Home Series: Tips on How to Choose New Hardwood Floors – Consult with Bruce Coleman, Vancouver Mortgage Broker
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Tips on How to Choose New Hardwood Floors
Many new homeowners are choosing to move away from the wall-to-wall carpeting motif and are opting instead to spruce up or replace their existing hardwood floors.
There are a variety of reasons for this change in decorating approaches which range from the aesthetic appeal of finely polished hardwood floors to the health sensitivities and hygiene concerns of simply doing away with carpets.
If you happen to live in an older Vancouver home and are thinking of selling then you might want to seriously consider getting rid of that old carpeting or linoleum floor before you put the home on the market.
If you’re lucky and you do find some worn but quality hardwood floor underneath then all you might have to do is to get yourself a good sander and do some varnishing to bring the floors up to snuff. But if you find that that the floor is in poor shape or of poor quality then you might want to replace the floor altogether and get some new hardwood flooring.
Buyers notice what they’re walking on and can appreciate quality hardwood flooring. As a renovation project buying new flooring can actually provide you with a fairly moderate return on your investment.
How to Choose Hardwood Floors
You should first consider the rooms that you are considering for new hardwood floors as it may depend on the amount of foot traffic the floors receive. This is especially important if you are going to opt for hardwood floors in your basement because it is vital that a vapour barrier be installed to protect the wood from moisture damage.
The type of flooring you select should also take into account the amount of moisture found in the area, and also upon the type and quality of the sub-flooring which you might underneath. These are all questions which you should ask of the sales rep when consider which type of hardwood and how it is constructed.
Types of Hardwood Flooring
You have two main choices when it comes to selecting hardwood flooring. The first is single layer flooring which is just basically solid hardwood. The second choice in flooring is known as engineered or often referred to as multi-layered flooring.
Single layer flooring is how we use to have our floors made and are the most common types of floors found in an older house. This type of flooring is most often affixed to the sub floor by nails or staples.
Single layer flooring should not be used below grade as they will be affected by moisture and can warp, form gaps or cups. Another thing to remember when buying single layer hardwood flooring is that you will want wood which at least ¾ inch thickness and which has been previously sanded. Mostly these types of floor will require a final finishing after they have been installed which can take several additional days.
Engineered or multi-layered hardwood floors are made up from strips of wood which are glued to a backing. The top layer is also called the “wear layer”. The thickness of the wear-layer should have no less than a 5/32 inch thickness.
Multi layer flooring should not be confused with laminate flooring which is only imitation wood because multi layer floors are made from real wood.
The advantage of engineered flooring is they are less likely to expand or constrict when exposed temperature changes or be affected by moisture which makes them ideal for below grade installation such as in basements. They can also be glued as opposed to nailed so they can be applied directly onto concrete or some other form of underlay.
The nice thing about hardwood flooring is that they have a lovely grain and you select from the stains you use or just basic varnish. Additionally there are so many choices you can really add specific character to specific rooms
