It's becoming the flooring of choice for kitchens, living rooms, and throughout the house. But the huge variety of materials and finishes available can make it hard to pick the right material for your application. Some things to consider:
* Solid hardwood flooring is manufactured in varying thickness milled directly from the source hardwood. It can be bought unfinished or with a factory finish.
* Oak is harder and more durable than most other types, making it less prone to show dents and wear over time. Exotic and other domestic hardwoods have their own style and grain pattern.
* Factory finished hardwood floors are often UV-cured, which creates a stronger, more durable finish. They are less messy and faster to install.
* Engineered hardwood floors consist of cross-ply layers of wood glued together under tremendous heat and pressure. Some engineered floors are injected with liquid acrylics to make them up to three times as hard as the non-treated types. They are used for both commercial and residential applications and are more durable and stable than solid hardwood. They can be refinished.
* Engineered floors can also be treated with a distressing process for a more antique look.
Solid hardwood floors must be nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor and can't be installed in basements. Engineered floors can be installed above or below ground. They can be installed over a multitude of subflooring materials including floorcovering products.
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