With its timeless appeal, natural hardwood flooring goes far and beyond fleeting trends. Hardwood floors are more popular today than ever before. With hundreds of hardwood options, there are now styles to suit all types of settings, whether classic or contemporary.
Hardwood flooring can be a wonderful addition to your home, but the decision to add this enduring floor should be made with care. While a worthy investment for many, hardwood isn’t the best fit for every space. We can help you understand all of your flooring options here at Allwein Carpet One Floor & Home in Annville, Pennsylvania. Here are some things to remember as you shop for hardwood.
Hardwood flooring is available in all the latest styles, as well as tried-and-true classics. There are traditional, rustic planks that emphasize natural grains, as well as narrow and high-polished woods aimed at keeping things sleek and modern. Choose between a wide range of plank lengths, widths, grain patterns, and finishes.
There are many different types of hardwood flooring, with each unique species of hardwood offering its respective perks and features. Choose from exotic, sustainable floors made from cork and bamboo; or traditional favorites like maple, oak, birch, and cherry. Each option boasts unique character traits, as well as varying hardness levels.
While hardwood flooring was once “one size fits all,” this approach doesn’t work well in modern life. Fortunately, hardwood flooring has evolved with our times, and today there are two major hardwood types to choose from: solid hardwood and engineered hardwood.
Solid wood flooring is the traditional hardwood option. Each plank is made from genuine hardwood throughout, consisting entirely of a premium slice of natural oak, maple, hickory, birch, mahogany, or another wood species. Solid hardwood is beautiful and adds real estate value to your home. It is limited in where you can install it, however. For example, solid wood planks should be kept in relatively climate-controlled spaces that are on or above grade. Since wood is naturally porous, it will absorb moisture from the air and spills, which can cause swelling and warping. In extra dry conditions, solid wood flooring can shrink and become brittle, leading to cracking, splintering, and gapping between the floorboards where dirt and debris can then escape and cause future problems. These problems can be mitigated by installing solid wood floors in appropriate spaces and maintaining proper humidity levels in your home.
One of the major advantages of solid wood is that you can usually refinish the planks multiple times through the decades. This process involves sanding the surface to eliminate scratches, dents, and other blemishes, and re-applying a new finish. The results are a brand new looking floor that can last for the life of your home.
Many homeowners have the misconception that engineered hardwood is not made of real wood. In fact, it actually is! The planks are made up of three to seven layers of composite wood. At the surface, hardwood companies place a genuine hardwood veneer, so that from the top, the floor looks identical to solid wood, with all the same beautiful wood grain visuals and knots. This layered construction helps to prevent the wood from expanding or contracting due to changes in humidity. This is because the wood is laminated together in a cross-grain direction that stabilizes the planks. Engineered planks are generally better at handling moisture and foot traffic. They can also be installed in basements and light-moisture spaces like hallways, foyers, and more. The only drawback to engineered hardwood is that it may not last as long as solid. This is because the hardwood veneer is usually thinner than solid wood, so you can’t refinish it as often. However, we do carry higher quality engineered floors that have thicker surface layers, so they can actually last as long as solid wood.
Hardwood flooring is always in demand, but it should always be installed with care. Most hardwoods are ill-suited for the kitchen or bathroom, or places prone to very heavy foot traffic. Hardwood works best in dry, quiet spaces such as bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. Choose engineered versions for a finished basement, stairs, or hallways.
Ensuring a proper installation is the first step towards a lifetime of enjoyment when it comes to your new hardwood flooring. Our in-house installation crew has all the tools and experience needed to initiate a flawless floor installation. With a competitive warranty program to back up each project, you’ll wonder why you’d ever consider going anywhere else. Often a significant investment, your hardwood flooring will give you decades of enjoyment and can add sizable value to your property, if properly installed. If it’s installed incorrectly, however, what you don’t know could very well hurt you. Worst-case scenario: your incorrectly-installed floor will likely wear out way before its time and won’t be protected under warranty.
Want to learn more about installation options? Stop by our Annville showroom today, and learn about your many options. You can even schedule a time for us to come to your house for a FREE onsite project estimate.
At Allwein Carpet One Floor & Home, we’re proud to be members of Carpet One Floor & Home, which is the world’s largest flooring cooperative. Our hardwood inventory is constantly expanding, and with our incredible purchasing power and commitment to local excellence, we’re proud to be the region’s favorite hardwood destination. Visit our store today at 1475 East Main Street in Annville, PA, and explore our latest hardwood displays and brands, including Shaw products. You can also browse our hardwood flooring selection online now.
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