Hardwood floors are quality,durability and an incredibly attractive appearance. What type of wood to choose? How to care for such a coating? The answers are in our review Surely many of you have had difficulties when choosing a type of flooring. It is important that the floor looks beautiful, is natural, warm, presentable and durable. Nobody likes it when there are marks from furniture or heels. With such a huge selection of materials on the construction market, it is not surprising to get confused. Wooden floors are capable of creating a healthy living environment, a warm atmosphere and a luxurious look in the house. To make them last a long time, give preference to hard varieties. They are time-tested and have a presentable appearance.
Elena Krylova, interior designer:— Natural wood flooring is a fashionable and relevant trend. And thanks to the expansion of the production line, they are becoming available to almost everyone. The advantages of such a coating are obvious — it is a very wear-resistant and stylish option with many colors and textures. Solid wood flooring can be sanded repeatedly, returning it to its original appearance. The choice on the market is quite wide, and the hardness, strength, texture and color depend on the type of wood used. The most popular and affordable types are oak, cherry, maple, walnut. In elite interiors, more exotic and rare types are used: teak, Brazilian cherry, Canadian maple. However, before choosing hardwood flooring, it is worth considering some nuances. Such flooring is quite durable, but due to its natural texture, it does not tolerate mechanical damage (heel marks and scratches from animal claws). The coatings are also unstable to moisture. Therefore, they will serve longer if properly cared for: protect them from mechanical impacts, do not allow long-term exposure to moisture and direct sunlight. When caring for such floors, it is not recommended to use oil-based sprays, wax and cleaning agents containing acids, alkalis and abrasives.
Hardness scale
Hardness is one of the important indicatorswhen choosing wooden floors. The durability and wear resistance of the floors depend on this feature. To ensure that your floor always looks presentable without dents from furniture and heels, choose the hardest material. Let's note the five most popular types and their Brinell hardness index, which is used by manufacturers. The higher it is, the harder the wood.
- Cherry - 3.7;
- Oak - 3.8;
- Beech - 3.8;
- Ash - 4.1;
- Maple - 4.8.
Cherry
Cherry wood is strong and hard.It has a pronounced uniform texture. Cherry is pink-brown or pink-gray. Cherry parquet looks luxurious, especially when it darkens over time. Then it turns into a reddish-brown noble shade. A distinctive feature of cherry is its delicate aroma. Parquet made of this type of wood is appropriate in almost any interior.
Oak
Oak is very resistant to external influences,therefore, this type of wood is durable and especially strong. It has a beautiful and unique texture. The color palette of this material is the most diverse: from light brown to yellow-brown shades. Oak parquet tends to darken over time. Then you get the effect of aristocratic antiquity. Oak flooring is highly durable. You don't have to worry about scratches and dents. It is simple and easy to care for.
Ash
Ash wood is resistant to largeloads. It is very elastic, but at the same time quite hard. Sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature. It has a clearly expressed texture and a slightly yellowish color. Ash dominates in the interior. Therefore, if you want to draw attention to the floor, give preference to this type of wood. To achieve an amazing decorative result, it can be tinted and artificially aged. It is distinguished by increased "passability", so it is perfect for the living room.
Beech
Beech has a uniform structure with a light,reddish-yellow or grayish color. It is durable and strong. The floor made of this type of wood looks warm and calm. It is great for use in a child's room or for a home gym. Beech can react to changes in humidity in the room. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the relative humidity: it should not fall below 45% and should not rise above 55%.
Maple
Maple wood is excellent forloads, very hard and undemanding in care. It has a very beautiful surface with a pearlescent glossy sheen. The color of maple is almost white. Sometimes there are yellowish shades. Over time, it can turn slightly yellow. Maple is often painted pink or red. The variety of this wood with dark "eyes" is especially popular. Maple is good to use for visual expansion of space. Dark furniture looks especially impressive against such a light floor.
Five reasons to choose wood floors
One minus
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage of hardwood floors iswood species is their high cost and more labor-intensive installation process compared to other coatings. But this is justified by durability, naturalness and beauty.
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