10 Factors to Consider When Buying Hardwood Floor

Considering that there are many flooring types in the market, the decision on what hardwood flooring type to buy can be overwhelming. Your decision to install a hardwood floor is undoubtedly worth it and will give you satisfaction. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg and the beginning of the many decisions you still have to make. There are many hardwood species that you still need to narrow down your choices to specifics.

You have a choice between colors, wood species, among other choices. The factors influence your hardwood flooring buying decision. The determinants of the hardwood floor you buy include the room you are installing the floor, budget, color preferences, among others. For rooms, you should consider how prone a room is to moisture, foot traffic, whether you have children or pets, etc.

Factors to Consider When Buying Hardwood Flooring

1. Engineered Vs. Solid Hardwood Flooring

Whether you want to buy a solid or engineered hardwood flooring depends on the room you are installing the floor. For rooms prone to moisture, like a basement or kitchen, you should install engineered hardwood floors. You can pre-finish solid hardwood floors multiple times depending on thickness, making them more durable than engineered hardwood floors.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Solid hardwood floors are a single piece of hardwood consisting of planks or strips. There are three types of solid hardwood floors: strip, plank, and solid parquet hardwood flooring. Strip hardwoods are narrow and are usually less than 3 inches wide. Plank hardwoods are wide and are more than 3 inches wide. We also have parquet floors that are made in decorative geometric patterns. Strip floors are much cheaper but less dense than plank hardwoods.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

What is engineered hardwood flooring? Engineered hardwood floors have multiple layers of wood with hardwood on top and plywood at the bottom. Usually, the top layer is 100% hardwood, therefore, natural. The engineered hardwood floor thickness will determine how often you can pre-finish it, but it is usually 2-3 times. This is because most engineered hardwood floors have a thin top hardwood layer. As such, you can’t pre-finish them multiple times like solid hardwood floors.

2. Hardwood Flooring Species

For both solid and engineered hardwood floors, there are different types of species. The trees are either domestic or exotic. Examples of domestic woods to the USA are oak, beech, and maple. Examples of exotic tree species are Brazilian cherry, kempas, or ipe. The woods differ in grain, hardness, and provenance.

You can choose a species depending on the hardness of the wood. You can use the Janka hardness scale to compare hardwood species. Wood hardness is measured using the Janka wood hardness scale. The woods on the Janka hardness scale are compared to red oak, the wood industry standard. Did you know that a red oak wood floor can last for ten decades?

Busy rooms with high foot traffic require the most durable hardwood floor species. For rooms or homes without much traffic or activity, you can buy softer hardwood flooring.

3. Pre-finished vs. Unfinished Hardwood Floor (Site Finish)

Pre-finished floors are factory-finished with sanding, staining, and coating. After purchasing a pre-finished floor, it only needs installation on the floor. Therefore, buying pre-finished hardwood floors comes with the convenience of fast installation. Actually, you can move in immediately after the installation. Additionally, pre-finished floors come with a lifetime guarantee from the manufacturer.

You sand, stain and coat unfinished hardwood floors on the job site after installation.

When you install an unfinished hardwood floor, the sanding and pre-finishing process will take some days. You should give the installation time before you can move into the premises.

Pre-finished and Unfinished Hardwood floors Differences

Pre-finished floors undergo a process of preservation in the factory. Most manufacturers will sand, stain, and coat it with polyurethane. Additionally, the boards may be oven-baked, a process that creates a hard finish. The disadvantage of pre-finished boards is that they come with beveled edges making the floor uneven after installation. On the other hand, site finished wood has no lines between the boards, making the floor flat and smooth.

There are also fewer messes with pre-finished floors and less exposure to chemicals. The sanding process produces dust. After that, chemical application is necessary at the job site.

Also, unfinished hardwood floors have a more natural look than pre-finished. The grain patterns on pre-finished woods are less conspicuous. Generally, it is less warm than unfinished floors.

It is also easier to customize an unfinished hardwood floor and apply unique stains. You can get a professional to do the color you prefer. However, when you want to buy pre-finished hardwood flooring, you have to go with what is available in the store.

Although pre-finished flooring costs are higher than buying unfinished hardwood floors, the latter becomes more costly when you add sanding, staining, and coating costs. Therefore, the overall costs of pre-finished floors are usually less than the cost of unfinished hardwood floors.

4. Grain Pattern

Woodgrain patterns differ depending on how the wood was cut and wood species. In this regard, there are three types of grains: curly, straight, and flat.

5. Plank Length, Width, and Thickness

Hardwood floors come in various lengths, widths, and thicknesses. Wide planks are easier to install than narrow strips. Most wide planks are denser, made from the tree’s heartwood, and may be more sturdy than narrow wood strips.

The thickness of the hardwood floor determines its wear layer. The wear layer is the top part, the surface that is exposed to foot traffic. The thicker the wear layer, the more durable the floor is. Ideally, you should buy hardwood floors with a wear layer that is more than 3/16 inches.

A hardwood floor with a thick wear layer provides more opportunities for sanding and pre-finishing. Although thick hardwood flooring has more upfront costs, it has a longer lifespan.

6. Distressed Solid Hardwood Flooring vs. Smooth Floors?

Distressed hardwood flooring is finished uniquely. The hardwood floors are artistic with enhanced texture. The floor has antiques and character giving it a reclaimed look. Causes of distressed hardwood include sculpting, hand-scraping, wire brushing, and aging. While smooth floors are the typical new floors that are either pre-finished or unfinished, the distressed option is also good for rustic houses.

7. Reclaimed Solid Hardwood Flooring vs. New Wood

What is reclaimed hardwood flooring? Reclaimed hardwood flooring comes from recycled wood salvaged from old homes, abandoned structures, barns, old warehouses, and commercial buildings. The woods are then shaped into flooring materials. Because the wood is recycled, it is an eco-friendly flooring option.

8. Hardwood Floor Finishes

Whether you are pre-finishing your hardwood floor after decades of use or installing a new unfinished floor, you choose a finish. There are different types of finishes differing in durability, cost, and glossiness. You should choose a topcoat depending on your aesthetic preferences.

9. Natural Vs. Stained Colors

Wood species vary in hardness, grain patterns, and color. Hardwood natural colors are dark, light-colored, and moderate (neither dark nor light). When buying hardwood flooring, consider the natural colors of different species and choose the color you prefer.

You should buy dark colors if your space is well-lit. However, scratches are more noticeable on dark floors. Dark woods include mahogany and walnut. You can use light-colored hardwoods like pine, poplar, and birch to brighten a room. They are also good at hiding scratches. Medium-colored woods include oak, hickory, and cherry.

You should only consider staining a hardwood floor if you can’t get it in its natural form. Stains change the color of hardwoods and make the grain patterns more conspicuous. Noteworthy, different species of hardwoods accept stains differently. Therefore, it is advisable to get a professional to do the staining of the hardwood for you. With staining or wood painting, you can achieve hues that are not natural to wood-like green, gray, or blue.

10. Floating Vs. Fixed Hardwood Floors

When you want to buy new hardwood flooring for your home, you have two main installation methods to choose from: floating or fixed. Fixed floors are nailed or glued to the sub-floor using different mechanisms.

Floating is a method of installing floors without nailing or gluing them to the sub-floor. It is a common method of installing laminate floors, although innovators have devised hardwood floating floors. Before installation, the sub-floor or substrate should be flat.

The boards are engineered for gluing or snapping together similarly to how a jigsaw puzzle operates. As such, the wood pieces are attached to others but not to the sub-floor.

Floating floors are easy to install and a favorite among DIY enthusiasts.