Your Quick Guide On Selecting Your Dream Timber Flooring

Timber flooring is always referred to in a broad manner as though its one distinct product. The truth is, timber flooring is a broad category. If you choose to have timber flooring in your home, you will have to go through a short process of selection as you choose the different elements that will make up your timber floor. Here is a short breakdown of the process leading up to installation.

Solid Wood Vs. Engineered Wood Vs. Laminate Timber

Once you do decide to install timber, you'll have to decide if you want to have solid wood, engineered wood or laminate wood.

• Laminate wood features a thin wood layer with an imprinted and permanently laminated image of different timber varieties. It's light, thin and looks just like solid wood.
• Engineered timber consists of several layers of timber ply sheets heat-pressed together to form one wood block. It's durable and has 100% timber all through.
• Solid wood on the other hand is all natural and simply consists of one block of timber.

Hardwood Vs. Softwood

If you choose to go with engineered timber or laminate timber, you will not have to worry about timber species. Those two varieties are available in pre-manufactured varieties ready for your choosing. However, if you decide to have natural solid wood, you will have to choose between hardwood and softwood flooring.

As you may already have guessed, hardwood is the better choice compared to soft wood. It is more durable and resistant to moisture and physical damage. However, you can still have softwood though it will take more maintenance to keep over the years.

Installation

The installation processes are a bit more straightforward as there are set ways of going about them. Laminate timber and engineered wood are the easiest and simply require an underlay to protect them from moisture. They can then be interlocked to each other. Parquetry tiles and solid wood, on the other hand, need to be installed over plywood and attached by means of an adhesive. Solid wood can also be decked over wood planks if you have a concrete surface. Once done, your solid timber will need to be sealed and polished.

Though the process seems long and tricky, all you have to do is find the one choice that fits what you're looking for in a timber floor. Solid wood gives you the traditional authentic natural timber flooring. Engineered timber provides the same but with added strength to protect your wood from moisture and other elements. Laminate timber offers you the aesthetics without the hassle of maintenance such as sanding or shrinking. Learn more about these options by consulting resources like Sydney Flooring Pty Ltd.

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