When you build or renovate a home, you want it to look great and functional. This is true whether you are building a small family home or refurbishing a large farm house. One thing you will want to consider is the type of flooring you use for your home. As technology changes, so do the types of floors you can pick for your home. Engineered flooring is more popular and cost effective than ever. Here is a closer look at engineered flooring.
You may wonder what engineered flooring is when you start shopping for floor products. Simply put, engineered flooring are floors that are made of plywood, high density fiber (also called HDF) or even different types of plywood. The floors are installed using layers. The top layer will be the layer you see, or the visible veneer, which is glued on a core. Almost any type of wood that you choose is available and that is what makes these types of floor so popular.
Engineered flooring is certainly growing in popularity for a variety of reasons. First of all, these types of floors are very stable, much more so that laminate or even regular hardwood flooring. These floors are also very good with moisture. Anyone that has had real hardwood floors installed in their home will tell you that regular hardwood flooring cannot tolerate any type of moisture, making them a poor choice for bathrooms, kitchens and other rooms that may get wet, such as a laundry room. Engineered flooring just do not present the problems as does laminate or regular hardwood flooring.
Engineered flooring is quite different than other common types of flooring. Regular hardwood floor, as mentioned before, looks wonderful and brings warmth into the home. However, regular hardwood floors are not always practical. They cannot tolerate moisture, they are expensive and they can be hard to maintain over the years. Laminate, such as Pergo flooring, is quite popular. However, it has its own share of issues. First of all, while laminate does look quite nice, it does not give you the same look as wood flooring. Laminate also buckles when it is exposed to water and it can easily ruin. Engineered hardwood floors are often the answers to these problems. They look and feel just like regular hardwood floors, yet they are easy to maintain and not near as expensive. When compared to laminate flooring, you will find that engineered flooring looks better than laminate and lasts much longer, plus the cost is comparable.
If you are looking to install high quality flooring for your home and floors, then you might want to do your research into engineered flooring. This is a great option for any homeowner that is not only interested in a wood floor, but also wants a practical and inexpensive choice. These floors are designed to last for years to come without all the maintenance of regular hardwood floors.
Engineered Wood Floor Installation
Wood floor installation is not a very simple matter and may require some expert guidance. You should also be aware of things to be avoided during wood floor installation should that it is installed.
You may start with the wood you use for your wood flooring.
It will be better if you look for reused wood for making wood flooring. These reused, old-growth wood are more often of much higher quality than the wood available from trees harvested from forest. Salvaged wood will have some special characteristics like in the form of bolt holes, discolorations or wood blemishes. Actually, these blemishes could be worked into natural feel of your home. You should also ensure that any toxic adhesives, coatings or lead-based paint applied on wood surface must be removed before using.
Following points to be kept in mind at time installation of wood flooring:
"Do not pour any floor cleaner or any other liquid directly onto the wooden floor surface
"Avoid using wet mops which leave excess water on the floor. Some manufactures recommend cleaning hardwood floors with a mop rinsed with water and vinegar solution. You may do so provided the mop used is squeezed dry beforehand.
"It goes without saying that you should not allow any liquid to remain floor as may ultimately damage the wood flooring. Quickly wipe spills from floor to protect wood from this excess liquid.
"Do not use wax, oil-based detergents or other household cleaning agents on your floors, since these products may dull or damage finish, leave a greasy film that makes floors slippery, make maintenance more difficult and refinishing impossible without in-depth sanding and complete recoating. Do not raise or lower temperature of subfloor radiant heat system by more than 5 ?F [2.8 ?C] per day when turning system on and off.
"There should not be any dust or abrasive substance left on the floor. To avoid this, you should sweep or use vacuum cleaner regularly to remove such substances.
"For the same reason, mats are to be placed outside and inside entrances to avoid such deposit of sand or abrasives on the floor. Use of rubber or other dense mat backings should be avoided because they prevent airflow between rugs and retain abrasives and humidity.
"For the same reason, mats should be placed near sink, dishwasher and workstations to protect floor from damages caused by utensils, water spills, detergents, oils etc.
" While moving heavy furniture on the floor, the floor should be protected. You may do so by placing furniture on reversed mats or pieces of plywood and sliding it smoothly over the floor.
"To avoid damage to the floor, felt pads may be attached below furniture and chairs for their smooth movement without scratching the floor.
Both Vince Paxton & Jessica Thomson are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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