Buying Wood Flooring
But it’s also a big investment, one that you’ll live with for a long time. In this article, we’ll tell you how to size up the many types of wood floors available and make the choice that best fits your Home and budget.
Most wood floors fall into two categories with unique characteristics: solid wood and laminated (layered). We’ll tell you the strengths and weaknesses of each type, as well as the price range and the skills needed if you want to install them yourself.>
Solid Wood Flooring
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A traditional solid wood floor has random butt
joints, a variety of wood grain patterns and, often, slim cracks between strips
during the dry season.
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Solid wood flooring is
usually made from 3/4-in. thick strips, either 1-1/2 or 2-1/4 in. wide, or
sometimes 3/4-in. thick “planks,” which are wider. It has a tongue and groove
milled into the edges. When nailed through the tongues, the strips interlock to
form a strong floor that feels solid underfoot. The strips are typically milled
at random lengths up to about 6 ft. long. The finished floor shows random butt
joints and strips displaying a wide variety of grain patterns, both traditional
characteristics of a solid strip floor. A thick wear layer allows sanding and
refinishing four to six times before it wears out.
Unfinished Strips
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These 3/4-in. thick strips are nailed,
sanded and finished on site, making this type of floor the most labor-intensive
choice. It can be custom-stained for the exact color desired. Widely available
in many grades of oak and maple, and almost any other species by special order.
Cost: $3 to $5 per sq. ft. for flooring (oak) and finish; $8 to $12 per sq. ft.
professionally installed and finished.
Prefinished Strips
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More precise milling and slight edge bevels allow nailing
without sanding. The strips have a tough, factory-applied finish in a limited
choice of stains and species, mostly oak and maple. Cost: $4 to $6 per sq. ft.
for flooring (oak); $8 to $12 professionally
installed.
Prefinished or Unfinished Planks
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Wider 3/4-in. thick tongue-and-groove
boards are available in a more limited range of hardwoods and softwoods. These
sometimes require additional screws or nails to keep the floor solid. Cost:
Same as unfinished and prefinished above.
Do-It-Yourself?
Laying a solid wood floor requires
some carpentry experience. You may need a power miter saw and a table saw for
cutting smooth transitions to other types of flooring and for other details.
Unfinished flooring must be sanded. Flooring nailer rental, $30 per day. Sander
rental, $80 per day.
Limitations
- Expands and contracts with humidity changes. Expect slight cracks to open between strips during the dry season unless you control indoor humidity year-round. The cracks will be prominent in light-colored wood.
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Must be nailed to a wood subfloor. Not ideal over concrete, since you must first add at least a 3/4-in. plywood layer as a nailing surface.
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Not suitable for damp areas.
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Expect “character” squeaks from loosened nails after a few years.
Laminated Wood Flooring
Laminated floors are prefinished, have
precision-fitted tongues and grooves and mimic the appearance of a traditional
strip floor.
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Stable; excellent over concrete;
easier to install.
Laminated floors consist of wood layers, much like plywood, with the “show” wood on the top. Don’t confuse these with “laminate” floors, which have a tough plastic top layer. You can choose among a wide variety of flooring boards 3/8 in. to 5/8 in. thick, 3 in. to 8 in. wide and up to 8 ft. long. The top layer of wide boards usually consists of narrower strips to better mimic solid wood strip floors. The boards have precise tongues and grooves for tight-fitting joints. Laminated floors are prefinished in a wide range of stains. Depending on the thickness of the top “wear” layer, laminated floors can be sanded and refinished zero to four times. Material prices range from $5 to $12 per sq. ft., virtually the same as for prefinished solid strip floors.
Installation TechniquesFloating
Lay a pad and snap or glue together
floating floors. Clamps hold glued edges tight until they
dry.
With the floating technique, you don’t fasten the flooring to the subfloor. Rather you glue or snap the edges of the boards together to make a solid sheet that rests on a pad. This technique works well over concrete as well as wood subfloors. A floating floor must be free to expand and contract. Use special transitions to cover the edges where the floor meets carpeting, tile, stairs and other types of flooring. Buy a sound-deadening pad from a dealer; floating floors tend to be loud underfoot.
Limitations
- The joints will eventually show as a regular pattern and may affect the appearance, especially on lighter-colored floors. Butt joints will be more prominent on wide boards.
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Transition pieces can be distracting. Make sure you’re comfortable with their appearance.
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Removing damaged boards in an edge-glued floor is difficult. You’ll have to call in a pro.
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Some types are considered suitable for potentially damp areas—kitchens, bathrooms, basements— but there is some risk. Read the warranty carefully.
Do-It-Yourself?
A floating floor is easy to lay but requires simple
carpentry skills around edges and transitions. When edge-gluing,
use special clamps to make sure the joints stay tight until the glue dries.
Rent or buy these clamps from the flooring dealer if you do it
yourself.
Glue-Down
Glue laminated strips to dry, flat subfloors much as you
would do with tile.
Most types of laminated floors can be glued to a wood subfloor or dry concrete. However, when the wood contracts, a glue-down floor is more prone to gaps at the joints than a floating floor is.
Limitations
- This isn’t a good choice in potentially wet or damp areas like kitchens, bathrooms and basements.
Do-It-Yourself?
Glued floors are easy to lay. Simple carpentry skills
needed for transitions.
Nail-Down
Rent a special flooring stapler designed for the flooring
thickness.
Much like solid strip floors, some types of laminate flooring can be nailed (usually stapled) to solid wood subfloors.
Limitations-
Not a good choice in potentially wet or damp rooms.
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Can develop squeaks.
Do-It-Yourself?
Simple carpentry skills are needed for cutting and
nailing transitions.
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Visit a flooring specialty store. You’ll be amazed at the wide range of wood species and finishes now available. Since you buy a wood floor primarily for appearance, it’s important for you to be able to examine and touch them and even walk on them to get the feel underfoot. You can also ask about other, less common types of wood flooring, including parquet, cork and bamboo.
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Ask the salesperson about the stability of the species you like. All wood floors expand and contract with humidity changes, and small gaps open between boards. If you live in an area with wide humidity swings (see map below), the gaps may be large enough to bother you. Either buy a more stable species, or a species and finish in which the gaps will be less prominent. Or plan to control your indoor humidity.
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Consider location. For example, the joints in light-colored wood will eventually show up as dark lines in high-wear areas like in an entry or kitchen. And avoid wood with beveled edges in kitchens and baths, where spilled water will collect and soak into joints.
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Remember that wood floors are not maintenance free. Clean your wood floor regularly with wood floor cleaner and a towel. Left underfoot, grit will grind off the finish. Put pads under chair and table legs.
Changes in Wood Moisture Content
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Changes in relative humidity cause wood to swell and
shrink. The first number represents the moisture content of wood during
January, usually the driest period, and the second represents the moisture
content during July, the dampest period. The larger the difference between the
two, the higher the potential for movement from season to
season.
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