Regardless, it’s a good bet that you’re considering oak wooden flooring if you’re looking at any wooden floors.  Oak wooden flooring is an old standby in the United States because the oak tree is such an ever present symbol of solidity and durability.  Oak wooden flooring in its natural color is also a nice, light color, lending an air of space, even in smaller rooms.  Just be careful when shopping for your wooden floor, though.  There are a few things to watch out for.

First, if you’re looking at particularly cheap wooden flooring, it’s probably laminate.  Laminate flooring is made up of a thick resin, coating a picture of a wood floor, which sits atop more manufactured materials, all with a wood chip mixture as the base.  There is very little real wood but, many times, it’s hard to tell the difference between laminate and solid wood floors.  Laminate is initially scratch and scuff resistant.  However, if a scratch or scuff does occur, you’re stuck with it until you can swap out entire boards.  Since oak wooden flooring is quite tough, there’s almost no real advantage to using laminate over real…except for price, of course.

Second, you have engineered wooden flooring.  Price wise, engineered sits between laminate and solid, although it’s not uncommon to find wooden flooring sales in which engineered is either comparable to or cheaper than laminate.  The top layer of engineered wooden flooring is actual, solid wood.  However, that layer is quite thin.  The rest of an engineered floor is mostly wood as well, though not solid.  Engineered oak wooden flooring can give you the solidity of an oak wooden floor while keeping the price down.  It can even be buffed a few times if there are any scratches or scuffs, though deep scratches or dents can sometimes require replacing boards.

Then there’s your solid oak wooden floors.  There are those who will choose solid wooden floors because they’ve done their research and decided that it’s the best option for them, but I suspect that the vast majority will choose solid simply because it’s “the real thing”.  With real oak wooden flooring, things like worm holes and scars are considered normal, sometimes even desirable.  There are levels of scarring, but to get the kind of smoothness you find in laminate, you’ll pay quite the ridiculous sum.  There’s also “wormy” solid wood, in which there are a copious amount of scarring and worm holes.  This is great for log cabins, but not so good for multi-million dollar suburban mansions.

Keep in mind: just because it’s “the real thing” doesn’t mean it’s best for you and your home.  Look at all your options before choosing your oak wooden flooring, and consider any wooden flooring sales before you make your final decision.

There has been an increase in demand for bamboo flooring, turning what was once cheap wooden flooring into a still reasonably priced hot commodity. Part of this can be attributed to an increase in environmental awareness of consumers. Despite this, most people don’t think about purchasing bamboo flooring for their home projects. Nevertheless, bamboo flooring has many advantages over more commonly used flooring surfaces, and is popping up more and more in wooden flooring sales.

Bamboo traditionally comes from Southern Asia. It is grown in extremely fertile lands that are able to produce larger amounts of bamboo than most assume. In America, many people think that it is an extremely rare substance. However, this particular plant can be produced in large quantities.

Bamboo can reach maturity after four years. However, oak, lumber, and other sources of wood can take about 65 or more years until they are full grown. This makes bamboo flooring much more economically friendly because it is so easily replenished.

Deforestation is causing a severe loss of natural resources. These are the same resources that people rely upon for hard wood surfacing. For this reason alone, purchasing bamboo flooring is a less environmentally harmful option that more common wood surfaces such as oak and teak wood.

Bamboo flooring has another benefit over traditional wood floor materials. Because it is so easily attainable and fast growing, it is relatively inexpensive. Luckily a lower price does not mean a low quality product. Bamboo is very aesthetically appealing, and always increases the quality of the room it inhabits.  It is also long lasting. Typically you can expect a 20 year life span from bamboo flooring if it is maintained regularly.

Make sure that you pre-measure your surface correctly before you install bamboo flooring. It must also be an even surface. These are the two greatest things to consider before you decide to use bamboo as a floor surface.

It is also advised to install in an area that is not susceptible to drastic water contact. You can use water to maintain bamboo flooring as you would for any other surface. However, flooding can cause deformation of the surface.

Because of its economic advantages, reasonable price, and beauty, this cheap wooden flooring is an excellent addition to any decor. Make sure you consider using bamboo when you decide to install a new floor.

There are three different grades, or qualities of solid oak flooring; Select, Country, and Wormy.

All solid oak flooring will have some imperfections in it; that’s the nature of wood flooring in general. Select solid oak flooring, however, will have the fewest by far. The planks for these wood floors are chosen from the best of the best of all the solid oak flooring planks available. They have the least worm holes and scars. They’re also generally more expensive, and not necessarily desirable to all customers. Be sure to consider the look of the rest of your home before assuming that select solid oak flooring is the best option for you.

Wormy solid oak flooring is the exact opposite. Don’t worry, there’s not any actual worms in there, it’s just filled with worm holes, scars, and sometimes even nail holes. Wormy solid oak flooring has real personality. It would be impossible to find any two planks that looked remotely alike, and that is the main draw to the wormy quality of solid oak flooring. This style would probably be best in an older home with a rustic theme, or maybe something like a log cabin. Although select solid oak flooring would fit in just fine, wormy solid oak flooring would look really silly inside a multi-million dollar mansion. Unless that multi-million dollar mansion happened to have a very, very rustic theme, in which case the wormier the better!

The other type of solid oak flooring is called country. Country solid oak flooring is basically a good, healthy compromise between select and wormy, having much the same character as the latter but without going overboard with it. Most people who choose solid oak flooring will likely go with the country quality of wooden flooring, as it very much maintains the rustic charm of the wormy wood floor, while at the same time being a bit less enthusiastic about its marks and holes.  Most wooden flooring sales will comprise of country quality product.

If you’re looking for cheap wooden flooring, you’ll probably be limited to country or wormy, depending on current supply.  If that’s not cheap enough for you, though, you may have to look at engineered wooden flooring instead.

]]> http://woodenflooringinfo.com/solid-oak-flooring/feed/ 0 http://woodenflooringinfo.com/antique-wooden-flooring/ http://woodenflooringinfo.com/antique-wooden-flooring/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:34:40 +0000 admin http://woodenflooringinfo.com/?p=15 You’ll be making a wise investment to increase the beauty and value of your living space using wooden flooring, but you should first use every available resource – such as the lessons learned on this site – to empower you in choosing, purchasing, installing and the maintaining of your new wooden floors.

Be it oak, pine, or heart pine flooring, the environmentally friendly wooden flooring product will become a true work of art; a physical expression of nature’s beauty beneath you and your family’s feet. With antique wooden floors, you can be sure that no tree was harmed in the making of your floor, and embrace the unique characteristics of the antique wood grains that simply are no longer created in trees harvested today.  There is no better way to ensure that your wooden floor will be truly different.

Because wooden floors have such a long life cycle, one of the longest of any natural building material, wooden flooring has become a top floor choice for families everywhere. Not only do wooden floors bring a characteristic beauty and warmth to your home, but a wooden floor can last generations. Antique wooden floors add an additional depth of character. The rich color and tight grain pattern has already persisted for generations, possibly originating from the factories that built the Industrial Revolution, or possibly as a building or barn from all around the United States that have endured many a torturous season before being carefully harvested to be remade into a wooden floor.

For many, the look of wooden flooring is desired over a concrete slab or radiant heat system, due either to a need for dimensional stability, or possibly repairability requirements. Engineered wood flooring of reclaimed, antique wood offers many advantages. Hours of attention and craftsmanship are poured into the treatment that goes into any and all antique wooden flooring. Each piece of wood is hand selected to be made into antique wooden floors that’s just right for any home, be it solid hardwood flooring or engineered wooden flooring.

Many people look for natural products to place in their home and want to create earth-friendly homes where they can feel completely surrounded by nature. Nothing is more natural or environmentally friendly than antique wood flooring. Old wood floors can become a gorgeous spectacle in your house that provides reliable movement of warmth throughout all your living spaces, saving you energy costs while providing a beautiful landscape. With green flooring, what is abandoned by the elements or, in some cases, thrown away, will regain life as awesome hardwood flooring in someone’s home.  This wood floor will be cherished for many, many years.

But first, where does the wooden flooring come from? Of course, wood is a natural fiber and is manufactured from the stems of large trees. The cellulose in the stems of the trees transport nutrients and water from the roots underground to the leaves up above. This is the reason why you should only use treated wooden flooring. Untreated lumber can absorb water from the humidity and will then expand because of it. The swelling of the wood is ideal for the tree itself, but not for your wooden flooring.

When you receive your lumber for your floor, it should be a few weeks before you plan to use it. They should be stored according to the local temperature and climate conditions. Ask your lumber provider about this when purchasing your wooden lumber. Be prepared for the daily fluctuations in temperature and humidity. There are meters and monitors used to read the changes that can also be purchased.

Along with wooden flooring, you might also have used concrete or drywall. It is important that until proven to be completely dry, the lumber for the wooden flooring should not be installed or even placed near that area because of the humidity. There are techniques such as placing a clear plastic sheet on that area for a few days and seeing if the sheet is dry, and if not, it is advised not to install the wooden flooring.

You should pay high attention to the area you place your lumber for the duration of the acclimating. Areas with high moisture levels under the flooring and the walls should be avoided. Be wary of cooling appliances as well as heating appliances during this time, due to the possibility of the effect on the readings of the meters and monitors.

If you are careful and attentive, you can have beautiful hard wooden flooring in your home in as little as a few months! Wooden flooring is the natural choice and is also the better choice! You know the facts, so make the right choice, the best choice.

Of course, choosing your wooden flooring provider is not a light task. This commitment can be very challenging to keep and you should only make it after you have explored the diverse types of woods, colors, textures and the price range you can afford along with taking as much consideration as possible. Try to visualize what you want your floor to look like, the style, design, or pattern. Ponder on the reasons and what you what to achieve from your new wooden flooring. If you have inside animals like cats or dogs, consider the abuse your floor might take.

If you are still interested in having a wooden floor, you might want to start brainstorming ideas of what you want your floor to look like. Colors, types of wood, and price ranges all all important factors in this equation. Also, don’t set the bar too high. If you have an idea of what you want, chances are you can get it, but not always for a reasonable price. After you have thought of some designs or patterns you like, try finding samples of them in a hardware store or specialty store. Also try drawing out the pattern you thought of on some paper or on the computer. You can show this to an associate so they can help you find what you are looking for.

After the installation of your new wooden flooring has been completed, remember to take good care of it. By waxing and keeping scuff marks and scratches of your new floor, you new floor will keep looking new for years to come. There are a lot of products out there used for keeping your floor looking shine and new, all the while protecting it. Try buying a few decorative rugs for your pets to rest on instead of the hardwood. There are many beautiful and exotic rugs you can find if you just look around. But most of all, just enjoy your new wooden flooring design!

]]> http://woodenflooringinfo.com/designing-the-right-wooden-flooring/feed/ 0 http://woodenflooringinfo.com/reclaimed-wooden-flooring/ http://woodenflooringinfo.com/reclaimed-wooden-flooring/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 15:27:34 +0000 admin http://woodenflooringinfo.com/?p=6 Reclaimed wooden floors, as well as other products from reclaimed lumber have increased in popularity in recent years, with demand for plenty of reclaimed wood species throughout the United States. Harvested from various structures that are no longer useful, such as factories or barns, or even from the bottoms of rivers, reclaimed wood is well adapted to its surroundings. Like all building materials, wood suffers from general usage and the passage of time. However, when using reclaimed wooden flooring, suddenly the effects of age are a pro instead of a con!

Reclaimed lumber is popular for lots of reasons. These reasons include uniqueness and appearance in general, as well as the strength and stability that comes with any wooden flooring. Often there’s even a story associated with the wood, and for the wood to have survived long enough to become reclaimed, it must be of the highest quality.

When renovating an older home, reclaimed wooden flooring offers a unique chance to match existing materials, making repairs transparent, especially when antique wooden flooring is a requirement in your project. Reclaimed wood is even useful in new structures, either commercial or residential, as it creates a sense of stability and permanence, opening up new design possibilities such as hand crafted items.

As customers look for ways to differentiate their home, the uniqueness factor of antique wooden flooring seems to be one of the biggest selling points.

Reclaimed wooden flooring is also exceptionally environmentally friendly. With the advent of the LEED rating system for environmentally friendly flooring and new construction, reclaimed wood is suddenly very much in demand. Using reclaimed lumber will boost your LEED ratings, not to metion ultimately providing for ongoing energy-saving tax credits for a one time cost.

Reclaimed wood from old buildings is generally better quality than any new materials. Slow-growing, first-growth timber is far denser and more stable than the newer, faster growing second-growth or plantation grown timber, and these superior materials are generally found in older buildings. Although reclaimed lumber is not actually specified as a component in framing, no one can deny its use as a sustainable wooden paneling.

Reclaimed wood is also great for the environment. Not only do no new trees have to be killed to produce it, but by using reclaimed wood in your wooden flooring, you’re also helping avoid energy expenditure that would be required at a landfill should this great building material have ended up there.

Rocks, nails, and other embedded materials such as textile travelers must be carefully removed in the initials steps taken in order to prevent damaged saws and manufacturing equipment that are used to bring this vintage reclaimed wood back to life. This tedious process addresses some of the character marks that many appreciate in wooden flooring as they represent a certain sense of timelessness that can only be had with hardwood. And although these worm-scars, dents, dings, and nail-holes are accepted, and sometimes sought after when purchasing reclaimed lumber for wooden flooring, they are graded according to the requirements of the customer, and there may be a restriction on just how much character the reclaimed wood should have. Often there is a higher focus on species and grain quality, which requires meticulous handling and years of experience to obtain the highest yield. It’s not uncommon for over 50% of reclaimed wood to go to waste in the production of high quality, useable reclaimed wood products. Though this may seem like a lot, the number will go down as technology increases, and 50% of something is still a lot more than nothing.

We’re constantly surround by wood. Not only is it all throughout our forests and parks, but it holds our books, our computers, and even our butts in our sofas and chairs. However, our world economy is based on mass production and high speed delivery, which ultimately dictates the price of all things. Reclaimed wooden flooring and other products made from recycled antique wood are really no different than organically grown food and other sustainable lifestyle items. They are somewhat more pricy than their cheaper, mass produced cousins. However, in the case of reclaimed wooden flooring, you’re gaining not only a gratifying wooden floor, but one made of a more enduring material. Reclaimed wooden flooring is certainly not for everyone. But if you intend to make an environmentally friendly home, it would be worth your while to see what’s out there.