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Wood Floor Buying Guide Not all wood floors are alike. Wood is commonly differentiated as being either hard or soft wood. You can choose from several kinds of wood that vary in color and grain. Wood flooring can also be either solid wood or engineered. It can come in thin strips, wide planks or parquet tiles, and be installed using nails, staples, glue or none of these. Don't let the many options in the world of wood floors confuse you. It's really much simpler than you might think, you just need to keep three basic questions in mind: What style or pattern of wood floor would you like? The major patterns are strip and plank, random-width plank and parquet. What kind of wood do you prefer? In both hard and soft woods, many species, or kinds of wood, are available, each with a distinctive look. What type of material suits your needs best? The major materials are solid wood, engineered wood, parquet tile and cork tile. What Style or Pattern? Selecting the style or pattern of your wood floor is a good place to start. Three major factors determine the look of a wood floor: the kind of wood, the stain and finish applied to the wood and the pattern or look created by the width of the wood strips or planks and how they are arranged. For wood floors, there are three basic patterns or styles: Strip and plank floors Random-width floors Parquet floors Within certain limitations, both solid wood and engineered wood flooring can be sized and arranged to create various styles or patterns. Strip and Plank Wood Floors The traditional wood floor, and the most common type of wood floor found in older homes. Packaged in bundles of wood planks of uniform width and random length. Wood planks are generally wider than wood strips. Usually constructed with tongue-and-groove edges and ends. Options Comes in many grades and kinds of wood Available in solid or engineered wood Available unfinished or pre-finished Random-Width Wood Floors Contemporary random-width floors mimic much older wood floors that were crafted when each plank's width was truly random. Random-width look is created by installing a repeating pattern of three rows of different width planks. For example, the first row might use 7-inch planks, the second row 3-inch planks and the third row 5-inch planks. The fourth row starts the pattern over again with the 7-inch planks. This pattern is repeated across the floor. Nearly always constructed with tongue-and-groove edges and ends. Larger-width planks usually nailed down to prevent warping, then screwed into place through pre-drilled holes. The holes are then covered by a wooden plug that must be sanded down to be flush with the plank. Random-width wood floors are always, therefore, unfinished. Options Comes in many grades and kinds of wood Available in solid or engineered wood Unfinished only Parquet Floors Composed of short strips of wood arranged to form a pattern. Traditional parquet floors can be difficult to install and expensive because each strip of wood is laid separately. Most contemporary parquet floors are composed of parquet tiles, which are manufactured to make them much easier to install and more affordable, while still providing the elegant look of traditional parquet. Options Comes in many tile and floor patterns Usually sold in 12"-square tiles What kind of wood? A major decision in your selection of a wood floor is the kind of wood. Wood flooring is made from many species of hardwoods and softwoods, each with a different degree of hardness. Each kind of wood comes in a number of grades that reflect specific quality assessments. The color of a wood floor depends on two factors: The wood's natural color, which is different for each kind of wood (see the following descriptions of commonly used woods) The stain and finish applied to the wood floor Woods Commonly Used for Floors The woods below (listed in order from hardest to softest) are all extremely durable and suitable for floors. Oak and maple are the woods most commonly used for hardwood flooring. Maple and Birch Both whitish in color with light brown grain lines, which together provide a clean, modern look Bright floors that lighten dark rooms Very smooth with closed pores Professional finishing recommended, since surface burns easily during sanding Clear finishes with no stain are most popular. Ash Somewhat whiter than oak; similar in durability and appearance Generally difficult to finish Special order Oak Light brown in color, with pronounced black grain lines and open pores Easy to finish Usually stained to be somewhat darker than natural color Traditional-looking floor Two types: Red oak: a slight pink tinge White oak: Somewhat browner than red oak Grain more subtle than red oak Bamboo Technically a grass, not a wood Roughly the same hardness as oak Available pre-finished as engineered planks Walnut and Cherry Walnut is brown, has open pores and finishes easily Cherry is a lighter reddish brown and has closed pores; the surface tends to burn when sanding Both woods are easy to work with, attractive and stable Tough, but softer than oak Can be expensive Special order Pine, Hemlock and Fir Evergreens (or softwoods), which can dent easily Softwoods currently used are softer than those of the 1930s, 40s and 50s Pine is easy to finish; but not as durable as older pine floors Country look; mostly informal use; not often found in formal dining rooms Special order What Grade of Wood? Each kind of wood comes in several grades, indicating its general quality. A lower grade, for example, may indicate a less uniform color and the presence of some small knots. Even the lowest grades of wood make an attractive and durable floor, and they're often less expensive. When checking prices, be sure you're comparing woods of the same grade. Hardness or Appearance? Many wood floor choices are wrongly based on hardness, but hardness should not be your main concern. All wood flooring offers similar durability, and any floor made from the woods listed above is tough enough to stand up to everyday use. Choose your floor by its appearance. What Type of Flooring Material? There are four main types of wood flooring material: Solid Wood Engineered Wood Parquet Tiles Cork Tiles Solid Wood Most common type of wood flooring; traditional wood floors are made of strips or planks of solid wood Considered elegant - often the best choice for formal rooms; warm look and comfortable feel also work well in informal rooms Frequently found in dining rooms, living rooms and entryways Not generally recommended for rooms with high water usage or moisture levels, like full bathrooms Typically not recommended for basements or rooms below ground level; installing wood in these places voids most manufacturers' warranties for solid wood flooring Solid Wood Options Comes in many kinds of hardwood and softwood Available unfinished or pre-finished Engineered Wood Floors While it looks like solid wood, engineered wood is actually made up of several layers - there is a solid-species top layer attached to a multilayer solid wood core, plus other layers of multi-ply solid wood. Multi-ply layers increase durability and stability and decrease cost Layers are positioned with their grains in opposite directions to minimize expansion and contraction from humidity and temperature changes Multiple layers permit wider planks, with each plank containing several solid wood strips Wider planks allow faster installations Greater stability of engineered wood means these floors can be installed in certain places where solid wood is not allowed Engineered Wood Options Comes in a variety of woods, stains and finishes Produced as strips, planks or planks composed of several strips Available unfinished or pre-finished Parquet Tiles Parquet floors are formed from short strips of wood arranged to create a variety of mosaic patterns. Parquet tiles are a specific kind of engineered wood designed to be the unit that repeats in a parquet pattern. The tile's top layer is made from narrow strips of wood glued together to form the unit portion of the pattern. The top layer is joined to a plywood base that is reinforced by metal strips. Cork Tiles Cork tiles are an engineered wood product with a top layer made of bark from the cork oak tree. Reasons for cork's growing popularity include: Comfortable underfoot Modern look Hypoallergenic Surprisingly easy to clean: regular vacuuming and occasional damp mopping with water and a mild detergent maintain the floor Good for public access areas where carpeting would require too much maintenance Unfinished or Pre-Finished? Many types of wood flooring can be purchased either unfinished or pre-finished. Which should you choose? The differences are significant. Here are some things to consider: Unfinished Wood Flooring Available in a wider range of sizes, kinds of wood and finish options than pre-finished products Finishing process is time consuming and messy, involving four stages: Sanding: several times, each time leaving a fine dust throughout your house Cleaning: floor must be completely dry and free of dust Staining: stain applied and dried overnight Finishing: three coats of finish applied; each must dry overnight When finished, these wood floors are often more beautiful than many pre-finished products Pre-Finished Wood Flooring Fewer choices than with unfinished products Already stained and coated with a tough finish that is hard to duplicate at home Fast installation with no sanding or cleanup - you can walk on your new floor as soon as the final nail is in the last board Time-saving option worth exploring Choosing a Finish Unfinished wood flooring is usually finished with a polyurethane product. Polyurethane adds rich shine as well as protection to hardwood floors. Not all floors have the same amount of sheen, so choose a finish that best matches your needs. The two standard polyurethane finishes are: Semi-Gloss Satin Semi-Gloss Finish Higher sheen than satin finishes Requires more frequent maintenance Properly applied, maintains natural beauty of wood for years Satin Finish Matte finish hides superficial scratches Will not dull quickly Less shiny than semi-gloss More practical for pets, high-traffic usage and young children Note: The more coats of polyurethane applied to your hardwood floor, the more resistant it will be to damage.