Flooring SetsThe Mood At Home
Any interior designer will tell you that the first element to consider when finishing a room is flooring. Builders agree, it sets the mood.
According to professionals, more and more people are bypassing tile and carpet and instead choosing wood. What kind of wood should you choose? Beyond the basics of solid hardwood, engineered wood, and reclaimed antique wood, there are many options to choose from. Despite all the options, making the right choice for your tastes and circumstances is easier than it appears. Following are some important factors to consider, as well as advice from the experts.
Which Wood-Flooring Type Should You Choose?
Solid Hardwood: Although solid hardwood expands and contracts and sometimes creaks, its natural beauty will always add value to your home. That value will endure, because it can be re-sanded and refinished.
Engineered Wood Floors: These floors are made of thin sheets of wood that are glued together and refinished at the factory. This results in a more stable product than solid wood, because it resists buckling and warping. Although engineered wood floors were developed to be glued over concrete, they can also be nailed or floated, unlike solid wood, which can only be nailed to a subfloor.
Reclaimed Antique Wood: For customers with a unique vision, this is the best flooring option. Reclaimed antique wood is custom made one plank at a time according to customer specifications. This flooring type is especially stable, because it can cut from the center section of a beam.
Finished vs. Unfinished
One of the benefits of solid hardwood flooring is that it’s available finished or unfinished. If you’re trying to match an adjacent floor, you’re better off going with an unfinished option and staining it to blend. By finishing the floor on site, you will insure a more uniform color and finish. An unfinished wood floor, however, may take several days to install, stain, and finish.
On the other hand, finished wood (both solid and engineered) is factory sanded, stained, and finished. Thus it’s much easier to install and requires less time, not to mention that there will be no on-site sanding and finishing. Finished wood is durable and is therefore a great option for high-traffic areas. And don’t forget that it’s less expensive than unfinished wood.
Important Things to Consider
If you have radiant heating in your home, where the heat source is under the floor, then engineered would be the better option over solid hardwood because of its durability. Durability is also a central factor in the National Wood Flooring Association’s recommendation of quarter-sawn or rift-sawn wood in this circumstance. According to the NWFA, strip flooring is preferable over plank flooring, since narrow boards expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity less than wide ones.
For those homeowners who live at the beach, Stoddard again recommends an engineered wood, because it’s scratch-resistant and therefore less likely to be damaged by sand tracked in from the beach, and it also requires less maintenance. For any interior that’s not environmentally controlled—such as a cottage or summer home or below-grade installation—engineered hardwood flooring remains the best option.
Some Simple Design Tips
Pay attention to the understated details when personalizing a room. One nice option is to use a lighter wood overall and then add a dark border. Another great idea is to drop in a maple medallion that looks like an area rug.
Mixing woods from room to room is becoming more common. Choose darker woods, like walnut or cherry, for a den or a bedroom. Kitchens, on the other hand, need lighter, brighter woods such as maple or birch.
Darker wood is a better fit for homes that are formal, traditional, or historic, whereas country, casual, and contemporary homes are better suited to lighter woods. Be sure to choose flooring that will complement all your fabrics, furnishings, and accessories.
Current Trends in Wood Flooring
If you’re looking for the latest trend in flooring, consider hand-scraped wood or an “exotic” wood from a far-off land. Woods such as Brazilian cherry, Santos mahogany, and Amendoim have delightful grains and colors. All are available both in solid hardwood or engineered wood.
The old look and simplicity of woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine is becoming increasingly popular among owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboards. For owners of historic homes on the Eastern seaboard, woods such as Old Groove Eastern White Pine are prized for their old look and simplicity. Likewise, dark woods have definitely become the “in” thing, with walnut being the most preferable option.
DIY & Maintaining Your Wood Floor
Installing a wood floor yourself is definitely an option. Almost 30 percent of homeowners do it themselves. If you’re handy with a nail gun and saw, then you can do it. Many resources are available to help you with this project, including instruction books and information online.
A great benefit of wood flooring is that it’s extremely low maintenance. If you keep a step-off mat at any doorway to collect incoming dirt, then a regular schedule of sweeping and vacuuming is all you really need. Remember to never leave standing water on a wood floor. It’s a good idea to keep an extra box of wood in case you need to replace a strip.
Natural hardwoods stand up to many household mishaps much better than any laminate or synthetic flooring, since the grain and pattern of solid hardwoods go all the way through. Scuffs and burns that would be permanent in a synthetic surface can be repaired with relative ease.
Avo Barsoumian has been part of the interior design and flooring community for the past 25 years. He is the owner of Carpet Wagon, a family owned carpeting company in Southern California. They have a huge selection of elegant hardwood flooring, beautiful laminate flooring and plush carpeting. Searching for that perfect carpet barn for your new town home or carpets dealers to remodel your older house? Then give Carpet Wagon a call.
Mahogany Drop Front Secretary Desk
|
|
36” Square x 51” Round Drop Leaf Table Top in Mahogany with Standard Cross Base Drop Leaf Table Top. 36” x 36” square. Opens to 51 round. Laminated melamine. Mahogany finish. Cross Base Included…. |
|
|
42” Square x 60” Round Drop Leaf Table Top in Mahogany with Standard Cross Base Drop Leaf Table Top. 42” x 42” square. Opens to 60 round. Laminated melamine. Mahogany finish. Cross Base Included…. |
|
|
Alera Valencia Series Racetrack Table Top, 72w x 36d, Mahogany $208.99 Sturdy, commercial-grade table top will be a welcome addition to your office or conference room. Durable woodgrain laminate is water-, scratch- and dent-resistant and requires little maintenance to keep it looking great. Impact-resistant PVC edging prevents nicks. Efficient racetrack design delivers maximum seating using a minimum amount of floor space. Part of the extensive Valencia Series, it ca… |
|
|
Aspen Drop Pull 3 1/2” Drill Centers – Mahogany Bronze … |
|
|
Top Knobs M1418 Mahogany Bronze Aspen Aspen Collection 3-1/2 Center to Center Mahogany Bronze Drop Aspen Collection 3-1/2″ Center to Center Mahogany Bronze Drop PullAlways the perfect opening, the Top Knobs M1418 Mahogany Bronze Drop Pull from the Aspen Collection is designed with a rustic, old world feel. Bring a touch of style to your cabinets, doors, or drawers with this exquisite accent pull. A package of two different screw sizes ships with every product so that installation is simple and … |
|
|
Whitehaus Counter Top w/ Drop In Basin WHEET Mahogany … |
|
|
CrystalMood Handmade Carved Wood Hair Stick Wing of Angel 6.9 Mahogany Rosewood $28.40 Do you want to exude a look of ethereal beauty? An angel’s wing glorifying a soft updo is the best solution to achieving that look. This hair stick demonstrates divine beauty and empyreal innocence. It can elevate a simple French twist or French braids to a soulful coif embracing freedom and liberation in its every twist and knots. Just add a few drops of loose tresses forming the face and you can… |
|
|
Iphone 4 Mahogany Wood Full Body Skin Kit $18.95 IPHONE 4 FULL BODY KIT- MAHOGANY WOOD *****· Give Your IPhone 4 a Cool MAHOGANY WOOD Look |
|
|
iPhone 4 or 4S Mahogany Wood Full Body Skin(VINYL ADHESIVE DECAL) by CarboniPhones® $3.95 IPHONE 4 & 4S FULL BODY VINYL SKIN KIT- MAHOGHANY WOOD–3M DI NOC************* · Give Your IPhone 4S a Cool MAHOGANY WOOD Look |
|
|
iPhone 4 And 4S Ebony Wood (Wood Series) Full Body SKIN(Decal) Kit $18.95 IPHONE 4 and 4S FULL BODY SKIN(DECAL) KIT- EBONY WOOD——- ·- Give Your IPhone 4 or 4S a Cool EBONY WOOD Look ·- Best Simulation of Real EBONY WOOD ·- Wood Has BROWN Color With Streaks of DARKER AND LIGHTER GOLDEN BROWN ·- Best Fitting Skins On the Market, Ready To Install In Minutes Straight From The Package On To Your IPHone ·- Extremely Durable providing Ultimate Protection ·- Different… |
|
|
Hand-Carved Mahogany Drop-Leaf Oval Table $211.99 This elegant accent table features a scroll design hand-carved into mahogany stained hardwood. With gate legs that fold in and out to lower or raise the drop-leafs on either side, this table features unique and strong construction. |
