A hardwood floor is elegant in many ways. The natural pattern of the wood grains compares with no other material, and modern finish methods make the floors even grander. Hardwood floors can be made to create illusions of wear, making them perfectly blend antiquity and modernity. A hardwood floor is also warm and easy to clean.
Hardwood flooring has remained popular over the years, standing the test of time. Only the technology to bring improvements keeps changing. With these floors, you can give your home a traditional feel in addition to having a long-lasting floor. Wood floors can be built to different styles, which include the following.
Hand-scraped Floors
Hand-scraped floors have become immensely popular in the recent years. The create the illusion of a floor reclaimed from centuries of wear. With modern urethane finish, hand -scraped floors are utterly attractive and are ideal for those seeking a mix of the antique, the rustic and modernity.
Wire Brushed Floors
These types of wood floors are almost similar to hand-scraped floors but without the impression of extreme wear that characterises hand-scraped floors. The floors also feature a urethane finish to give a modern touch on top of the traditional look.
Strip Floors
This wood floor is made with strips of wood measuring 1 1/2 inches to 2 1/2 inches wide. The thickness of the strips ranges from 5/16 to 3/4 of an inch. Strip floors create an impression of more space and are desirable when you want to make your small room look bigger.
Plank Floors
Plank floors are built from wood strips thicker than that of strip flooring. The strips in this floor measure between 3 and 8 inches in width. Plank floors make for a more rustic looking flooring that brings out the beauty of the antique flooring.
How to Choose a Hardwood Floor That Suits Your Need and Preference
The type of floor style you choose will depend on several factors, one of them being whether yours is a residential or commercial property. The flooring style of residential buildings is different from that of commercial premises in terms of wood strip measurements, finish, type of wood, owner preference, and more.
Other factors to take into consideration include the color of the wood and the variation in the wood’s grain. You may want wood with varied and distinct grain pattern and full color; it gives a floor more of natural beauty. Grain pattern and color depends on the type of wood. Wood types used in hardwood flooring include maple, beech, oak, walnut, cherry, and pecan.
Consider, too, the level of gloss or shine you will want your floor to have. Levels range from gloss finish for a high shine, satin finish for medium shine, and matte finish for a low level of shine. For high-traffic places such as commercial premises, you would better go for a matte finish as it’s easy to maintain. For elegance in high-end places such as offices, a gloss finish would be desirable.
With modern technology ensuring the planks used in wood floors do not warp or shrink, hardwood flooring will remain to be preferred by many people. It’s uniquely beautiful and easy to maintain.
No matter if you just wish to renew your old home, or you bought a new one and you are in home improvement tasks all over your head, hardwood floor will give your home a new, fresh look, that will make your friends envy you.