineered will suit well. Each type has a slight advantage over the other, so you are encouraged to research more. In a nutshell, solid wood is expected to last for longer, whereas engineered wood is not as strong, but acts better in damp or moist conditions. These conditions will likely happen over time in rooms such as a basement, kitchen or a bathroom area.

Colour – It is a common mistake to conclude that the floorboard has to be in a shade of brown. While the species of the wood will determine the colour of the floor to some degree, colouring technology can match the shade of the floor to match almost any interior look you have in mind. In recent years and very likely to continue becoming popular over 2012 monochrome tones of black, white and grey are finding their way into many properties.

Grade – Grade is an indication of how fine the wood is. The higher the grade is, the more refine the wood is (meaning less colour variations between the floorboards) and of course, the more it would cost. In most cases the level of grade that you will choose is subject to available budget. The highest grade is prime and the lowest grade is rustic or country grade. In the middle you will find the select grade, which is the most popular grade, as it combines looks and cost effective pricing.

The Environment – It would be irresponsible of us to discuss buying wood flooring in 2012 without touching on the aspects of the environment. A large percentage of wood flooring companies in the UK bear the FSC registered mark (stands for ‘Forest Stewardship Council’) and their woods are sourced from sustainable forests. It means that the wood comes from managed forests where trees are replaced and there is no risk to other wildlife. In other countries you will find other marks similar in what it stands for.

Enjoy your new wood flooring!