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Solid Wood Flooring Installing or laying a solid wood floor can be carried out as a DIY project. If this is something you are inclined to do, there are a few steps you must follow especially when laying the wooden floor around the edges. When the hardwood flooring first arrives, it is ideal to allow it acclimatize to the conditions around the room before it is installed. Since there is more tendency of solid wood flooring to be slightly displaced, you must use a fixed method rather than ‘floating’ when laying the floor. Hardwood flooring can be fixed to existing timber, and concrete, and floor joists. When fixing solid wood flooring to pre-existing timber, nailing is the ideal option. Laying the board at a 90° angle will prove to be a great idea but it is not so vital. It is only essential when nailing the flooring to floor joists. The timber serves as an underlay so this is hardly important, but you can still use slatted underlays for this purpose as they ensure the flooring is glued to the pre-existing floor. Before you begin the laying of wood floor to existing timber, ensure the skirting boards at the base of the wall are removed. Some homeowners prefer to leave the boards, and while this may not cause so much trouble, a neat finish is not guaranteed. Hardwood flooring usually comes with tongue-and-groove edges, and depending on how you prefer to fix the boards, they can be either secret nailed or glued. However, before the solid wood is laid, ensure you run an expansion gap of around 15mm throughout the edges of the entire room and at the end of the boards. You can make use of plastic spacers to achieve this. You can also purchase fitting tools to ensure the ends of the board stay together. If you are fixing solid wood flooring to concrete, gluing is the best option. Also note that the self-adhesive membranes for gluing are extremely sticky. This means that once you stick the wood to the membrane, it is literally impossible to remove it. On the other hand, if the concrete is not sound enough, screw a plywood or chipboard as a sub-base at the top of the concrete, then glue or nail the solid wood floor to it. Engineered Wood Flooring Engineered wood flooring is a preferred choice among many homeowners today especially as it is more stable, hence it is less vulnerable to movement. Laying engineering boards around the edges is pretty easy since it is produced with a layer of solid wood, attached to a different softwood layers. Engineered wood flooring also comes along with tongue-and-groove edges that make it possible for the floor to be clicked without any need for gluing or nailing. Due to the design of engineered wood flooring, it can be installed as a floating floor, over a pre-existing floor (tiles, concrete, and timber). It is also designed to be used with an underlay. The better the engineered wood flooring, the thicker the top wood layer would be. The thickness of the top wood layer is important since there may need for sanding in future to repair any patches. 
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CHEVRON PARQUET HISTORICAL FRENCH PATTERN We all want our homes to have that exclusive and dazzling look. One way to give your house a fashionable look is through the flooring. The pattern and choice of design we use in terms of flooring go a long way in giving us the desired finishing we want for our home. Chevron parquet flooring is one of the best ways to give your floor that royal and impressive appearance. Chevron parquet flooring is one flooring technique that has been around for centuries. The chevron parquet design has been modified and is gradually becoming the preferred choice of design among homeowners. Parquet is a French word which means using geometric wood pieces for decorative effect when flooring. Most parquet patterns are angular and geometric. The chevron Parquet has a great history predating back to the 16th century, so one can say that the chevron parquet pattern has come to stay. The pattern was initially used by the Romans who first discovered that arranging bricks towards traffic can make roads a lot more stable. Ever since that discovery, the chevron parquet pattern has been modified to suit various flooring needs. During the 16th century, the pattern was used to design wooden floors, and one of first such designs was that of the Francois 1 Gallery at the Chateau de Fontainebleau which is reported to have been installed in 1539. The trend for Chevron parquet pattern achieved a tremendous success between the 17th century and half of the 18th century as patterned wooden floor was used in Western Europe in homes of nobles, castles, palaces and the merchants. Patterned parquet was introduced to England in the 17th century by Queen Henrietta Marie who wanted her official residence redesigned, thereby adding a French touch to her English court. By the Second World War, hardwood flooring lost its popularity as most individuals decided to make do with synthetic fiber as there was a general feeling that hardwood was outdated. However, by 1990's hardwood rose back to prominence.  Hardwood flooring is a very interesting option for your home. It can provide you with that touch of beauty and sense of luxury. If you are looking for that classic look, engineered flooring what you are looking for. Nevertheless, it is basically an installation project. Real woods provide homes with appealing, warm, and refined appearance which makes it the top choice for many home decorators and families over the years. These appearances are those that vinyl and laminate floors cannot match. Nevertheless, wooden flooring has gained lots of attention and became popular due to the fact that engineered wood flooring has provided an option that is not only less expensive but more efficient, making it a good choice for every home. On several occasions, it is eco-friendly with a number of colors and finishes available. In fact, engineered wood flooring is one of the top choices you should consider for your property. Engineered Hardwood The processes involved in crafting engineered hardwood flooring are somewhat complex when compared to local hardwood planks. Engineered hardwoods contain multiple layers with the upper part in a veneer or another preferred choice. The thin outer piece is about 1/8 inch thick. Other layers of engineered hardwood consist of hardwood, plywood or high-density fiberwood. The veneer top surface provides the flooring with a touch of originality and beauty while the innermost layer offers a high level of strength. Concisely, engineered wood flooring is produced by layering woods on each other and then gluing and pressing them together to establish layers that are stable for flooring. These layers are placed carefully to ensure a cross-grain construction which, in turn, adds to its beauty and well resistant to water and moisture. Additionally, it hinders the wood from bending with time which has been the major issue faced by most homeowners with their local flooring methods. More so, there has been the evolution of unique features of engineered hardwood flooring which includes numerous new designs such as borders and Scotia. Pros With the layered design of engineered hardwood flooring, it is more stable and less likely to have any issue with moisture and dampness. Each of the layers is effective at hindering the penetration of moisture. This means that there would be less issue of floor swelling or warping and a general reduction in maintenance. Since engineered hardwood flooring needs only a thin layer of the desired wood type and supplement of others, they are often less expensive when compared with solid hardwood. Engineered flooring is also regarded as being eco-friendly for a number of reasons. The veneer is manually sliced and not with a machine. This means that fewer wood materials are produced as sawdust which makes then available for other important activities. Additionally, the trees that are used for engineered veneer are usually fast growing when compared with hardwood trees. Cons Engineered hardwood flooring does not have significant shortcomings. Although this type of flooring is cost-effective, there is still a host of cheaper ones that can be used on the floor such as tiles, carpets or laminates. At the same time, it is very important to select high-quality hardwood flooring in order to avoid problems of inferior qualities and manufacturing process. For instance, using a veneer that is very thin can hinder certain other refinishing and sanding work which can stand to extend the life of the original flooring.   If you are thinking about selling your home, installing a hardwood floor can increase the value of your house and the sales prices. On the other hand, you can still enjoy the benefits of hardwood flooring even if you are not selling your house. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on this. Some of the factors that scare the majority of people away are the purchase, installation, and maintenance price. Hence, let us consider both the pros and cons of solid hardwood flooring.
Just exactly what's out there? Generally, solid hardwood flooring is available in a variety of forms such as strip, plank, or parquet. In strip flooring, an individual segment usually measures up to 2¼ inches wide and down to 1¼ inches (approximately). Parquet floors, on the other hand, are composed of singular squares arranged in geometric patterns. Generally, plank solid hardwood flooring is composed of wider strips than plank strips. Buying these flooring materials in an unfinished state will allow you to select the best stain that best goes with your style and color scheme. For the benefit of those thinking about installing solid hardwood flooring in their home, let us observe the pros and cons of solid hardwood flooring. Pros As discussed earlier, solid hardwood flooring will improve your home value. Whereas, this value does not only heighten but also increases the chances of selling your home due to the presence of solid hardwood flooring when compared o wall-to-wall carpeting. Solid hardwood is a technical upgrade in the world of home construction as the extra charges for carpeting are eliminated. Noteworthy, hardwood flooring is durable and has lasted for decades in homes. The durability od solid hardwood flooring is beyond compared and if additionally cared for, it can last for over 100 years. For caring and cleaning a wooden floor, vacuuming and sweeping are all you need. This type of cleaning is effective and should be done on regular basis. You don’t need to make cleaning of wooden floors harder takes it to be. Regardless of the latency of your floor, either traditional, modern or somewhere in between, solid hardwood floors go with any kind of color, décor, and style. Woods like oak, walnut, cherry, and others can be stained and re-stained with any type of color to suit and change in needs and taste. Cons Whether or not you change the color or décor of your room, hardwood flooring may require occasional review and re-finishing. Daily activities any cause scratches, scuff marks and blemishes which are part of life. Bear in mind that soft woods scratch and blemish easily than hardwoods. In fact, some areas of the floor prone to pets, children, and high traffic are more vulnerable to damage. Professionals will charge you per square foot for refinishing your floor while other factors like the type of floor, floor finishing, room layout, and other similar factors may be considered. In the process of refinishing your floor, fumes and sawdust will fill your house; so, prepare. And when it comes to fumes, polyurethane coating of high quality will do much in protecting your floor finishing. Some other negative factors associated with hardwood flooring are the cost and noise. If you are ready for the cost, then you have no problem. The noise, on the other hand, is a subject to the location of the hardwood flooring. Typically, the upper floor of a storey building is not an ideal place for installing hardwood floors. One of the best things about hardwood flooring is that it never goes out of style. Carpet styles and colors come and go, but wood floors always look great, provided that they are well maintained. Of course, some people prefer carpet and it does have its advantages. It typically keeps the house well insulated and it can dampen sound like nothing else. Still, if you are sick of carpet and would like the classical look of hardwood flooring. Here, you will discover and know the useful tips on how to choose hardwood flooring. Check these out:
Insipered By Nature – Unique Bespoke Wood Edinburgh, Glasgow, London - www.ubwood.co.uk   Changing the flooring pattern of your room can change its entire look. Since the floor is the foundation of the whole visual aesthetic of your room, using a style that aligns and best fits with the image you are trying to create is essential. Simply, there is no alternative to making the wrong floor selection. In case you are looking for sophistication and traditional beauty, hardwood floor is the popular and safe choice.
Once you have made up your mind on hardwood flooring, although you choice selection process has just begun, there are several hardwood options to consider. There are several ways to personalize hardwood floors, starting from the wood type and finishing pattern. Each room has a unique feature and your floor should be a reflection of such characteristic. Every other minute component of the room depends on the floor and this must be considered. When going for a wood flooring, the first thing to consider is the type of wood to use on your floor. Each type of woods has their own unique grain pattern and unique designs to them. For instance, Maple has larger patterns and a smaller grain, which makes it perfect for an elegant formal study or dining room. On the other hand, oak has a broader and larger grain which produces more of a rustic and homey appearance. Ensure to consider carefully the grains patterns before selecting a type of wood as they have a notable effect on your finished floor. After selecting your wood type, the next thing to decide is the shade. Darker shades are popular in a more formal setting while lighter ones appear to be more open and entertaining. Also, do not forget that there would be furniture sharing the room together with the floor. So, ensure that the type of shade you select matches with the existing furniture or those you have in mind. Selecting floor shade color that goes with your existing furniture is essential except if you plan to change them completely. Selecting the wood type and shade is not enough; you still need to make decisions on the boards cut. The width and thickness of planks have a tremendous effect on the final look of your floor. Narrow boards (popularly called strip boards) are known to give a room a more contemporary appearance. If a larger number of small boards is it on the floor, it will create the impression of a larger space. On the other hand, wide boards create an earthier and country appearance. However, combining wide boards with light shade will create a comfortable atmosphere. Aside from all these, you will be required to choose an edge style for your floor. For each board, the edge can either be beveled or flat depending on the look you want your floor to assume. A flat and square edge gives room for a single continuous solid floor space. By far, this is the most popular hardwood form and it produces a smooth and finished feel. As for beveled edges, your floor will have a sense of depth and a three-dimensional effect. Bevels can also me made to custom sizes. The next factor is the installation pattern. The way you lay your boards have a remarkable effect on the look of your floor. The straight patterns are the most popularly used type and it includes placing each board in a straight line that is perpendicular and parallel to the walls. This pattern can be slightly modified to a diagonal format whereby the boards are laid at a diagonal angle to the walls. The herringbone and parquet patterns are also available for those who want to modify the pattern. There can be further customization of parquet patterns. Herringbone, for instance, is a style whereby the boards are arranged in a zigzag shape where each end forms a V with the next board. To round off the hardwood floor, there are several options available for coating your new floor and to give it a perfect look. Local oil finishes have been the most popular and commonly used finishing used for centuries on hardwood surfaces. Before oiling, brushing should be done I order to remove splinters and give the floor a more improved look. Other finishes include polyurethane like varnish and lacquer can give you floor a glittering and mirror-like look. Conclusively, hardwood flooring is a great choice for home furnishing if you can take your time to consider all the available options that will give your home that awesome look you desire. Nowadays trend of using wood floor has become popular for its variety of use and beautiful gesture. The taste of the people regarding interior design and other aspects like floor seems to more likely use woods. So cleaning wood floor has become one of the most significant concerns for the dwellers. So the question that comes first is how to clean your wooden floor? Before going into details about cleaning, one must acknowledge the different types of wood floors that are: solid wood floor and engineered wood floor, have different methods of cleaning. Cleaning and Maintaining Solid Wood Floor 1) Maintaining Regularity: Dirt is responsible for putting a scratch and dulling the surface of the solid wood floor. So wood flooring needs to be cleaned regularly with vacuuming cleaner and brush. 2) Avoiding Water and Spills on Flooring: Using water for cleaning may minimize the longevity of the floor as water is a threat for the wooden floor. So wiping with little damp mop can certainly do the job for cleaning the wooden floor. 3) Avoiding Contact with Sharp Objects: Nails of the pets or heels of the shoes can put scratches on the floor. So to avoid high heel shoes can certainly help out. 4) Protecting Flooring from Furniture: The tips of the furniture attached to the floor are responsible for scratches. As the center of the mass accredit on the tip so dragging furniture has a more damaging effect than lifting it. 5) Avoiding Prolonged Contact with Sunlight: Excessive sunlight may bring havoc for the floor as it becomes the reason for fading and tarnishing of the floor. Precaution for exposing the hardwood floor to less sunlight ensures its attractive outlook. Cleaning and Maintaining Engineered Wood Floor 1) Maintaining Regularity: Cleaning the engineered wood floor is not a hard task to perform. It requires regular cleaning of the engineered wood flooring by a vacuum cleaner with soft attachment. 2) Measuring Use of Germ Killers: Use of germ killer floor cleaning liquid can damage the floor as water is considered as a threat for the wooden floor. So, its minimum use with a mop will reduce the chance of damaging floor. 3) Protecting Flooring from Sharp Objects: Rigid stuff including heel of the shoes, extreme of the furnishing stuff, the nails of the pets and other hard material may harm the wooden floor. Less use of those things and carefulness reduces the chance of scratches. 4) Choosing the Right Cleaners for Varnished Floors: Floors finished with floor oil, floor wax or floor varnish need to be cleaned by non-abrasive, PH-balanced floor cleaners to improve the lifetime of the floor. As always, prevention is better than cure. No matter how frequently this cliché is used, it is true in every aspect of household maintenance. So, prevent contact with sharp edges, stains, and spills, pets and heels as much as possible. Nevertheless, be careful to cure what was left to be prevented. Clean your wood floor frequently to ensure its shine doesn’t wear off faster than the anticipation that you have for its beauty.  When it comes to setting up a house, families nowadays are looking for smarter and less costly ways to improve the beauty of their living space. Flooring is an essential part of the home that needs attention. However, there are endless options available for flooring and can be one of the expensive aspects of setting up a home. The options to choose from include tile, carpet, wood, concrete, and parquet. Parquet flooring is a type of floor design that is often been overlooked. Whereas, It is very durable, easy to install, and can last for years, and it essentially adds beauty to any room of the house including the kitchen and basement. Parquet flooring can be installed over existing floors such as concrete, laminate, hardwood, and ceramic tiles which make it easily installable via DIY. The history of parquet flooring dates back to 1684 when it was used as a replacement for marble in Versailles, France. Previously, marbles need to be constantly cleaned which gives room for water to find its way into the underlying floor. This water causes the marbles to rot and subjecting them to untimely damage. Just like marbles, parquets are easy to clean and its additional beauty and strength make it a perfect alternative. Today, parquets have gained lot of attention and come in solid and parquet panels which use different wood types such as oak, mahogany, mine, and walnut Solid parquets are blocks of woods that are glued down to form different patterns. The most common type of this is the herringbone pattern. The thickness is usually between 3/4" to 5/8" and is glued down in lieu of nailing as found traditional hardwood flooring. Basically, parquet panels are veneers of hardwood that are glued to less expensive woods such as the plywood. The veneer is installed with glue by making use of tongue and groove joints. Parquet flooring is comprised of square pieces of wood arranged in a geometric design. There are several options available for parquet flooring. These options include parquet bamboo, solid parquet, laminate, multilayer, mosaic, lam parquet, and so on. The types of parquet are the cherry tree, oak classic, beech, maple, and wood types. Parquet flooring has a lot of benefits. They are easily cleaned and very durable against stains and spills. It also offers more advantage over synthetic based and carpeting floor systems. Parquet floors are easy to clean. Whenever the floor shows a sign of damage, the outer part of it can be refreshed by applying light sanding and using varnish to reseal them. Parquet floors can be installed directly on a concrete basement. The demand for prefabricated parquet is high. Beech is preferred over oak and the most popular type of wood used. In fact, these prefabricated parquets are now available with waxed, pre-oiled or finished surfaces. The aim of this product producers is to make the surface easy to care and resistant to scratch as much as possible. The light color products are mostly demanded by customers while producers recommend the strip method of installation. Long ago, parquets are made from strips of woods that are affixed into square blocks. However, this type of flooring was highly responsive to water and moisture which often result in damage when exposed to humidity. In recent years, parquet floors are made of hardwood or plywood with a laminated finishing. This makes it resistant to moisture and can be installed starting from the basement level. Today, parquet flooring is gaining more attention in the market. This is due to the increase in environmental and health consciousness where more and more customers are running to parquet flooring.  Parquet wood flooring has been a popular demand of many homeowners nowadays. Its unique appearance has prompted a high market demand. Parquet floors are more expensive; yet, more durable. There are lots of benefits you can gain from parquet flooring. Some of them are: 1. It is easy to install Parquet floor can be easily installed even without hiring a professional. To save cost, you can install a parquet floor yourself (DIY). You only need the service of professional installers in areas with high traffic or if special customization is required. 2. It is easy to maintain Parquet floors are very easy to clean and maintain. To clean your floor, use a microfiber dust mop to remove all the dirt and dust particles. A little moping activity is enough to remove the dust. In case you have an allergy or asthmatic, parquet floor is the right option for you. Small damages such as scratches or dents can be easily fixed. However, the case is different for major damages. Here, you may need to completely remove the damaged piece and replace them with new ones stacked with glue. Lately, a lot of durable products are available in the market. There is three (3) moisture protected flooring options namely waxed, pre-oiled, and plain finish. 3. It provides great design Due to the high decorating value of parquet floors, you can create your own custom floor pattern. They come with small pieces of materials which are of high decorative value. They are available in different color and shade. Oak is a very popular sample where you can pick the light or dark color scheme. As for pine, you can pick either dark yellow or brown. Pinewoods come in stripe and swirl design. More so, due to the availability of different signs in the market, you have enough options to choose from. 4. It can be placed anywhere You can use parquet wood flooring anywhere in your home. You can use it in the living room, bathroom, bedroom, kitchen, and even in office. Don’t be amazed, there are waterproof and moisture resistant parquet floors that are specially designed for bathrooms, kitchens, and other water-prone places. For instance, bamboo and Brazilian cherry are recommended as they are more durable in humid areas. Additionally, it has been proven that parquet flooring is good for your conference room or other meeting rooms of your working place. 5. It is cost efficient Although parquet flooring is very expensive and costly to set up, the benefits worth the value. Parquet floors can retain its fresh and gorgeous look for decades. Hence, you do not need to change your floor often. Having known the benefits of parquet flooring, you should be able to make a better decision or your next floor.  If you are thinking about selling your home, installing a hardwood floor can increase the value of your house and the sales prices. On the other hand, you can still enjoy the benefits of hardwood flooring even if you are not selling your house. There are a lot of things to consider when deciding on this. Some of the factors that scare the majority of people away are the purchase, installation, and maintenance price. Hence, let us consider both the pros and cons of solid hardwood flooring. Just exactly what's out there? Generally, solid hardwood flooring is available in a variety of forms such as strip, plank, or parquet. In strip flooring, an individual segment usually measures up to 2¼ inches wide and down to 1¼ inches (approximately). Parquet floors, on the other hand, are composed of singular squares arranged in geometric patterns. Generally, plank solid hardwood flooring is composed of wider strips than plank strips. Buying these flooring materials in an unfinished state will allow you to select the best stain that best goes with your style and color scheme. For the benefit of those thinking about installing solid hardwood flooring in their home, let us observe the pros and cons of solid hardwood flooring. Pros As discussed earlier, solid hardwood flooring will improve your home value. Whereas, this value does not only heighten but also increases the chances of selling your home due to the presence of solid hardwood flooring when compared o wall-to-wall carpeting. Solid hardwood is a technical upgrade in the world of home construction as the extra charges for carpeting are eliminated. Noteworthy, hardwood flooring is durable and has lasted for decades in homes. The durability od solid hardwood flooring is beyond compared and if additionally cared for, it can last for over 100 years. For caring and cleaning a wooden floor, vacuuming and sweeping are all you need. This type of cleaning is effective and should be done on regular basis. You don’t need to make cleaning of wooden floors harder takes it to be. Regardless of the latency of your floor, either traditional, modern or somewhere in between, solid hardwood floors go with any kind of color, décor, and style. Woods like oak, walnut, cherry, and others can be stained and re-stained with any type of color to suit and change in needs and taste. Cons Whether or not you change the color or décor of your room, hardwood flooring may require occasional review and re-finishing. Daily activities any cause scratches, scuff marks and blemishes which are part of life. Bear in mind that soft woods scratch and blemish easily than hardwoods. In fact, some areas of the floor prone to pets, children, and high traffic are more vulnerable to damage. Professionals will charge you per square foot for refinishing your floor while other factors like the type of floor, floor finishing, room layout, and other similar factors may be considered. In the process of refinishing your floor, fumes and sawdust will fill your house; so, prepare. And when it comes to fumes, polyurethane coating of high quality will do much in protecting your floor finishing. Some other negative factors associated with hardwood flooring are the cost and noise. If you are ready for the cost, then you have no problem. The noise, on the other hand, is a subject to the location of the hardwood flooring. Typically, the upper floor of a storey building is not an ideal place for installing hardwood floors. Perhaps, that is why area rugs exist!  Types Wood Flooring Finishes for your interior space Whether you’re looking for Smoked wooden floors, hand scraped wood flooring wire brushed hardwood flooring, thermally treated wood floors, fired wood flooring, discover the wide variety of flooring finishes to customize your interior space. Today, many processes provide for a variety of decorative effects for your wooden flooring. Some of these processes are Smoking, Hand scraping, Wire brushing, and Thermo or Fired wood flooring. Some can be stained, aged, hammered, saw-cut, and sanded, etc. These processes considerably change the original look or the appearance of wood, giving it a custom look. In most cases, these flooring products are ready to install as soon as delivered. Find below the listing of some of these wood finishes: 1. Smoked wood flooring is comparatively new on the wood flooring finishes block, but it is already making its wave and gaining much popularity. Smoked wooden floors are made by leaving woods that are untreated in an atmosphere that filled with ammonia. It is an authentic way to keep within bounds the color of natural wood, smoking, or fuming has the final effect of darkening the wood by bringing the tannins to the upper surface. 2. Hand scraped wood flooring Hand scraped wood floors give the room a cozy atmosphere and warm look, with some patterns variation in each plank. Hand-scraped refers to the texture of the floor surface. The original plank for this flooring style is scraped to produce a refined or rustic texture on the surface. The hand scraped wood offers a practical and beautiful flooring option for your room space. Hand scraped wood flooring options are popular these days and have been endorsed by many homeowners because of their distressed look and vibrant color which produce incredibly beautiful floors. 3. Wire-Brushed Hardwood Flooring Wire brushed hardwood flooring offers a subtle texture to your floor while still maintaining its smooth appearance. The soft grain is pulled from the growth ring while leaving the heart wood exposed to the surface and Then Craftsmen hand sand each board to a level of elegance and smoothness. Wire brushing helps create a durable floor that can withstand any mishap from daily occurrences. Wire brushed hardwoods are offered in some varieties in solid and in engineered hardwood. 4. Thermo or Fired wood flooring. Thermally treated wood floors have gone through a non-toxic and natural process that essentially cooks the wood, thereby changing the entire makeup of the wood. The Wood is heated to 400+ degree heat in an environment that is free of oxygen. In Thermo or Fired wood flooring, the wood is heated to remove the organic compounds in the wood cells, so that it will no longer absorb water, contract or expand, and can no longer provide sustenance for fungi and insects. The process naturally produces durable wood that is everlastingly resistant to insects, water, and decay. Because the wood is not absorbing chemicals to be treated, but rather removing moisture, the wood is lightweight. Many products offered in this category are rated for 20 or 25 years of exterior use. The gradual heating process leave gives the wood a rich and dark brown appearance which gives it an unexpected tropical look. The product is light in weight, durable and can last up to 20 or 30 years of interior or exterior use.  Oak or Ash Wood Flooring If you are one of those people who can’t decide about the type of wood flooring to be installed in your home, it is very important that you know the different wood flooring that will fit in your home. Oak Wood Flooring Oak wood flooring is a favorite of decorators, designers and architects. It is also now a favorite of the average homeowner. Many may have put off having oak wooden flooring installed in the past because they perceived it as too expensive, too much hassle to install and too easily damage. However, none of the above actually applied anymore so now you have no excuse. Oak wood flooring is today readily available from numerous suppliers all over the UK. As a result, it is extremely accessible and no longer as exclusive as it once was in terms of the price. New technology for creating the flooring has lowered the price drastically. Many companies only use sustainable wood from sustainable forests so your home will not have a major impact on the environment in that way. Affordable and available oak wooden flooring can put the finishing touches to any room because it comes in a variety of different styles. It can actually help to capture the light in an Old Italian style kitchen or compliment wooden sideboards in an Old English kitchen. It can complement yellow, blue, red or any other colors of sofa in a living room, and it can bring out subtle tones in the wall décor as well. Oak wooden flooring can achieve any effect that you want and need after it has been installed and installation is not that difficult either. Ash Wood Flooring Ash wood flooring is versatile and can be used in a variety of applications from tools to sports equipment and even furniture. Black Ash is a medium dense wood, similar to a Black Walnut, but softer than White Ash. This allows Ash wood to be used in various types of furniture, modern contemporary ash furniture designs and also more traditionally designed furniture. Ash wood is odor free because of which it can be used to make serving utensils. Ash wood is a user friendly wood and takes easily to glue, screws and nails. Though it is hard, the wood bends well and allows a smooth finish because stain and paint adhere well to the wood. Ash wood is typically easy to sand and machine. In addition to this, ash wood is resistant to decay in the heartwood. This makes it durable and requires low maintenance. One of the best things about ash wood is that it has the best strength to weight ratio and is therefore used to make baseball bats. Since most players do not want a bat greater than 32 oz. this becomes significant. It is also used for tool handles and other sports equipment. Ash furniture tends to be more easily available and is cheaper too. In comparison to Oak, ash wood has the same high quality standards as Oak, but at a more affordable cost.
Engineered or solid wood parquet flooring? Where and Why? Before we look at whether to use engineered or solid wood and where or why to use parquet flooring, lets first understand what a parquet flooring is? As you may have known, using a solid or engineered wood means using the long straight wood planks to floor your home interior. Unlike the long wood type, a parquet floor style uses short strips or blocks of wood to create a tiles pattern which makes your home floor looks designed in a checked pattern. What is engineered wood parquet? As already discussed in a previous article, engineered wood parquet is made of the cleverly constructed core board, comprising of layers of plywood bonded and hard-pressed together to become a high-density material that is strong and can withstand the rugged use of flooring. The core board is topped with a lamella or layer of solid wood to give it a preferred look of the type of wood required. What is solid wood parquet? Parquet is made from solid wood cut into required sized and prepared for flooring purposes in the styles desired. The pieces are made directly from the chosen solid wood. They come in different types of available hardwoods used for flooring. Therefore, whatever species or grade of wood you need, you can have it already done into parquet for easy installation. Where can you use parquet wood flooring? The place to install your parquet flooring would determine whether using engineered or wood parquet would be ideal. When considering a place of installing a new floor, it is essential to consider the moisture level in the sub floor. Typically, moisture level should not be more than 3% and to come to this figure, it is recommended to take repeated reading of the entire floor to be certain. If the moisture level is found to be higher, the best material for flooring such environment is engineered wood flooring. Engineered wood can withstand moisture level that passes the standard tolerance threshold for solid wood flooring. Ideally, if you are flooring a bathroom where moisture level will be higher or the kitchen where the temperature is expected to be higher, engineered parquet wood flooring is also recommended. Why should you use parquet wood flooring? The reason to use whether engineered or solid wood flooring in different parts of your home is that certain conditions may lead to early damage of solid wood used in flooring while engineered wood are engineered to withstand situations solid wood cannot cope with before falling to pressure. These reasons include:
Solid oak wood flooring Wood flooring is the use of timber materials designed for the aesthetic or structural purpose. For ages, wood has been used for flooring homes and they come in different styles, colors, and designs. Various types of woods have been used in home flooring, and the oak timber is one of the many types of woods used. Solid oak wood flooring is using oak wood planks as flooring materials because of its longevity benefits. Why choose wood flooring? Any material selected for home construction is chosen because of some intrinsic values and wood flooring has the following benefits.
Oak woods have been used for building purposes from time immemorial. Oak is a hardwood material unique for the finest furniture, interior paneling and flooring designs. Oaks are manufacturers’ choices for its durability and resistance to fungal infections. Below are reasons oak wood is a flooring choice for many who understand its qualities.
 Chevron Wood Flooring Trend Chevron has become more and more famous option when it comes to wood flooring for most homes and even business establishments in the city of London. This material has been known for its versatility that it could be used for a more contemporary or traditional design, based on the chosen material. Perhaps, you are one of those people who possibly seen and loved the Chevron design, yet you are not aware that the pattern actually came with a name. Handcrafted vintage wood floorings with reclaimed wood have become popular in the city of London as well. Adding reclaimed wood flooring but kept entirely unique is simple and can be achieved through using a patterned flooring design like Chevron parquet wood flooring. Whilst it is flexible in design, this kind of flooring design adds another dimension to that plain space inside the room. There are two different patterns that are continuously gaining recognition and popularity and these are Herringbone and Chevron. These patterned floor designs are creating a perfect zigzag pattern and the way this pattern has been gained is within the base of variance between these finishes. The chevron pattern has been called point de Hongrie and it was named after a type of embroidery stitch which came into scene in the 16th century. The reason why this stitch was named for Hungary was still unclear, considering that it’s mostly associated with Italy, yet it might be named after the 13th century St. Elizabeth who was from Hungary. The chevron pattern takes place once the planks of wood are cut on the angle so that the “zig” and “zag” will meet one another in a perfectly straight axis. The major difference between herringbone and chevron patterns is quite minimal as what you can see in the first glance that turns into a rich and sophisticated design in the long run. Whilst herringbone and chevron floorings are both laid out in a zigzag pattern, chevron planks will be cut in order to make sure that every zig and zag are connected at a perfect 45 degree angle. For that reason, every chevron floors set comes with left and right elements. If you want your floor to be designed with Chevron parquet wood flooring then you should get started in looking for a company that specializes in this kind of flooring pattern design and installation. There are many companies out there that can assist you and are eager to provide the best results for you. Most of them are working closely with professional and experienced designers in order to form the most excellent combination of Chevron patterns to improve any flooring project in the city of London. All you have to do is to get in touch with them today. Through a few clicks, and using the internet, you will instantly find a good number of reliable companies specializing in Chevron parquet wood flooring. Use this for your advantage through getting free quotes from them and choose the best pricing while ensuring that you will be able to get high quality services.  Grey shades wood flooring trend When you decide wrongly about your home design, the consequences live with you for a long time unless you want to rework the entire design to correct your mistake. Choosing which color is ideal for your home depends on a lot of possibilities. Designing your home finishing and choosing the right color should all depend on what makes you happy. In designing your home's wood flooring, the color you choose should go, naturally, with other colors like the wall and furniture and gray shades wood flooring trend tend to give you ample choices to choose. Grey is a cool color and comes in different shades and should be a backdrop to another color as well and provide a balance for warm tones. When using gray shades wood flooring, you need warmer tones to balance it out for a perfect home color combinations. Without that, you will be leaving home too dull and uninspiring. The industrial and Scandinavian-inspired style popularity in the interior scene more people are choosing gray flooring as their favorite. When well designed and balanced, striking ashen floorboards look good for capturing a modern day style with authentic feel in the home environment, and they naturally complement for pastel, monochrome or pop-color decoration. Using shades of gray wood flooring are unmistakably modern; they make the right statement of maturity and are much better when balanced with other colors to have a complete home color palette that brings the best in your home interior. It adds depth, aesthetics, and sophistication with a sense of calm giving you the perfect environment to relax and retune your energy for productivity. Why you should choose gray wood flooring Choosing wood flooring makes your interior space cozier and comfier but selecting a gray shade finish makes your floor more durable. There are many shades of gray wood to choose; your final pick should complement your home design and style. While I may like a look that is shabby chic and vintage, your choice may be different. Below are the basic shades of gray you can select from to give you the satisfaction you have always wanted.
You do have lots of options in your home interior designing and the more you get it right, the better your home will look. The rule of the thumb is talking to experts who have a working knowledge of how wood flooring colors play out to guide you in your choice.  Wooden floors nowadays? Brushed, hand scraped, smoked?
Most wooden floors today are manufactured from hardwoods like the red oak, white oak, maple cherry, white ash, pecan or hickory trees. Some are also made from hardwoods from Brazil like Cherry, Tiger wood, Ipe and the African teak wood trees. Also in use are engineered wood. Thus the commonest hardwood flooring used today includes Solid Hardwood, Engineered wood, and long-engineered wood. These hardwoods used in flooring also have different methods of preparation to give a unique taste of qualities different from its natural features. There are also special preparations to give it an entirely different look in texture and color aimed at excellent finishing. Therefore, today’s hardwood preparations can be Brushed, Scraped or Smoked. We shall dwell more on each for proper understanding. Brushed Solid Wood Flooring Brushed solid wood flooring is aimed at changing the quality of finish to give the flooring a distinct look different from the standard finish. The finish is in between smooth and hand scraped to offer a smooth linear texture that brings out the grain patterns for a more beautiful look. Brushed Solid wood flooring comes in different shades of colors and patterns. The wood flooring is treated, slightly, with a wire brush to create linear strokes across the grain of the surface. The type of wood materials will determine the aesthetics of the finish. Brushed solid wood is resistant to scratches, and spillages. Hand scraped hardwood flooring It is also known as hand sculpted wood flooring. It has the advantage of adding warmth and adding a classic look to the area of installation. The flooring style is on the high side of cost, but its benefits make it stand out among choices of wooden flooring options. It requires considerable skill, and your contractor must be detailed and ready to do the work to bring out the aesthetics demanded of it. Making hand scraped wooden flooring technique requires the woodworker to be good with the knife used in scraping the wood for smoothness. The knife is pulled towards the woodworker to remove the shavings to make a smooth surface; this process leaves scraped mark typical of wood flooring. It requires careful and precision mastery to get it right and deliver quality finish. Smoked hardwood flooring Smoked hardwood flooring style is a new technique in hardwood flooring. This flooring style is fast gaining acceptance among because the process exposes the wood to ammonia and tone down on the natural look of wood. Smoking or fuming as interchangeably called brings the effect of darkening of the wood by drawing the tannins to the surface. Smoking makes the wood look highly natural and aged; even with a lacquered option, the look is still unique and beautiful! The fumed wood requires the use of UV filter to protect it from the harmful effect of the sun. The best part is there are ample finishing choices you can make to give a smoked wood flooring a good treat for the best outcome after installation. While many people still celebrate wooden flooring today, more people are still learning how best to make use of hardwood flooring for its aesthetics and uniqueness. On the whole, if you are looking for flooring style that brings out the beauty in your home, joining the group of wooden flooring user won’t be a bad idea as your choices of flooring are unlimited. Wіrе Bruѕhеd wood flооrіng Thеrе are millions оf hоmеоwnеrѕ whо undеrѕtаnd аnd аррrесіаtе thе lооk оf hаrdwооd flооrіng. Whіlе thе раѕt few decades saw аn іnсrеаѕе іn dеmаnd fоr ѕmооth fіnіѕhеd flооrѕ, thіѕ is a trend thаt is changing. Nоw, many hоmеоwnеrѕ рrеfеr thе lооk of a wіrе bruѕhеd plank, оvеr the unіfоrm look оf a ѕmооth plank. Lеаrn mоrе about this trеnd and thе changes іn thе industry thаt hаvе ѕрurrеd іt into асtіоn. What іѕ Wіrе Bruѕhеd Wood Flооrіng? Whеn hаrdwооd is wіrе bruѕhеd іt wіll еѕѕеntіаllу undergo a рrосеѕѕ juѕt аѕ thе nаmе іmрlіеѕ - a wіrе bruѕh wіll be used to scrape thе ѕurfасе. This muѕt bе done durіng іt іѕ manufactured tо сrеаtе a unіԛuе tеxturе. Yоu саn еаѕіlу rесоgnіzе thіѕ tуре flooring duе tо thе tооthеd, rough соnѕіѕtеnсу аnd accented (open) grаіn іt dіѕрlауѕ. The other common textured flooring іn uѕе tоdау, whісh іѕ hаnd ѕсrареd, hаѕ a smoother and mоrе weathered texture, аѕ wеll аѕ a more even grаіn. By сhооѕіng wіrе bruѕhеd рlаnk flооrіng, уоu can асhіеvе a more dramatic lооk in уоur hоmе since more оf thе natural grаіn оf thе wood іѕ exposed and уоu саn ѕее all of the knots аnd character that іѕ present. Advantage of Tеxturеd Wood Flooring There аrе a number of bеnеfіtѕ thаt gо аlоng wіth сhооѕіng wіrе bruѕhеd flooring. Onе іѕ thе uniquе look іt сrеаtеѕ. This іѕ very рорulаr in thе Cаnаdіаn mаrkеt, еѕресіаllу for home оr business оwnеrѕ whо аrе trying tо create a mоrе European lооk іn thеіr ѕрасе. When wire brushing is used, аll of the ѕарwооd wіll bе ѕсrареd аwау frоm thе tор оf thе рlаnkѕ, whісh leaves оnlу thе hаrdеѕt wооd behind. This рrоvіdеѕ аnоthеr bеnеfіt, whісh іѕ аn іnсrеаѕе іn оvеrаll durability оf thе hаrdwооd. Since the ѕurfасе іѕ аlrеаdу dіѕtrеѕѕеd, thе damage thаt may оссur duе tо pet сlаwѕ аnd furnіturе lеgѕ wіll tурісаllу juѕt blеnd іn. Cаrе аnd Mаіntеnаnсе оf Wіrе Bruѕhеd Hаrdwооd Flooring Sіnсе thе wооd hаѕ mоrе nаturаl crevices аnd nооkѕ еxроѕеd on the ѕurfасе, thе wіrе bruѕhеd рlаnk can оftеn be mоrе dіffісult to clean thаn оthеr hаrdwооd орtіоnѕ. It is a gооd іdеа tо сlеаn thе рlаnkѕ rеgulаrlу to mіnіmіzе thе оссurrеnсе of ѕtісkу аrеаѕ оr соmрrеѕѕеd dirt, whісh can make сlеаnіng еvеn mоrе сhаllеngіng. Also, if уоu are gоіng tо refinish thе ѕurfасе оf this flооrіng, you nееd tо dо so carefully. If it іѕ not dоnе рrореrlу, it саn destroy the lооk оf thе wіrе brushed surface. Be ѕurе tо lеаrn the рrореr mеthоdѕ, оr hіrе ѕоmеоnе fоr аѕѕіѕtаnсе tо ensure thе refinished flооr wіll rеtаіn the оrіgіnаl texture аnd lооk оf thе flooring. Take ѕоmе time tо browse thе vаrіоuѕ hardwood flооrіng options. Doing ѕо wіll help уоu fіnd a style аnd look you аррrесіаtе. Alѕо, learning about саrе, mаіntеnаnсе аnd cost can help уоu nаrrоw dоwn thе flооrіng that is right fоr уоur home or business. Wire brushed flooring mау nоt be right fоr everyone, but іf you are lооkіng for something unique, уоu will lіkеlу lоvе thіѕ variety.   The Importance of using Underlay when installing your new Wooden Floors
When you are thinking of laying a new wooden floor, using the under lay method does not usually come to mind. However, a good number of people have started going for this method and progressively, people are discovering its importance. If you have been following the market trend, you will know that are different kinds of underlay for your wood flooring. Wood floor underlay come at various sizes and prices. If you find yourself not buoyant enough to buy the expensive one, you can settle for the cheap and affordable underlay because of their importance. It will not be ideal if you spend real money on beautiful hardwood flooring and later be unhappy because of the absence of the underlay. So ensure you purchase an underlay for wooden floors than not installing at all. For clarity, let us discuss the vast importance of using Underlay when installing your new Wooden Floors. To begin with, using an underlay when doing you wood flooring installation will save you a lot of time. The underlay flooring method will save an average of 50% of the time it would have taken you to install only the wooden floor. Time saved is money, if you are paying somebody to do the installation for you, you will discover that you are saving a lot of money for yourself. Note also that you will have to glue the floor down during flooring installation, and this will need glue and a tube of glue are very expensive, but in the case of underlay for your floors, you don’t need to buy glue. Another important thing is that it is easier and faster to install. The method is much more natural, pleasant to use than any other method of laying your solid or engineered wood flooring. There is nothing like messy adhesives as the wooden boards are simply slotted together and stuck down onto the underlay. If you visit many underlay providers’ websites, you will notice a lot of positive feedback on how easy, pleasant and fast it could be. Now that we have established that it is quicker, easier, and better underlay when installing new wooden floors, what are the benefits that a quality underlay has when used to lay your solid or engineered oak flooring? Firstly, some underlay reacts favorably to movement in the floor. Some wood flooring can have some movement, and even the most solid engineered flooring can move a little. When wood flooring is fixed down directly on a screed, and a change occurs, there is usually no 'give' between the boards, the screed, and adhesive, this puts a lot of pressure on the base of the floor boards. Alternatively, when you use an underlay when installing your new wooden floor, the floor can float and still be in good condition. It is so because, nothing is glued to the screed, this process is known as floating floor, and it is recognized, approved and promoted by the official flooring federations. When there is movement in the wood flooring laid on the Underlay, the underlay will compensate for this movement because of the elastic properties it processes, and there is nothing like a strain on the base of the floorboard. Secondly, using an underlay helps you create a slightly spongy layer beneath the wood flooring, and this layer makes the floor feel more pleasant to walk on and also prevent the sound being transferred to other areas in the home. Lastly, Underlay can be laid on to screed directly without any high sub floors; this can help you save you money. To conclude, therefore, there are many benefits you can derive from using Underlay when installing your new wooden floor. An Underlay is not only cost effective; it is also cheaper than other traditional methods of hardwood flooring. Engineered Oak, Ash or Walnut! What Wood to Choose For Your Flooring? For flooring, you may opt for wood, tile, marble or even concrete depending on your choice of texture, color and also the amount of time you’re willing to spend on maintaining the quality of the flooring. If you have opted for wood, you’ve opted for the most environmentally friendly, easy to care for and economical material for your flooring. If you have chosen engineered wood flooring, you have most obviously kept in mind its versatility and resilience. The next step for you is to choose among almost 50 species of wood flooring. For your convenience, we’ll list down three of the most available domestic wood species and compare them in respect of durability, color and grain patterns. Durability: For comparing strength and hardness, we’ll refer to the Janka Scale. It is used to indicate how hard a plank of wood is. It was designed to measure the embedding force while trying to embed half diameter of a 0.444-inch ball into any certain species of wood. According to the Janka scale, the hardest wood among the three is walnut wood flooring with a reading of 3680. Next come White Oak and Tasmanian Oak with a reading of 1360 and 1350 respectively. The softest one is Engineered Ash wood flooring with a reading of 1320. So, it is entirely up to your lifestyle and the traffic in your house that will lead you to choose among these woods. If you are a single person who throws fewer parties or a retired couple, ash wood and oak wood can be on your list of choices. But if you are a young couple with kids and pets, it is better for you to choose walnut. Although exotic, it will provide you with the longer serving period than the softer hardwoods. Color: This is entirely dependent on your choice and the furniture you own. Among white oak, heartwood is light brown with a few cases of a pinkish tint or a visible grayish cast whereas sapwood is in between white and cream. This light nature of white oak gives the room an airy feeling and also is the contemporary trend. Red oak is a little more reddish than white oak and often falls behind white oak for this very reason. Walnut can be a rich dark brown or even white to tan. This is a positive when you are looking for a gorgeous and contemporary flooring. With proper finishing, it can also double as a glamour vintage flooring. Ash wood is usually creamy white to yellow. If you are going for a neutral and classy look, Ash wood’s color may be just the right one for you. So lining up from lightest to darkest we get, Ash wood flooring, engineered Oak wood flooring and Walnut wood flooring. Grain: Oak and walnut have very open grain, that is, they have visibly larger pores. Ash has bold, moderately open and straight grains. Oak has swirls and blurs and occasionally flake patterns called tiger rays or butterflies. Ash has wavy figuring. Walnut is mostly straight with smaller pores. So, regarding grains, it is entirely up to you to choose among the many designs and texture. Lacquered or Oiled Wood Flooring?
Why wood flooring? Well, if you have come this far as to choose which finish applying on your wood flooring, we can all guess the answer was the choice you made between artificial and genuine Or between eco-friendliness and hazardousness characteristic of the materials. That being answered, you should now be worrying about the new floorboard’s longevity and looks. The Finishing of the floor gives it protection from heavy traffic, furniture, pets and also any harshness of the environment. So what type of finish does your flooring need? What are the options out there? Which one lasts longer? Which one provides you with the amount of gloss or matte you’re seeking? We’ll be providing answers to all that and more, but just to feed your curiosity, for now, the answer to the first question is: you’ve got two options to choose from; lacquered flooring and oiled flooring. Each method has its criteria regarding durability, protecting capacity and visual effects. Engineered or Lacquered Oak Flooring Lacquer is polyurethane or a mixture of shellac and alcohol coating applied with a roller or brush on a wooden floor. Although it sits on top of the wood and does not protect its core, it fills in the pores and provides the harder protection among the two options. It is ideal for the living room or the doorway where you anticipate heavy footfalls and traffic. You can choose from gloss, matt, silk matt and extra matt finishes. But be assured that no matter how matt you go, there will always be some glossiness in your lacquered flooring. Another advantage of this coating technique is incredibly easy to clean and maintain. You can use the regular vacuum cleaner, a broom or a mop as the dust does not get a chance to sit in on the highly hardened floor. It is also the more waterproof of the two options. However, it is best not to spill drinks on a wooden floor despite what the label says. The major disadvantage of lacquered oak flooring is that it is easily scratched and scuffed, which on a shiny surface is not very easily avoidable by the eyes. These scratches are responsible for the reduced longevity of lacquered flooring. And once it has been damaged, the process of solving the problem is costly and requires sanding and repainting the entire surface of the floor. Preventive measures like taking your shoes off before entering the room with lacquered floor to prevent transferring sand and small stones, using rugs and carpets in areas with the highest traffic, and applying floor protectors to your furniture can help solve the problem of scratches and scuffs. Oiled Wood Flooring For oiled wood flooring, there are two options: natural oiled and UV oiled finishes. UV oiled is applied and dried under UV light which speeds up the drying process and ensures that another layer of coating is not needed. Oiled wood flooring is preferable if you’re going for the natural look and color of the wood. The oil sinks to the core of the floorboard and protects it from within. This prevents scratches and scuffs. The swelling characteristic of oiled flooring also hides local cracks more easily than lacquered flooring and therefore ensures the longevity of the flooring. However, this finishing requires intense maintenance. Another layer of oil is to be applied very soon after the first layer is dried. This also needs to be done at least twice a year. But once it is damaged, the cost of repair is much lesser than lacquered wood flooring. In conclusion, oiled wood flooring is not as waterproof and hard as lacquered wood flooring; it can be the best choice when you’re going for a more natural look. That being said, oiled flooring can sustain for up to 10 years if taken care of properly.  The origin of wide Plank wood Flooring holds close the ageless elegance of craftsmanship. As man’s urge for comfort and warmth in his home grows, the demand for exclusive furnishings amplifies. There are many other flooring materials for home flooring, but they cannot provide the full range that is offered by wide plank wood flooring giving all homeowners the piece of paradise.
Homes are safe havens where every family dwell and form incredible memories about their life experiences. The house that you live is a clear picture of the life you lead. For the majority of people, it is natural to design your home with materials like the everlasting wide plank wooden floors that will give it a distinctive quality. The magnificence, the clear-cut elegance, and durability which wide plank wood floors are known for, provides that elegant furnishing for your home, giving much value to this remarkable place where you spend more of your life. Origin Wide plank wood flooring is an upgraded version of the flooring style used in the colonial eras. Customarily, construction of houses was done by the use of top quality wide plank wood flooring which gave it a distinct feel and appearance. The professional carpenters at that era were able to manufacture milled wooden planks used for construction skillfully. As a mark to honor that old tradition of past centuries, builders venture into recreating the similar craftsmanship with the use of wide wood plank flooring, old reclaimed flooring, and boards. This development re-establishes one's appreciation for the rustic expression of a period rich with history. Benefits of using wide wood flooring There are many reasons for picking wide plank wood flooring for your home. The list below contains only a few of the numerous benefits you derive from installing wooden plank floors: 1. Wide plank wood flooring is handy, supple and long-lasting. And they are available in abundance to choose from according to your taste. 2. They are very easy to install, you can do it yourself. 3. Plank wood flooring is cheap on maintenance, and it is so hard that it can last for many years. 4. Wide wood plank floors can contain all allergens that can cause harm or diseases to your health. You can remove dust, animal fluff, and other dirt by just cleaning your floors using non-toxic products. 5. Wide wood floors have served the test of time as it adds charm and worth to your home. 6. The comfort, warmth, and convenience of wide plank wood flooring made from genuine wood have no pair. The rich history of wide wood flooring brings that sense of nostalgia that links you with past generations. Wide plank flooring unquestionably brings out the beauty of the home With Wide Wood Plank Flooring, you are sure of a guaranteed degree of satisfaction which all other flooring materials have been unable to offer. So why would you ask for something different from the beautiful selections of wide wood Plank Flooring to make elegant your home? Wood flooring is famous for its classical beauty and ambience, versatile style, and durable structure. Hardwood floors keep growing in popularity across the country, and customers are ripping off their carpet and refinishing the wood floors underneath. Almost every person seems to prefer hardwood. Even the non-hardwood surfaces (luxury vinyl, tile, and laminate), are all imitating the wood look. And wood has now become the most popular flooring surface in kitchens. However, there are trends to consider when installing a new wooden floor or refinishing an existing one. Color TrendsDarker tones like deep cherry and mahogany, remain popular and also create a sense of opulence and grandeur related with classic comfort. Lighter colors provide a more casual and natural appearance. However, there are different color trends in wood flooring some of which include; • Ultra dark • Ultra light • Grey • Cooler tones over warmer tones. Finish trends Below is a list of finish trends in hardwood flooring Oiled floors Oiled floors are a fairly latest phenomenon, and they have turn out to be well-known in the last couple of years. They don’t use polyurethane to coat them. Instead, they use oil that penetrates into the wood. It has a more natural look and a dull finish. Satin and matte finish Satin has a lower sheen and has a tendency to cover imperfections. With the increase in water based poly, along with grays and white washes, matte finishes are beginning to gain more popularity. Wire brushed floors Wire brushing pulls the soft grain from the growth ring making the heartwood exposed to the surface. It is stylish and helps to cover everyday wear and tear (and dirt). Wider plank Wider planks create the illusion of more space, and they make the room look larger. The look is particularly nice for cozier rooms. Chevron Chevron parquet flooring is a more recent version of zig zagged wood. Chevron is more angular and action oriented, providing a more contemporary look Multiple widths Over the last year or so, I've noticed an uptick in the use of multiple widths for hardwood flooring. It seems to be a return to ancient and more authentic flooring. Historically, floors have been multi-width to make the maximum use of the trees cut. Lifestyle trends Trend towards high quality and more sustainable wood As more cheap products are being exposed, more owners prefer to pay a bit more to get a timber flooring that will last longer and avoid the inconvenience and future fee of refinishing or replacing the wood sooner. Farmhouse and Weathered planks The farmhouse style gives a rustic and time worn appearance. This provides a sense of style and also presents an easier way to maintain floors. It is usually wide plank and mostly uses a multi-width plank as they imitate the look of ancient floors. Checking the quality of the wood is very vital when choosing a wood trend. Wood grade determines how durable and reliable the floor will be. You can inspect the plank through thorough examinations. It must look strong and sound solid when you drop them or knock on it. Additionally check for the V-joints, when the board is placed together the V-joint should not be too deep or it will later cause problems and will shorten the life of the floor.  Wood floor installations methods
Due to the increasing use of wooden floor people are looking for an easy and efficient way of installation. Pictures of hammer, nails and back-breaking works come to mind when people think about wood floor installation. But in real life, there are several methods of installing. The Proper method varies for flooring type, and there are four methods mostly used such as nail-down, glue-down, and floating and click method. Strategy and benefits of each method will be described below:- Nail down One of the most used and shared methods of hardwood floor installation is nail down, and the method includes clawing or stapling the wood flooring material straight to the wood subfloor. The viewer cannot see the nail after the completion of the process. Maintaining nailing schedules is must for perfect installation. In this methodology, one should avoid less fastener. For using few fastens it can results in crack and squeaks in the floor while using more means piercing the tongue. One issue you need to take into consideration is that this method is appropriate for both solid and engineering wood flooring material. But it works on the same sub floor. Glue down Glue down simply means using glue between engineering wood floor and parquets. In details, the process stated the use of adhesive to adhere the flooring materials to the subfloor. Available and most used sticky elements are moisture-curing urethane and synthetic adhesives. Application differs due to performance characteristics. The word moisture cure has been used as dry subfloor is an important factor in this method. During the process, one needs to be careful about small spot as those spots need leveling. Alongside top spot needed to be forced down. Floating Among the other process wood flooring installation, this floating method is the easiest and fastest way. A good analogy for understanding floating floors is a jigsaw puzzle. In this approach, woods float above the subfloor with the help of adhesive. An underlying pad beneath the floor material provides cushion. It also gives protection against moisture and reduces noise. As it plays a significant role, choosing the basic materials bears much importance. There are different types of flooring such as Laminate Flooring, Luxury Vinyl Flooring, and Engineered Flooring, etc. Click installation A new method has been introduced in the market known as click method. This is another type of floating installation process. In this process, sticky or clip to establish the works is not obligated. If you must have seen Lego, It’s like connecting parts. Floorboards simply “click” together. Other processes include chemical process, but this method includes mechanical process rather than chemical method. Due to the introduction of an automated process, it creates a chance of frictional error. So, intense observation during the process of installation can reduce these type problems. Choosing between these methods differs from the choice of the customer, applications on different prospects and availability of different materials. So it doesn’t matter how frequently one of that method is being used it always the situation or condition determines which method will be perfect for the designing. Last of all flooring contractor must be concerned about subfloor as solid and flat subfloor is required for the perfection of the flooring.  The most commonly asked question regarding Parquet Flooring is, how to identify Herringbone flooring patterns from other patterns out there.
The Herringbone pattern is most often mistakenly confused with other flooring patterns. Herringbone parquet is created by inserting rectangles in a staggered zigzag pattern or forms, and it is mostly found in parquet floors and tile work. The wood for Herringbone Parquet Flooring is cut in rectangles which are laid in broken zigzag patterns. Herringbone floors have the history of being traditionally used for flooring in the days of yore in Europe. You can install it using several configurations, with or without borders. There are other variations of Herringbone floors called the French herringbone. It is well known in many high-status European Chateaus. Herringbone parquet floors are usually installed piece-by-piece in various configurations. It can either be installed diagonally or parallel to the wall. Herringbone looks best in homes with its points directed at a focal point or running to the direction of a room. Installing Herringbone parquet floors is not too complicated, and you can do it on your own if you have the installation manual. You will need to know the various sizes of the repeating floor patterns so that you can do the layout of the room and select the best proper or optimal board size. Today’s families are searching for the less expensive and smarter ways to redecorate and beautify their living homes. There are many flooring options one can choose from such as tiles, carpets, concrete, and herringbone parquet flooring. Herringbone flooring option is sometimes overlooked. It is a strong pattern of flooring which is easy to install, durable and can last for a very long time. It is a perfect product and excellent upgrade for any floor space from the room, kitchen to the basement. The installation can be done on concrete, hardwood. It can be done by lamination or ceramic tiles. It is a perfect DIY product for all flooring projects. The origin of parquet flooring dates back to the year 1684 when it was used to replace marble in Versailles, France. It became popular and acceptable as a good alternative to marble flooring, which frequently faced the problem of constantly being cleaned, because water would run down to the under- lying floor supports, causing them to rot each time water gets into it. Homeowners discovered that Parquet was easier to be cleaned, durable and maintained and they embraced this pattern of flooring. Nowadays, Parquet flooring has been developed into solid parquet and parquet panels, manufacture using different types of wood such as pine, oak, walnut, and mahogany. The Solid parquet is in blocks of wood that are glued together into different patterns, e.g. Herringbone pattern. Typically, it is always between 3/4" to 5/8" thick and glued down. There is nothing like nailing, as was done in the past with hardwood flooring. On the other hand, the Parquet panels are coatings of hardwood glued into a less expensive wood, like plywood. The wear layer or veneer is between 1/4" thick to 1/16" thick and is usually installed with glue using the tongue and groove joints. When deciding on the type of flooring to use in your house, choosing Herringbone Parquet Flooring can be just the perfect thing to finish that flooring beautifully. to edit. |
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