Tips on buying hardwood flooring

 
Wood floors add warmth, charm, and elegance to your Atlanta home, affecting both style and property value. One of the most significant advantages of hardwood flooring is that it lasts for decades. That means you'll also be living with it for a long time, so make sure you thoroughly research wood type, construction, and hardness before proceeding to select the best one for your needs.
 

Know your subfloor

 
This impacts the types of wood you select, installation method, and budget. For example, although solid wood can be installed with concrete subfloors, it might also require plywood boards, moisture readings, and vapor barriers, adding both time and money to the process. Engineered hardwood can be placed directly on top of concrete, but it may have level issues, requiring additional work. Speak with your flooring expert before you make any decisions.
 
 
 
 

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Understand the types of hardwood

 
Solid is usually ¾-inch thick, and it is one thickness throughout. Engineered is layered, and that construction makes it stable and better able to handle water. Engineered's top layer is a slab of your species-of-choice, whether it be oak, maple, hickory, or ash, among others, giving the floor undertones and characteristics like knots, raised grains, and swirls.

Underneath are three or more layered of genuine wood, combined with resin and placed in a crosswise position. As a result, it can be installed in some areas where solid isn't recommended, and it can also be refinished and will add value to a property. Engineered's thickness ranges from ⅜-inch to ½ inch, and that number determines the number of times the floor can be refinished.
 

Choose your hardwood species

 
Hardwood doesn't all have the same strength levels. Some of the hardest domestic species (harvested within North America) are hickory, pecan, maple, and white and red oak. Exotic species ( harvested in locales like Brazil, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Africa) and are always very hard. For more information, look at the Janka Scale of Hardness. Here’s a tip: You can make your room look bigger with wood floors if you choose one like a wire-brushed herringbone pattern. This hardwood flooring gives the feeling of movement, which, in turn, makes the room look bigger. To learn more about our residential and commercial installations, and get a free hardwood flooring quote, visit the Flooring Atlanta showroom at any one of four locations: Norcross, Roswell, Kennesaw, and Brookhaven/Atlanta, GA. We work with homeowners and businesses in and aroundAtlanta, GA, Norcross, GA, Roswell, GA, Kennesaw, GA, Doraville, GA, Marietta, GA, Johns Creek, GA, Milton, GA, Brookhaven, GA & Sandy Springs, GA.