All about hardwood flooring

Hardwood flooring is riding high on the style trends these days. Any product which has been manufactured from timber qualifies to be grouped under the category of hardwood flooring. Its use can be both structural and aesthetic as well. While bamboo too is often considered to belong to the class of hardwood floors, yet it is important to note that bamboo is a grass product and not a timber product. The use of wood for flooring material began to be used as its elastic and flexible properties matched the needs for the same. There are many types of hardwood floors available these days.

The two main categories of hardwood flooring are the solid kind and the engineered kind. The solid kind of hardwood comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. The word solid here implies that the wooden plank is made of solid wood and nailed together to form the floor. Their use primarily began as supports for the wooden frames in construction process. But with the passage of time its use4 has broadened and has become more versatile as well. Their usage can be mainly attributed to their aesthetic appearance which makes them a favorable choice with the customers. However, they come along with their own set of disadvantages as well. Wood is prone to show its characteristic expansions and contractions with fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels. Hence some dimensional restrictions need to be imposed upon them in order to put them into use as a flooring material. Also, it is not recommended that these kinds of floors be installed directly over concrete. Another category of hardwood flooring is the engineered kind. It is different from the solid kind as it comprises of two or more layers of wood joined with each other in the shape of a plank. The upper layer is visible after the flooring has been done while the lower layer forms the support or the base and thus gives it the necessary strength.

It is not uncommon to confuse the term laminate flooring with engineered floors. But the laminate kind of floors make use of an image of the wood on their surface hence are slightly different from engineered wood. If we compare the solid hardwood flooring with the engineered hardwood kind, it can be seen that the solid kind of hardwood carries with itself a number of limitations that put a restriction on their usage. It cannot be used with a radiant floor heating and also cannot be installed in basements. Also, there is a restriction on the size of the plank which can be used and thus this could turn out to be major hindrance in the entire procedure as well. But the high point is that you have a limited budget, it is likely that while engineered wood could rocket out your entire planning of expenses, the solid kind could fit into your monetary scheme of things. So make a careful decision so that you never regret.

Wood flooring has an effective look in your bedroom or even in your living room. For installation of wood flooring in Toronto, visit the following link. For laminate flooring in Toronto, click the above link and get the best deals across the town.