How to Find the Right Style of Hardwood Floor that Will Fit Your Personality

If you are like me, then you primarily looked at hardwood flooring the same way you would look at selecting paint; strictly aesthetic and cosmetic without looking at other factors, such as your lifestyle. For instance, factors such as pets and kids can and should be a consideration when choosing the style of flooring and how durable you will need it to be.

Considering the fact that a hardwood floor could very easily last a lifetime, choosing a floor that will complement your taste AND your lifestyle will be imperative to maintaining a floor over time.

The 3 types of wood floors

There are only three types of wood floor to choose from:

1. Solid
2. Engineered
3. Acrylic Impregnated

Solid Hardwood

Most people who don't know much about hardwood flooring automatically assume that all wood floors are comprised of solid wood. In reality, solid wood floors are less popular within the market as their counterparts. And the reason is simple; solid wood is more expensive, tends to be harder to install and will also have more of a chance to get dinged, dented and scratched than both engineered hardwood or acrylic impregnated wood.

The benefit of choosing a solid wood is that the planks tend to be smaller in width which for many homeowners, is more aesthetically pleasing.

Solid hardwood flooring is a good pick if you don't mind spending the extra money per square foot (it is more expensive) and don't have kids or large dogs. Solid hardwood tends to have more of a tendency to buckle under humidity as well and therefore the moisture in the air as well as the subfloor has to be a consideration.

If you have children (which tend to drop heavy objects on floors causing dents and dings) or have large dogs (their claws can scratch up a floor pretty quickly) then your better bet would be to choose an engineered wood floor.

Furthermore, if your live in humid climates or are planning on installing the floor in a basement or an area with water close by, a solid wood floor is not for you.

Engineered hardwood

Engineered hardwood is by far the most popular choice of wood by homeowners because it is more durable and less likely to be affected by weather and humidity. For the do-it-yourself handyman, installing an engineered floor has become very easy because many engineered wood floors now come with a tongue-in-groove system making installation a breeze. Furthermore, many hardwood companies are now prefitting each plank of wood with insulation, making the additional cost of an underlayment a thing of the past.

Engineered hardwood is more durable because it is composed of several plies of material that include the actual hardwood on the top, and several plies of composite material such as plywood and other board type material. The plies can be as few as 3 although most engineered wood is 5-ply. A few companies use as much as 7 ply to make it the most durable.

Another positive aspect for choosing engineered wood is the fact that it is much, much less likely to buckle under humidity changes. While this may not seem like a huge factor, consider this: solid hardwood can expand over an inch over time, creating pressure points across the wall. Engineered hardwood is much less likely to expand even under humid conditions and when it does, it typically will expand much less.

Engineered hardwood is more durable than solid wood but not as much as most people would think. If you are worried about denting up your floor, the best choice is the acrylic impregnated wood....

Acrylic Impregnated Hardwood

If your home has a lot of foot traffic, large dogs or small children then acrylic impregnated hardwood is likely the best choice for you. Many restaurants and malls use this type of hardwood. From a wood standpoint, there is very little difference between acrylic impregnated and engineered. Both use the ply system to make for a very solid product. The biggest difference is that acrylic is injected on the "wear" layer of the wood, making it extremely hard and impervious to dents and scratches. It is more expensive than engineered wood by can be less expensive than some of the more exotic hardwood planks per square foot.

This type of hardwood is very good and durable for people with kids or dogs or homes that have a lot of traffic.

In conclusion, while picking out a color for your floor may seem like the most important thing in terms of aesthetics, choosing the right type of hardwood that will fit your lifestyle is equally important. After all, chances are good with proper maintenance, your wood floor could outlast you.