Handy Wood Flooring Selection Tips For Your Residence

Despite the popularity and proliferation of several materials like ceramic and vinyl, a number of homeowners prefer wood flooring over other options. There are hardly any other materials that can match the timeless elegance and classic look offered by maple or oak. Apart from sheer aesthetic appeal, the resale value of your residence goes up by a margin when timber floors are installed. However, you need to choose the right type for your home. Specific aspects need to be considered for this.

Thinking of the Budget

Unless you are born with a silver spoon in mouth, it makes sense to calculate the budget before installing wooden flooring. The price depends on type of lumber largely. You have to calculate the total area that will need to be covered and think of areas that will require other materials like laminate.

Thinking of the Usage

This is another important aspect to consider before you contact a timber company. Not all rooms in a house will witness same amount of foot traffic. For households with lots of people, kids or large pets durable materials are recommended for floors. On the contrary, for families with few members, using less durable timber is fine. This is also applicable for color of the timber. Lighter hues are more prone to catch up dent and scratches than the darker hued variants.

Thinking of Overall Aesthetics

If you are particular about symmetry and aesthetics of interiors, think of furnishing and décor of your rooms before buying any timber. Generally, traditional and formally decorated rooms look nice with dark hued wood. Contemporary style interior gels well with lighter colored timber. For stylish and modern interiors, choose variants like maple, Australian cypress, and beech. Traditional styled rooms look great with variants like walnut and Brazilian cherry.

Choosing the Right Type of Timber

Every type of timber comes with specific characteristics. Maple is ideal for areas that witness heavy for traffic. However, it is not suited for staining. Northern red oak is another popular choice for homeowners. If you want something more durable choose either hickory or Brazilian cherry. Brazilian maple is another durable variant but the hardness makes it difficult to be cut and polished.

Choosing Timber Wisely and Using With Caution

You may opt for various types of timber for home. Even when you choose variants with focus on color, durability and usage, some cautions can play a role in lengthening lifespan of timber. For the entrance area, choose a durable wood. It makes sense to use large area rugs in such parts of house to minimize damage to floor. Usually, people do not use timber for kitchen surfaces. However, in case you want so, choose a variant that is very durable and apply protective coating on it to safeguard from water spills.

Additional but Important Aspects

If timber is used in upper floors in an apartment, sound proofing can be a requirement. You also need to think of sub floor ventilation and condition. The sub floor should not be moist before any timber can be installed atop.