Hardwood Floors: The World at your Feet

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HARDWOOD FLOORING

There’s nothing as elegant and inviting as a rich, warm, hardwood floor. But there are so many to choose from! It used to be that oak and maple were all you could get. Now, there are gorgeous exotics such as Tigerwood, Jatoba, Ipe, Merbau, Cabreuva, Brazilian Cherry and more. Not only are these exotic woods beautiful, they are usually much harder than domestic woods.

Wood hardness is important if you have pets and an active family. The hardness of a specific wood is compared to other types of wood using the Janka Hardness Scale.

The Janka scale measures the force required to embed a .444 inch steel ball to half its diameter in the wood being tested. It’s one of the best measures of the ability of a wood species to withstand denting and wear.

Besides the Janka hardness rating, there are other factors that contribute to the durability of a wood floor. The type of cut used to mill the wood (for example, plainsawn, quartersawn, riftsawn), the density of the wood cell structure, and the finish used.

Handscraped and distressed woods are popular with those who like a textured, rustic and antiqued finish. Nicks and scratches will only add character instead of ruining the look of these floors. Also, they usually come with a matte, rather than glossy finish, which helps hide scratches better.

Planks that are 4” to 7”in width are popular. They work especially well in large spaces and in homes with a more casual décor. If your home is small with a lot of hallways, it’s best to stick to planks that are narrower than 4”. Also, if you have a more formal, more traditional home, narrower planks look best.

Very dark colours have been a recent trend in hardwood flooring. They look stunning against light walls and cream-toned accent rugs. The only downside is that dirt and dust show more on dark floors, so be prepared to sweep and vacuum more often.

The newest trend in hardwood is towards a yellowing and/or greying of the palette, which is still rich in tone, but lighter than the espresso brown of a year or two ago.

If you’d like a better idea of how a particular hardwood floor will look in your home, go to WoodFloors.org. This site offers a virtual “Design a Room” feature. Click on ‘interactive design studio’, then on ‘launch design a room’. It’s an American site so it’ll ask for a zip code ( 90210 works for me!). This site’s great because it allows my customers to visualize different wood floors in different room settings. It also allows them to change the wall colour to match one that’s closer to theirs.

My clients often ask me whether it’s best to go with engineered or solid wood. Engineered wood is generally more dimensionally stable than solid, so it will expand and contract less with changes in temperature and humidity. It can also be sanded 1 to 3 times, depending on the thickness of the top layer.

If you have a plywood underlayment, you can use either solid or engineered hardwood over top. If you’re on concrete and /or on radiant-heated floors you must use engineered only.

Hardwood flooring is a great option for people with allergies, it’s environmentally friendly and it increases the value of your home. It’s also one of the most beautiful, timeless and elegant flooring choices on the market today.

I have some gorgeous hardwood samples in the showroom, that can be lent out to you, and I have excellent installers too!

We carry hardwood flooring by Mohawk, Tarkett and Armstrong.

If you would like more information about hardwood flooring, you can contact me by filling out the simple form below with more details on your flooring requirements.

Find out how easy it can be to beautify your home with Inez and Surdel Flooring. Contact Inez today for your free design consultation!

Servicing the Vancouver area from White Rock to False Creek to West Vancouver to Langley and beyond, Surdel Flooring & Design Centre is centrally located at 13562 77 Ave, Surrey, BC.

Located at 13562 77th Ave, Surrey BC, Surdel Flooring and Design Centre (formerly Surdel Carpets), has served the lower mainland in Vancouver, B.C. for more than 39 years.