|
Solid
Wood Flooring
Available in pre-finished or unfinished, ¾” thick hardwood floors are the
traditional floors that have been used in homes for centuries. Boards come in
varying lengths, typically from 2’ to 5’ long, to give you the elegant
appearance you expect in a wood floor. Solid wood floors can be sanded several
times in their life, which explains why homes built in the 19th
century often still have their original floors in service.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood floors are made using layers of wood each turned 90 degrees to
the previous layer to give you a strong wood floor that is much more
dimensionally stable. A top veneer of hardwood is applied as the wear surface,
and many engineered floors have a surface thick enough to be sanded and
re-finished. Engineered floors are designed to be
installed as a “floating floor,” so the boards are attached to each other, but
not fastened to the sub-floor. Floating floors are ideal to use over concrete,
or in remodeling projects when particle board sub-flooring is discovered under
old carpet. For those who have environmental concerns, engineered floors use
less of the premium hardwood typically used in solid wood floors.
Pre-finished vs. Jobsite Sanding and Finishing
There are so many varieties and stain colors of pre-finished floors today that
you can almost certainly find one to meet your needs. Pre-finished floors
typically have between 5 and 8 coats of polyurethane applied, and in many cases
have the addition of aluminum oxide to help minimize finish dulling in traffic
lanes. The beauty of pre-finished flooring is that it minimizes the amount of
dust in your home, and reduces the odor of applying polyurethane on-sight. Most
pre-finished floors have a very slight beveled edge which is why some people
choose to go the route of jobsite sanding and finishing to provide flooring that
is sanded perfectly smooth. If a particular stain color needs to be achieved,
jobsite finishing allows the opportunity to arrive at the perfect color.
Re-finishing your Wood Floors
The beauty of polyurethane finishes on flooring today is that they can be
re-surfaced without actually sanding away any wood. Most wood floors can be
screened and re-coated with polyurethane, which means that the surface is simply
scuffed before the new finish is applied. Of course, in the event of severe
scratching, they generally can be re-sanded and finished to bring back their
original beauty.
Exotic
Hardwood Flooring
Discover the rich, enchanting character of exotic hardwood flooring, like
Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, and Amendoim, from BR-111. Brazilian
hardwoods offer superior hardness levels and distinctive graining to provide
characteristics that are unique to each species. BR-111 is committed to the
preservation and renewal of the rain forest, actively promoting sustainable
forest practices and securing timber that is selectively harvested and inspected
by the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Natural Resources.
|
