Home Flooring Guide

Hardwood floors are the most popular of all flooring types, for reasons that are all too obvious.  They add a sense of warmth, style and character to any room.  Weather it be a country farm house, a modern city apartment, or art gallery, hardwood floors have the ability to make a room look great. 

Not only do they look great, but hardwood floors are very hard wearing and often look better with age.  They are easy to keep clean, and with proper care and maintenance, hardwood floors can last for generations. 

Modern hardwood flooring manufacturers have given consumers a much wider range of hardwood floors to choose from.  Besides the traditional species of hardwoods (American Red Oak, White Oak, Maple, and Cedar) manufacturers are offering more exotic hardwood species from all over the world for consumers who would like a more unique looking hardwood floor. 

There are many types of hardwood flooring to choose from that can compliment any room.  Wide pine boards have become increasingly popular because they come in a wide variety of colors and stains.  Pine boards give a strong, rustic look and are great for those who try to emulate the feel of a wood cabin or cottage. 

Oak has always been a popular choice for hardwood flooring as it is the hardest most durable wood for flooring.  Because of this, Oak is among the most expensive of hardwood species. Oak is most commonly available in narrow boards, but also in wide board like pine.  Oak is available in a number of natural colors due to the variety of its species.  It can also be stained to suit.  However, it is quite hard to go past the natural color of Oak.

Parquet floors are a very common and cost effective way for homeowners to get a hardwood floor in their home.  Parquet is made up of small strips of wood set into squares.  They come in a range of patters, and are relatively easy to lay for the DIY home owner.  

Once thing all types of hardwood flooring have in common is that they must have a clear protective coating applied to them.  There are a wide range of polyurethane finishes available and each type must be applied according to the manufacturer’s instructions which you should be able to find on the back of the tin.