What is the best wood for indoor flooring?
The two main types of real wood flooring are engineered and solid wood flooring. Both types are brilliant, however engineered wood flooring is a little easier going.
Engineered wood is easier to work with than solid wood because it’s less reactive to temperature and moisture changes. The more reactive the flooring is, the more it expands and contracts when exposed to heat, cold, and moisture.
When flooring expands and contracts, it moves within the space it’s been installed. One of the main issues when flooring expands is pushing up against the walls, and because the walls don’t move, the flooring can buckle upwards under pressure and become damaged.
Natural wood is the reactive part of the flooring. Solid wood is 100% natural, so it is so reactive. The only part of engineered wood flooring that is natural wood is the very top layer, the remaining majority of the material used is manmade materials such as plywood which are less reactive than natural wood.
What is the downside of wood flooring?
As popular as real wood flooring is it does have some downsides;
Cost—Real wood flooring is one of the more expensive floor types available. This is because the material has to be grown and then manufactured, which takes time and money.
Prone to water damage – even though engineered wood is more stable than solid wood, both can be easily damaged by excess moisture and leaks. Once enough damage has occurred the flooring has to be replaced.
Maintenance is required to make the flooring last as long as possible. To remove scratches and shallow dents, wood flooring must be sanded back and then refinished with oil or lacquer every few years. You must also be very careful when cleaning real wood flooring so as not to damage it.
Noisy—Wood flooring is much noisier to walk on than other floor types. Although underlay can minimise this, it will never be as quiet as carpet or vinyl.
Hard—The surface of wood flooring is hard, which can harm anyone who falls on it, such as young children or the elderly.
Installation Difficulty – both engineered and solid wood flooring are more difficult to install than many other floor types. The majority of wood floors require the application of adhesive and many require significant amounts of adhesive. It is also vital that the correct expansion gap is left for real wood floors.
What rooms are best for wood flooring?
Wooden flooring is best suited to rooms unlikely to ever have water or moisture in them. This makes it a poor choice for toilets, bathrooms, utility rooms and even kitchens.
Wood flooring also tends to cost a fair amount of money, so it’s a good idea to put a rug or mat by entrance doors simply to protect the wood flooring from things like dirt and grit from outside.
The absolute best rooms for wood flooring are usually lounges and hallways. There would also be no issues with wood flooring in bedrooms if you so wish.
What is the best wood flooring for the money?
The best value for money real wood flooring is usually straight plank oak engineered wood flooring in a natural colour. Quality products of this type can be found online for around £40.00 m2. Solid and Herringbone wood floors tend to be a little more expensive than straight plank products.
The other factor to consider when purchasing flooring is how much it will cost to install if you are not doing it yourself. The easier the flooring is to install the less the install will cost. With this in mind, the easiest wood flooring to install is engineered wood floated on underlay with a click joining mechanism as no adhesive is required.
Is real wood better than laminate?
There are advantages for both.
Advantages for wood flooring over laminate;
More Luxurious – far more luxurious and has a much more high end appeal than laminate. Laminate looks and feels overall cheaper than real wood.
Can be Renewed – real wood can be sanded back to remove scratches and light dents whereas laminate cannot.
Longevity – when properly maintained real wood has a much longer lifespan than laminate. Laminate lasts up to around 35 years and real wood flooring can last for over 100 years.
Advantages for laminate over wood flooring;
Less Expensive – laminate is significantly less expensive overall than wood flooring, often less than half the price.
More Durable – due to the fact it is a fully man-made material it’s less reactive to moisture and temperature changes than wood.
Easier to Install – laminate flooring is simply laid over underlay and the planks click together without glue. It is one of the easiest floor types to install.
What is the best type of wood flooring to install?
The easiest type of wood flooring to install is engineered wood flooring with click together planks floated over underlay. No adhesive at all is required for this type of floor which saves on time and the level of skill required.
The most secure type of wood flooring to install is engineered wood flooring fully glued down to the subfloor with glued-together tongue-and-groove joining planks. This way, you have the least reactive type of wood floor installed in the most secure fashion. Every part of the floor is glued in place, which will pretty much stop all movement and keep it firmly in place.
Evidently, the best type of wood flooring to install depends on your preference and the requirements of the area where it will be installed.
