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Monday, July 29, 2024

Hardwood Terminology

Color

Color will have a huge influence on your buying decision. There are many colors available because of the natural color and graining of the species and the stain that is applied to the wood.

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered hardwood is also 100% wood. Its cross-ply construction allows installation below or above grade, even over concrete. It is manufactured by permanently bonding together multiple layers of solid wood in a cross-ply construction. Engineered harwood, typically 3/8? thick, is designed to have superior strength and moisture/humidity resistance. Other thicknesses are available and all resist expansion and contraction caused by temperature and humidity changes. Engineered flooring is typically glued down, stapled down or floated over an existing floor.

Exotic

Carpet Super Mart offers exciting, exotic hardwood flooring design options for everyone. The rich natural colors and distinctive graining provide characteristics that are unique to each species. Exotics feature legendary durability and superior hardness.

We feature Brazilian Cherry, Tigerwood, Santos Mahogany, Maduro Chestnut, Red Oak, American Cherry, Sienna Rosewood, Sicilian Teak, Tuscan Striped Pecan, Alpine Maple, and much more.

Hardwood Floors

The term ?hardwood? applies to varieties of wood flooring that are made entirely of wood. Genuine hardwood is real wood, through and through, providing warmth, character and sophistication to discriminating homeowners. The hardwood family of floors is large and varied. There are two distinct forms: Solid and Engineered.

Solid Hardwood

Solid hardwood is just that, 100% solid wood, which is normally nailed or stapled to a wooden subfloor. Most are ?? thick, although some manufacturers also offer a ?thin-profile? solid that is 5/16? thick. Thin profile solid flooring can be glued down over concrete and other hard surfaces.

Species

The first step is to look at the different species (oak, maple, etc.) of hardwood. This is important because the species will influence the appearance and durability; not all species of hardwood are equally hard. If your floor is in a high traffic area or in a heavily used room, then you should consider oak, maple, or ash for extra durability.