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Wood Floor Options

There are two types of hardwood flooring; solid and engineered.  
Solid wood flooring that is 3/4" thick, can only be installed on a plywood or OSB subfloor. (Thinner solid strip flooring can be installed on a concrete slab.) 
Engineered flooring is a wood flooring manufactured for installation on concrete. Engineered flooring is not the same thing as a laminate, which is not real wood.
Niether product is inferior to the other. They just have very different purposes.
Both types of flooring are available in a variey of species, sizes and finishes. 

 

 UNFINISHED and PREFINISHED HARDWOOD FLOORS

webassets/install.jpgHardwood flooring is available two ways: unfinished and finished or pre-finished. 
 
Unfinished wood comes straight from the mill. It is installed first, then sanded, stained and finished with polyurethane in the home. Having unfinished wood installed is generally less expensive than installing prefinished wood. 
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Prefinished wood is sanded stained and finished at a factory. Prefinished solid wood may have a bevel or micro-bevel on the sides of each plank to offset the slight variation in the thickness of the boards. As many as ten thin coats of finish are sprayed onto the boards at the factory for a flawless finish.  Prefinished flooring has aluminum oxide or ceramic finishes that are incredibly durable.  Most finishes are guaranteed for at least 25 years. Most prefinished wood has a very smooth finish.  It typically does not have the texture that unfinished wood has.

 

   ENGINEERED HARDWOOD FLOORING

webassets/eng2.jpgEngineered Wood, is manufactured by compressing several layers of hardwood together with a thin veneer on top.  The layers are criss-crossed to prevent the expansion and contraction due to changes in humidity levels. This makes it possible for people to have hardwood flooring in basements or on top of concrete slabs. Engineered flooring is thinner than solid hardwood flooring.  It typically comes in 3/8", 1/2" or 5/8" thickness.  It is installed using an adhesive that bonds wood to concrete.  Once it is glued down, it is difficult to pull it up for repairs. Engineered flooring is available either prefinished or unfinished. Most engineered wood can be sanded and finished once.  After that, you should have it re-coated to protect the finish. 

  SOLID HARDWOOD FLOORING           
webassets/hardwood-floor-supply.jpgHardwood flooring is the only flooring that increases the value of a home.  Its timeless beauty will never go out of style.   
Solid wood strips or planks are milled from a single 3/4" thick piece of hardwood.  It is available in widths of 2 1/4" strips, 3 1/4"strips, 4" planks, 5"planks,  and 6" planks.  Solid 3/4" hardwood is nailed onto a wooden subfloor that is at least 1/2" thick. Standard length, solid 3/4" flooring cannot be glued down and should never be installed directly onto a concrete slab or concrete that is below grade (basement).  There is solid strip flooring that can be glued down to a concrete slab on or above grade, but never in basements. This flooring is thinner (3/8" or 5/16" thickness) than the nailed down hardwood.