Hardwood floors can be installed anywhere in a home and can be prepared with various species of wood, including elm, ash, oak, amendoim, cypress, teak, cherry, walnut, rosewood, hickory, and maple. Hardness, stability, color and color changes vary depending on the type of wood. Chestnut, Douglas Fir, and North American Cherry offer low hardness, while the hardwood of Brazilian Walnut, Caribbean Cherry, and Blood Cherry is extremely hard. The stability of wood flooring is inversely related to the inherent moisture content of the wood and is independent of engineering. The appearance of unfinished hardwood flooring plays an important role in the classification process. Grades commonly assigned to wood flooring include clear, select, common 1, common 2, grade 1, grade 2, and grade 3.
Hardwood floors enhance the look of a room and, when placed in harmony with furniture and other interior design elements in a room, lend an elegance that synthetic flooring cannot match.
Hardwood floors can be installed using the following methods:
Nail Down: Nails are used to attach hardwood to the subfloor, either at ground level or above ground level. Nails are generally used for 3/4″ thick hardwood.
Staple Down: Nails can be substituted for a pneumatic stapler to attach the hardwood to the subfloor. Stapling is easier to accomplish than nailing and is therefore a favorite of DIY enthusiasts.
Glue down: Patterned wood panels or parquets can be glued to the subfloor above, above or below ground level. The subfloor can be made of wood or concrete.
Floating – Engineered and long plank flooring can be installed using the floating process in which a foam pad is placed between the floors and the subfloor. Hardwood boards are held in place by an adhesive that is applied to the tongue and groove portion of each board. Floating allows hardwood installation on uneven surfaces.
Hardwood floors are easy to maintain and the following guidelines should help homeowners ensure the beauty and longevity of their hardwood floors.
o The floor must be swept and vacuumed regularly to prevent the accumulation of dust that could scratch the finish.
o Doormats and rugs at entryways prevent sand particles from wearing down hardwood floors.
o Furniture and chairs should have pads on the feet to avoid scratching the floor when furniture is dragged or moved.
o Dimensions of hardwood floors can change with moisture; a relative humidity of around 45% should be maintained throughout the year
o A rug or mat should be placed in front of workstations, lavatories, kitchen sinks to prevent utensils, detergents, and water from scratching and staining.
o Wood floors should be protected from direct light, whether natural or artificial. Intense direct light can cause discoloration of the floor
Hardwood floors can be treated with surface finishes that add shine, increase resiliency and make them water resistant. Finishes consist of urethanes and polyurethanes. A hardwood floor with a surface finish does not require waxing.
Wax finishes penetrate the cells of the wood and offer a low-gloss finish. Periodic buffing helps restore shine to wax-finished floors. Wood floors used in high-traffic areas like stores and restaurants are impregnated with acrylic finishes that increase their hardness and durability.
