Wood Flooring: Grading and Type

• Tweet
• Share
• Email

• Tweet
• Share
• Email

Every species of wood is graded and priced according to standards that are recognized industry-wide. Each type of wood flooring comes in a set of standard dimensions and is laid in a different manner. Flooring is a major investment and mistakes can be costly so consider having a professional lay any new wood floor.

Solid-wood flooring

Solid-wood flooring is produced in strips, planks and parquets, and in unfinished and prefinished versions. The strips are often milled in thicknesses of 3/8- to 3/4-inch and in widths from 1 up to 3 inches. The planks, in similar thicknesses and widths of 3 to 7 inches.

Laminated-wood flooring

Laminate-wood flooring is produced by bonding a thin veneer of hardwood over rigid plywood. It it less expensive than hardwood flooring and it also offers the advantage of being more stable dimensionally in high-humidity installations, such as below-grade basement rooms, because of its engineered construction. Another plus is the fact that it can be installed or floated over a foam underlayment without nailing. Or it can also be glued down to a concrete slab. However, due to the thinness of the veneer, laminated wood does not lend itself to repeated sanding and refinishing. It comes both unfinished and factory-finished and in several grades and sizes just like solid-wood flooring.

Acrylic-impregnated wood flooring

Acrylic-impregnated wood flooring is a relatively new wood flooring product. Prefinished in the factory, acrylic and color are driven deep into the grain under high pressure. It then creates an extremely hard finish that is highly resistant to abrasion and moisture.

Parquet

Parquet is a specialty product favored for somewhat more formal floors. Once an extravagance of the very rich, it involves dozens if not hundreds of small wood slats or tiles, often many-hued dark and light tones. In earlier times, skilled specialists had to painstakingly cut and install the intricate geometric patterns of parquet. Similar patterns can be found in factory-cut and prefinished versions today. Use them to cover an entire floor or to create a decorative border around an otherwise plain hardwood floor. While the more elaborate and expensive parquets should be installed by a professional, do-it-yourselfers can lay, tile-fashion, the less expensive but less durable adhesive-backed squares. Precut and prefinished blocks which are sometimes referred to as “finger” parquet are another option.

• Tweet
• Share
• Email