Wood: A Solid Floor beneath Your Feet
When choosing the floor to your dream house, it is important to know what the quality is that will be supporting your (and many other people’s) feet. Of course there are also the practical considerations (e.g. cleaning etc.) as well as the very important aesthetic qualities of your floor of choice.
When it comes down to a choice of solid wood flooring, you have to know what a solid wood floor holds in for you before making the decision to have one installed.
Solid wood flooring is made out of solid wood; i.e., made out of one piece of wood. The planks are usually made out of Red Oak, White Oak or Maple, but depending on where you live, the planks can also be made out of any other hardwood suitable for flooring.
The boards are generally ¾ inch (1.9 cm) thick by 2¼ inch (5.7 cm) wide. This, however, doesn’t mean that the planks come only in these sizes. Some wood mills also cut their planks in longer strips and a little thicker. So sizes are customizable depending on your requirements.
The reason for the specific sizes is that solid wood flooring is generally used for structural purposes. This means that the planks are installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of the structure. However, there are few houses being built that still makes use of wooden structures, so these days solid wood flooring is used mainly for its appearance.
There are some limitations to using wood for your floors: It is not advisable to install wooden floors directly above concrete floors as the concrete holds humidity and cold and may cause the planks to buckle. For the same reasons, it is not advisable to install wooden floors below grade (under ground level e.g. basements).
However, the wooden planks have a thick sandable area which means that it can be re-sanded and re-sealed several times and still keep its beauty.
An important factor to keep in mind is the wood’s characteristics. Wood tends to expand and contract with the fluctuations of temperature and humidity in the house. This could lead to the wood developing unsightly gaps where the planks have been joined together. It could also lead to what is known as ‘cupping’ – the planks begin to buckle because of the lack of expansion room.
The planks are therefore fitted with tongues and grooves to facilitate the installation process, as well as to allow for some expansion. Then there is the option to either glue the floor, or to use nails to secure the planks. Many installers prefer nailing down the planks, but the glue option is very viable.
Once the floor is installed, it is easy to maintain. It is sanded down and sealed and is as durable (if not more) than any conventional floor made of non-organic material. It could last 100 years or more if well taken care of.
Definitely an option to have underfoot.