What is Wood Flooring?
What is Wood Flooring?
Wood flooring refers to any product made of wood that is intended for use as flooring, either structurally or aesthetically. Wood is a popular flooring material that comes in a variety of designs, colors, cuts, and species. Bamboo flooring is frequently mistaken for wood flooring, despite the fact that it is constructed from a grass (bamboo) rather than a timber.
Solid hardwood flooring are constructed from boards milled from a single piece of wood. Solid hardwood floors were traditionally put perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a structure known as joists or bearers for structural considerations. Engineered wood flooring has grown in popularity as the usage of concrete as a subfloor has expanded in several regions of the world. However, solid wood floors are still ubiquitous and popular in the United States, although they are often more expensive and considered higher end. Solid wood floors have a thicker wear surface than engineered wood floors and may be sanded and polished more times. It is not rare for homes in New England, Eastern Canada, the United States, and Europe to still have the original solid wood floor.
Solid wood flooring is made from a single piece of wood that has been kiln or air dried before being sawed. The timber can be cut in three ways, depending on the intended aesthetic of the floor: flat-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn. The timber is cut to the necessary proportions before being shipped unfinished for on-site finishing or finished at the facility. The moisture content is carefully managed throughout manufacture to guarantee that the product does not deform during transit and storage.
There are several unique features offered for solid wood flooring. Many solid woods have grooves carved into the back of the wood that run the length of each plank, which are commonly referred to as “absorption strips” and are meant to decrease cupping. Solid wood floors are typically 0.75 inches (19 mm) thick with a tongue-and-groove installation system.
