Hardwood Types

All hardwood is installed as either pre-finished floor or on-site sand and finished floor. There are advantages to selecting a prefinished hardwood floor for example:

• Pre-finished wood floors come in a wide variety of species
• Pre-finished hardwoods carry extended warranties on the finish
• Installing pre-finished hardwoods saves hours of labor and cleanup

There are two types of pre-finished hardwoods solid and engineered.

Solid

Solid wood is milled from a single 3/4" thick piece of hardwood and can be installed over plywood, wood, or OSB subfloors. Traditional solid hardwood flooring is not well suited for basement installations, because of the possibility of moisture issues.

Engineered

Engineered wood is made up of multiple layers of hardwood stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. As a result, engineered wood flooring is stabile and less likely to be affected by changes in humidity. With that enhanced structural stability pre-finished engineered hardwoods can be installed at any level of your home and over most subfloors, including concrete.

If you are considering flooring for a bathroom where continuous moisture is expected, you will want to select a product other than hardwood. While the moisture resistance of an engineered hardwood makes it suitable for rooms below grade or ground level, when installed with a moisture barrier, it is not advisable to install any hardwood flooring in bathrooms.

Once you have determined whether solid or engineered prefinished wood is right for your application you then all you need to select is the specie of wood.

That is where we come in. At Carpet Direct we will help you find the style and type of wood that is right for your application. Matching what you want with what you need at prices you can afford. Give us a call at 1-866-651-2396 or schedule a free in home consultation.