Let’s keep this as simple as possible.  So, first of all the one thing you need to understand about wood is that it is a living thing and it shrinks and expands due to changes in moisture and humidity.  See the diagram below which illustrates the differences wood has to undergo from summer to winter in a home with the usual heating in winter, windows closed, and summer, windows open.  Also another important point is that wood does need maintenance.

OK so now you understand that your wood floor will change as it is affected by the humidity in your home.  There are humidity gauges available and it is a good idea to keep an eye on this so your wood doesn’t have to undergo huge changes.

Solid versus Engineered

Again, simply, Engineered is more stable as it has a ‘backing’ which makes it less susceptible to the moisture and humidity changes.  Hence it is the only wood that can be installed over underfloor heating, so this answers the difference too! We as a company generally supply engineered only for the above reasons.

Finishes

There are lots of different finishes today.  The current trend is for a natural look no ‘hi shine’.

Brushed and Lacquered, this is a spray lacquered finish providing a hardwearing natural finish.

Brushed and UV oiled, oil is machine applied and buffed into the grain of the wood and some are UV cured, this allows the wood to breathe and is simple to maintain.

Hard wax Oiled again coats of hard wax oil are ‘buffed’ into the woods grain.  This dries to a hard waxed finish. Maintenance is up to you but periodic re hard waxing keeps your wood looking good.

Greys and ‘White grained’  These come in various finishes as above

Qualities

Simply put again the more you pay for the wood you will receive cleaner wood, less knots, sapwood and imperfections. Also if you think about the logistics of cutting planks of wood from a piece of wood, if you want wide long planks then the wastage is greater so you get less planks from a tree trunk.  Hence large wider planks are more expensive than narrower shorter planks.  Some ranges come in random lengths to lessen the wastage.

Trends, at the moment are for ‘Rustic’ finishes which as per their name are ‘rougher’ in look.  A good point worth noting right here is that rustic finishes show less of life’s knocks and usage.  So, if you have a family and pets, Rustic makes a lot of sense.

There is a lot to wood floors and we have been selling them for many years now so come in and have a look and ask us for our advice.