What is Timber Flooring?
As the name suggests, it is any product manufactured from wood, preferably hardwood that is designed to be used as flooring, either for structural or aesthetic purposes. It’s a common choice as a flooring material, because of its beauty and durability. Timber flooring provides warm and an easy feeling on the feet. There are a number of different types of timber flooring, and they each come in various styles and colors. So here is a quick breakdown of the most popular options for you.
There are many reasons why timber is widely used as a flooring material, here are some of them
It is easy to clean – Unlike carpets, it is easy to clean timber floors. You do not have to vacuum it every day, just a light sweeping and the occasional mopping will do. Dust particles and pet hairs will not have anything to hold onto on smooth timber floors, this is great news for people with allergies. You also do not have to worry about stains when someone spills wine or juice on your floors as long as it is wiped up immediately.
It gets more beautiful as time passes – The great thing about having wood as a flooring material is that it can actually get more beautiful the older it gets. Even though there will be an occasional scratch or gouge on the surface of the floorboards, they add character to your home; and if you want to, you can always get a timber floor polishing come over to get rid of the damage and restore your floors to its original beauty.
It is beautiful – Timber floors come in many different shades and colors, you just need to choose the one that suits your fancy and fits in with the decor of the room, whatever kind of wooden flooring you get, you can be sure that it will only enhance the beauty of your home if anything else.
There are also different kinds of wooden flooring that you can choose from, and some of them are quite affordable so they will surely fit your budget.
Hardwood Flooring – This is the most popular, and most expensive type of timber flooring. Hardwood floorboards are made from slow growing trees so that the wood has a finer looking and more beautiful grain and they are also heavier and harder than other kinds of wood, thus justifying the high price tag.
1. Solid Timber
Solid timber flooring is made entirely of wood – either hardwood (the most common choice) or softwood. Hardwood is traditionally considered a higher quality wood, as it tends to have a higher density, making it more durable and longer lasting. But, because of this, it also tends to be more expensive. Popular hardwood timbers include beech, mahogany, maple, walnut, and oak.
Softwood is usually easier to work with and less expensive – softwood trees tend to grow faster, so they’re more economical to use for flooring. Popular softwood timbers include Douglas Fir, Juniper, pine, and spruce.
A solid timber floor is beautiful, hard wearing, strong and can improve with age. But, it does tend to be the more expensive option, and it can be difficult to install, being more prone to bowing and cupping from heat and moisture.
2. Engineered Timber
Engineered timber flooring is a timber flooring that has been designed and manufactured specifically to be used for flooring, so it is a very stable alternative to solid timber floors.
Typically made from three layers – a top layer (usually of a more expensive hardwood), a core layer (hardwood, plywood or HDF), and a backing layer – which are pressed together in opposing directions to create a single board.
It is a very universal product that can be installed over all types of sub-floors, and this has made it a very popular flooring choice. It is a strong and durable product, and it is easier to install than solid timber. It is also more affordable than solid timber flooring, but can still give you the same look and feel. Engineered timber flooring allows for a lot more variety of floorboards to be available than ever before because exotic species and rich colors can be simulated using oils, heat, and pressure.
Engineered Timber Floor – Unlike real hardwood floorboards, these are made from strips of different kinds of wood glued and pressed together with a veneer of the type of wood that it wants to emulate on the top. These are more affordable than hard timber flooring, but they can give the same look and feel because of the veneer finish; and just like real hardwood floors, engineered wood floors can also be sanded down numerous times and re-finished when it gets damaged.
Reclaimed Timber Flooring – These kinds of floorboards are made from already used lumber. Usually these floorboards are taken from old houses or barns, trimmed and sanded down to look a bit more decent. Although the wooden planks that you will get are a bit worn down, some even have nail holes and knots and slight stains, but it actually gives character to a home.
Bamboo Timber Flooring – Technically, bamboo is not really wood since it is a grass, but still you cannot deny the fact that it is very durable and actually looks great as a flooring material. And because bamboo grows at a rate of almost a meter a day, it is a sustainable resource, which is why it is popular with people who want to go “green”.