BuildDirect Shares The Different Types of Hardwood

1. Solid The standard thickness for solid hardwood is ¾". For thin profile solid hardwood, 5/16″ is the standard. The planks are sawn in one of three ways, which affects the stability, and the price of the hardwood. Flat or Plain Sawn: by far the most commonly used cut. It contains more variations than the others. Quarter Sawn: cuts a log into quarters before it cuts the strips of wood to make hardwood flooring boards. Rift Sawn: cuts a log at a different angle than quarter sawn before it cuts the wood into hardwood flooring boards. Though it is more expensive than the other methods, it is also more stable, providing higher quality flooring. Solid hardwood floor planks are made with a tongue and groove edge locking method which makes it easy to join the planks together to make a strong joint. One side of the board has a tongue and the other has a groove. The tongue interlocks with the groove to fit the boards together. One of the advantages of solid construction is that most ¾" thick solid wood floors have about ¼" or 6 mm of wood above the tongue and groove meaning they can be sanded and refinished many times. If properly cared for, a solid hardwood floor can last for generations. There are some potential disadvantages of solid hardwood. It cannot be installed below grade or over radiant heat. Most experts recommend not installing it over a concrete subfloor. And finally, it tends to be pricier than engineered wood flooring. 2. Engineered Engineered hardwood is made by gluing a real hardwood veneer to a core board made of either plywood or high density fiberboard. Because of this construction method, engineered hardwood is more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood. In other words it will not contract or expand as much due to changes in humidity or temperature. Engineered hardwood has several advantages over solid hardwood: It is generally less expensive than solid hardwood It can be installed on all grades, including below grade It can be installed over radiant heat It can be installed over a concrete subfloor It can be floated The number of plies used to create the plywood core may vary anywhere from 2 to 10, and while a 3 ply board is not going to be as stable as say a 5 ply board would be, this is not enough to be a deciding factor unless this flooring is going to used over a radiant floor heating system. Generally speaking, the more plies in the plywood, the higher the price. A high density fiberboard core is more dimensionally stable than a plywood core. There are three different ways of cutting the veneer for the engineered flooring that, along with thickness, has an impact on price. The three methods of cutting the veneer include: Dry solid-sawn: involves letting the wood dry out slowly with a low humidity level to keep moisture from inside the wood cells intact, reducing the risk of cupping. It is the most expensive type of engineered flooring, but looks and acts more like a solid. Rotary-peel: involves boiling the log for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature to prepare the wood. After the wood has been prepared, it is scraped from the log with a blade working from the outside in and then pressed flat. It typically has a plywood-like grain and can have issues with cupping and warping to try to revert to its original shape. Sliced-peel: involves boiling the log for a certain amount of time at a certain temperature to prepare the wood. After the wood has been prepared, it is sliced from the end and then pressed to create a veneer. Wood Veneer Sawing Methods The thickness of the veneer ranges from 0.6 mm to 6 mm. The thicker the veneer, the more expensive the flooring is. For people who are planning to refinish the flooring at some point, it is important to consider the thickness because unlike a solid hardwood floor, the engineered type can only be sanded and refinished so many times. The thicker the veneer, the more times it can be sanded and refinished, however, it is still limited. Once installed, removing a vent to inspect the flooring from the side can provide an idea of the remaining thickness on the veneer. Cannot be sanded & refinished: Engineered wood floors with veneer thickness less than 2mm Hand scraped engineered floors, regardless of veneer thickness Can be sanded & refinished: Engineered wood floors with veneer thickness of 2mm or greater Note: Sanding and refinishing an engineered wood floor with a veneer thickness of 2mm to 2.5mm is best left to a professional. Engineered floor planks are made with either a traditional tongue and groove edge locking method or with a glueless click-lock edge method that requires no glue and allows the pieces to snap together to create a snug fit. This is the easiest do it yourself installation method. 3. Acrylic Impregnated Floors Acrylic impregnated floors have acrylic compounds injected directly into the wood, resulting in a stronger, harder, more durable wood. While these are more commonly seen in commercial settings, this kind of floor may do well in a busy home with lots of traffic. These floors can handle more moisture than the standard hardwood floor as well. Reclaimed & Recycled While not a different construction type, these wood floors are unique in that they have been made from reclaimed wood. The wood may have been reclaimed from sunken boats, from logs salvaged from lakes and rivers or from old buildings and reprocessed. This type of flooring is good for those who want to be green and can be either of solid or engineered construction type. Source: BuildDirect