The majority of homeowners install timber floors because of their aesthetic value; they give off a sense of beauty, elegance and class. You may even find that timber flooring can increase the value of your house and make it sell fast when you put it up for sale.
There are two ways to go about timber floor installation: you can either DIY or hire professional timber floor installation services. Before you choose DIY, make sure you know everything about timber floor installation and have experience. Here's why:
Inspection Before Timber Floor Installation
Timber floor installation experts know that there are structural or environmental factors that may affect timber floors. Therefore, before installation commences, humidity levels are checked. Your subfloor is also inspected for evenness and cracks.
Moisture damages wood, which is why humidity levels are checked. You also want your timber flooring to be even; for this to happen, the subfloor has to be even. On the other hand, if there are cracks on the subfloor, they are repaired before laying the floor. If you do not know about these inspections, do not DIY timber floor installation.
Natural/Solid Hardwood Versus Preference Engineered Flooring
Do you know that there are two major types of hardwood flooring? Do you know their differences? If you are planning on installing your timber floors yourself, the answer to these questions should be yes.
Natural/solid Hardwood Flooring
Natural/solid timber flooring comprises thick planks of wood that are cut from hardwood trees. They are smoothened, treated and finished to look good and prevent insect attack and moisture damage. Finishing is mainly the application of a sealant. The sealant is responsible for keeping moisture from entering the plank of wood. These properties make this flooring expensive.
Natural timber flooring planks are affected by temperature, meaning they expand and contract. The installer needs to leave spaces between these planks to give room for expansion and contraction. Failure to do this can lead to floor damage.
Preference Engineered Flooring
Preference engineered flooring comprises thin planks of hardwood trees that are reinforced with layers of plywood to make them thicker. They are manufactured to counter the cons of solid timber flooring, meaning they are cheaper and are not affected by temperature changes. You should, however, know that engineered flooring is not as durable as solid timber flooring and cannot be used in high traffic areas. They are not as durable as natural/solid timber floors (you cannot sand them as many times as you can sand the thicker solid hardwood floors).
Flooring is one of the most underappreciated aspects of a home it's easy to forget about what is under your feet and concentrate on the more visible items of furniture around your home. However, when there is a problem with your floor then it can seriously impact your enjoyment of your home. If you are looking for a new flooring solution then this website can help. Perhaps you want to know more about classic wooden floors? Maybe you are thinking about fitting new carpets throughout your home? Whatever your flooring concerns here you will find the answers to your questions.