Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood Flooring Construction

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is a popular choice for its aesthetic and practical contributions as well as the value and desirability it lends to a home. Solid wood floors can be installed on a plywood subfloor as long as the floor is on or above ground level. Solid wood flooring expands and contracts with changes in your home's relatively humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding is the traditional "cover-up" for this gap.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood is made of several layers of different woods or different grades of the same wood stacked and glued together under heat and pressure. While looking like solid hardwood, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed above, on, or below ground level.

Floating (Glueless)

Floating hardwood floors are more popular then ever. Unlike traditional solid wood planks or strips a floating floor is not nailed to the subfloor. Instead, all the pieces are attached to one another, either glued at their tongue-and-groove edges or snapped together with glue- free interlocking edges. The planks go down over virtually any material - concrete, plywood, sheet vinyl, oriented strand board, even ceramic tile—and, once installed, expand and contract as a whole, minimizing cracks and squeaks.

Hardwood is available in two basic types:

Strip

Strip flooring accounts for the majority of installations. Strips are usually 2 - 1/4 inches wide, but also come in widths ranging from 1-1/2 inches to 3-1/4 inches. They are installed by nailing to the subfloor.

Plank

Plank flooring boards are at least 3 inches wide. They may be screwed or nailed to the subfloor for installation.

Wood Species

There are many options in hardwood flooring to consider. One such choice is that of species. Some species are very hard, and stand to be a notably durable choice. Others are less hard, but more forgiving when sawed or nailed to a subfloor. Some species of hardwood have colors which remain more or less constant. Others exhibit photosensitivity, which means that the color of the hardwood flooring species changes as it is exposed to light. Whatever your requirement, hardwood flooring presents an option in floors that enable you to choose the perfect look, texture, and general effect.

Below are some images of a few popular species that are available:

American Cherry	Ash	Birch	Brazilian Cherry
Hickory	Maple	Oak	Walnut

(above images are an example of each species; colors vary within species.)

Edge Detail

Edge Detail refers to the way edges of boards are cut. There are typically 4 types of edge detail:

Square	Eased	Microbeveled	Beveled

Finishes:

Prefinished wood refers to wood that is treated at the factory and will be finished at the time of purchase. Factory prefinished wood is easier to install and performs better over time. You may opt to buy wood that is not treated and apply the finish on-site, but it is important to consider that on-site finishes cause fumes, dust, and a considerable drying time.

Types of Finishes:

Acrylic-Urethane

With Acrylic-urethane you have a slightly different chemical make up than polyurethane, but with similar benefits. Like polyurethane, acrylic-urethane is applied as a wear layer which results in a clear, tough and durable finish. (Available in Kahrs hardwood products.)

Aluminum Oxide

When finishing with Aluminum Oxide, particles are added to the polyurethane finish to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer. This has become extremely popular on the better grades of hardwood floors.

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is a clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer.

UV-Cured

UV-cured floors are finished at the factory and the polyurethane finish is cured with Ultra Violet lights instead of using heat.