Perhaps one apprehension that homeowners have with wood flooring is its installation. Indeed, wood floor planks are one of the most intimidating flooring materials, even over some types of stone flooring, but that doesn’t mean that it will be a hassle to install.
An Easy Wood Floor Option The tongue and groove option of hardwood flooring installation offers homeowners an easy-to-install wood floor option that readily gives them the floors they want. Almost all wood floor planks in distribution today feature this option, so you would have no problem installing your dream wood flooring yourself. From light, medium, to dark colored varieties, tongue and groove wood floor planks are the best flooring material for the DIY-er.
Pre-Installation Preparations Tongue and groove wood floor planks may be easy to install but they are not foolproof. Prior to installation, one must read the instructions and see to it that all the requirements are met. One of the keys to a successful wood floor plank installation is the prep work. Since these wood planks are going to be a fixture in your home, the process of acclimation helps the floor planks to adjust to the humidity and temperature conditions in your home. This is done by leaving the boxes of floor planks open overnight in the site where you ought to install them. Not doing so will cause disastrous consequences. Choosing Your Hardwood Flooring Species There are more species of wood out there than there is space here to list. You’ll need to decide if you want a popular domestic species such as oak or a more exotic hardwood like Brazilian Walnut. With each species comes a different set of benefits and drawbacks. Talk to your contractor if you need help.
Choosing the Color of Your Hardwood Do you want bright and breezy, or warm and cozy? Do you like cool colors or rich and opulent colors. Consider your room, your lifestyle, and what you want to use the room for. Visualize yourself using your room. Although it can seem to be an insurmountable decision – once you’ve chosen your palette – the rest, as they say is easy.
As a general rule, darker colors are usually found in formal or more traditional interiors, whereas lighter colors are for casual, country or contemporary settings. Keep in mind that there are many choices when selecting the right hardwood floor for your space. Take your time to be sure you have made the choice that you are happy with and works well for you.
Your Final Hardwood Floor Look Remember, while the general color of the wooden floor will be determined by the species, natural variations can and do occur. Keep in mind that wood is a natural product and no matter how big a sample you have seen, your floor WILL BE DIFFERENT from the sample and it will be completely unique.
The true color of a floor will shine through after it has been sanded and coated with your chosen finish or coating. Even then, the color can mature over time – lighter floors are particularly susceptible to a “honey-ing” of their toning. It is important to rearrange any area rugs you may use frequently to allow this phenomenon to occur evenly throughout the floor.
