Home Improvement

Clean Hardwood FloorsProducts Relating to 'Clean Hardwood Floors'

If you want a surefire way to improve the look, durability and value of your home or apartment, clean hardwood floors. are the way to go. Besides being beautiful and hard-wearing, clean hardwood floors. are environmentally friendly as well. Wood is a natural resource that is both renewable and recyclable. Most clean hardwood floors. almost never need to be replaced and can add thousands of dollars to the value of a home. clean hardwood floors. offer an incredible array of aesthetic options, too. From the kind of wood to the finish to the design of the floor pattern, clean hardwood floors. will suit almost any taste and circumstance.

If you've ever completed a home improvement project, you know the satisfaction of planning and executing it. You may not think that a typical do-it-yourselfer can install an entire clean hardwood floors. on their own, but it is possible. All you need is the right planning, preparation and tools. If this sounds too daunting, or you're interested in a custom design, you can certainly work with a flooring professional. Whether you're going the DIY route or using a professional installation crew, you'll find lots of valuable information here.

Types of clean hardwood floors.

Choosing the type of clean hardwood floors. that best fits your space and DIY abilities is an important step in planning the installation of your new floor. Before you can begin the task of installation, you should give careful consideration to the type of clean hardwood floors. you want. Don't confuse floor type with wood variety - we'll cover selection of wood variety in the next section.

For now, let's discuss the three main types of hardwood floors to consider.

Solid Wood FlooringSolid wood flooring comes in three main types. Each type is available in both an unfinished and a pre-finished version. Unfinished flooring must be job-site sanded and finished after installation. Pre-finished flooring is sanded and finished at the factory -- so it only needs installation. The three main types of solid wood flooring are:

• clean hardwood floors. Strip flooring - This type of flooring is denoted by the thickness and width of the wood planks. Strip flooring has a set width, but the thickness can vary. Strip flooring ranges in thickness from 5/16 of an inch to 3/4 of an inch wide. It is available only in widths of 1 1/2 inches, 2 inches and 2 1/4.inches.

• clean hardwood floors. Plank flooring - Plank flooring only comes in two thicknesses, but unlike strip flooring, the widths can vary. It is available only in thicknesses of 1/2 inch or 3/4 inch and a range of widths from 3 inches to 8 inches.

• clean hardwood floors. Parquet flooring - Parquet floors have a very different look from typical hardwoods. They are made up of geometrical patterns composed of individual wood slats held in place by mechanical fastening or an adhesive.

Engineered Wood FlooringEngineered wood flooring should not be confused with laminate wood flooring. Engineered flooring is produced by adhering layers of plastic laminate veneer with real wood. The main difference between this type of wood and laminate flooring is that laminate flooring contains no actual wood. Look for more on laminate wood flooring later in this article.

Acrylic-impregnated Wood FlooringAcrylic-impregnated wood flooring is infused with sealant and color throughout the thickness of the wood. So, what is normally a surface "finish" is actually consistent throughout the wood. This type of flooring is most commonly used in commercial, not residential, projects. This type of floor is very hard and it is highly resistant to moisture and scratches.

According to the World Floor Covering Association, once installed, it is extremely difficult to tell the difference between a solid wood floor and the other wood floors. Solid hardwood strip floors are the most common flooring option. Although, engineered flooring has become very popular due to its low cost.

So, which type of wood floor would be best for you? There are several things to keep in mind when choosing the appropriate type of wood flooring for your home. Solid clean hardwood floors. may require a little more upkeep than engineered wood flooring, but they can always be re-sanded and refinished. If maintained, solid wood floors will retain their value better than engineered woods. In addition, deciding between strip, plank or parquet is, for the most part, a question of taste. Do you like thin long planks of wood? Then, you should choose strip flooring. If you prefer the aesthetic of very wide planks of wood, then plank flooring is the best choice. And, if you have a more decorative look in mind -- perhaps a geometric design, parquet floors will be a perfect match for your taste. Remember that plank flooring may require some extra work during installation and its cost can be higher than strip flooring.

Article Published: Wednesday 18th July 2007