Wood Flooring is an extremely popular option, and it’s easy to see why. Wood adds charm and character to homes that would be difficult to achieve with other types of flooring. Even modern types of wood flooring offer a sense of warmth, something that is frequently absent in modern homes.

Our guide to the numerous types of wood flooring available cover not only the various forms of timber flooring but also look-alike products such as engineered wood flooring and laminate.

3 Things to Consider When Choosing Wood Flooring

When deciding what hardwood flooring to install in your home, consider the structural makeup and sturdiness of your choices. When examining the various types of hardwood flooring that will work for your home, keep the following three factors in mind:

1. Humidity and wet resistance: 

Any type of solid wood flooring is significantly more susceptible to heat, humidity, and wet injury than intended wood flooring. Also, while installing solid wood flooring, you need to account for the wood gradually expanding due to temperature changes to avoid warping. With planned wood flooring, there is no constant disadvantage.

2. Hardness: 

The Janka hardness scale, which is measured in pounds-force, is used to determine the sturdiness of wood flooring. Hardwoods with higher hardness ratings (such as Brazilian cherry or hickory) than softer woods (such as cherry or politico fir) are more suited to spaces with numerous significant furnishings and pedestrian traffic. Durable woods are also less susceptible to scuffing and denting. Artificial wood flooring, such as laminate and vinyl flooring, is less durable and more easily cracked than actual wood.

3. Photosensitivity: 

When exposed to direct sunlight as well as naturally filtered light from your windows, the color of wood changes. Keep this in mind while choosing wood flooring for your home. If your flooring receives a lot of direct sunlight, choose wood with low radiosensitivity. Cherry wood is the most sensitive of all wood floors, so avoid it if your location receives a lot of direct sunlight.

What is the most basic type of wood flooring?

There is no simple solution to this one; the type of wood flooring that works for one person may not work for another. The flooring you choose should be backed by your budget, the space you’re fitting it into, and how much maintenance you’re willing to put into keeping your floor filthy rich.

With that in mind, we’ll go through the various kinds of engineered wood flooring available.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is made from a single piece of wood, as the name implies. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes but is typically made with a tongue-and-groove edge so boards match up neatly. It is, however, possible to look for solid wood flooring without a tongue-and-groove edge. These are nailed into existing joists and are typically preferred by individuals looking for a more rustic, authentic look because the ultimate result is less outstanding.

Solid wood flooring is available in a range of thicknesses, from 15 mm to 20 mm, with thicker boards being the most popular. They are also available finished or unfinished, stained, waxed, or with a lacquer finish.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Unlike solid wood floors, designed floors are made up of many layers. These are made from a thick layer of solid hardwood (the thickness of which might vary depending on the product) secured to several thin layers of plyboard or reclaimed wood.

It is available in a wide range of thicknesses, widths, lengths, and configurations, but all varieties include a tongue-and-groove edge to make form-fitting simple.

Parquet wood flooring

Parquet wood flooring is incredibly popular right now, and it is a standard in the most fashionable kitchens and living rooms around the country.

Parquet is made out of small blocks of solid wood laid together in a pattern—unsurprisingly, cloth—but any flooring style made up of smaller pieces is referred to as a parquet style.

Parquet flooring, like solid hardwood boards, can be difficult for DIYers to install. Many of us, particularly those on a tight budget, recreate the design of parquet flooring with luxury vinyl tiles.

Laminate Flooring

Despite being mistakenly thought of as a type of wood flooring, laminate flooring is not at all wood.

Luxury laminate flooring is created from compressed wallboard planks with a high layer that contains a photographic wood-effect image. A translucent protective coating is frequently applied on top of this.

On the other hand, laminate flooring is substantially less expensive than solid or designed wood flooring; however, spending a little more can get you a lot more convincing and natural-looking product.

Laminate can be used almost anywhere in the house, but if you intend to use it in a bathroom, make certain you choose water- and humidity-resistant fiberboard-based laminate.

Boards with beveled edges and rustic characteristics like knots are among the more realistic items.

Wood result Vinyl Flooring

When looking at the numerous types of hardwood floors, many individuals decide to go for fake wood flooring rather than the real thing.

There are various causes for this, including price edges and maintenance issues. Luxury vinyl tiles are one of the most popular types of imitation wood flooring (LVT).

LVT is made up of several layers, including a bottom layer that is fixed to your subfloor, a high-definition photographic layer, and a high-protecting layer, which is usually constructed of PVC.

Because LVT is made up of individual tiles, planks, or shaped items, such as crucial vinyl sheets, it is possible to imitate the design of parquet and realistic picket floor boards.

It is also incredibly durable, and it is suitable for use with underfloor heating.

Wood-Effect Tiles

Porcelain wood-effect tiles are a popular option for individuals who want to match wooden floors in their bathrooms or shower rooms. In contrast to timber floors, ceramic tile will not warp, rot, or migrate when exposed to moisture and temperature fluctuations, and it also works well with underfloor heating.

Do you want to add some glam to your home?

Paradigm Surfaces has a wide collection of hardwood flooring in unique ranges and designs that will give a chic look to your home. We have a team of experts who are specialists in their field. They will find the best match for you. To avail yourself of our services, you can contact us at our phone number, email us, or visit our showroom in Surrey.