Nothing beats the warmth and richness of a wood floor. But wood flooring doesn’t fit every room and it certainly doesn’t fit every budget. If you need to buy new flooring and like the look of wood, Inspired Remodels wants you to understand the options you have for wood flooring. That’s why this Orange County flooring contractor put together this guide to the options for wood flooring.  

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring made from natural hardwood is the first flooring that comes to mind when most people think of hardwood flooring. It offers durability and can be refinished. It is the most expensive but offers the longest wear.

What is it?

Hardwood flooring consists of planks of wood that may come finished or unfinished.  The wood comes from slow-growing trees that create dense wood fibers. Generally, oak, maple, or hickory trees grow the flooring, which is then finished to emulate any other wood.

How is it available?

Hardwood flooring comes in planks of various widths. Strip planks run 2” to 3” wide while wide planks begin at about 5” in width. Generally, use smaller planks in smaller rooms and wider planks in larger rooms.

How is it installed?

Because wood absorbs moisture, always acclimate the product in the room in which it will be installed for several days.

Then the flooring goes down on the appropriate subfloor and is attached with glue or nails.

Where to use it?

Use hardwood flooring above grade in any room that doesn’t use water. Water ruins hardwood flooring so don’t put it in bathrooms and think twice about installing it in kitchens.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo flooring is harvested from fast-growing bamboo plants. The bamboo plant belongs to the grass family and is not really a tree. But bamboo ranks higher on the Janka Hardness Scale than many hardwoods like oak.

How is it available

Like hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring comes in planks. The planks run generally anywhere from 3” to 8” wide. Like hardwood flooring, the planks come in different lengths. Bamboo options include solid bamboo or strand-woven bamboo.

How is it installed

Like hardwood, bamboo flooring must be acclimated before installation. Depending on the construction of the planks, they may be nailed down or glued down. Because bamboo is so hard, special nail guns must be used to nail the planks in place.

Where to use it

Install bamboo above grade in dry areas. Like hardwood, you won’t want to install bamboo in rooms with water. Also, because you can’t finish bamboo as many times as solid hardwood planks, you don’t want to put bamboo in high-traffic entryways or hallways.

Laminated/Engineered Wood Flooring

Laminate wood flooring is still wood flooring, it just isn’t solid wood flooring. This option is great for rooms below grade where solid wood can’t be installed.  You’ll find laminate also referred to as engineered wood flooring. A layer of solid wood is laminated to a layer of plywood. It is much more economical than bamboo or solid hardwood flooring.

How is it available

Engineered flooring comes in planks of various widths and lengths. It follows hardwood flooring trends in plank width and finishes.

How is it installed

A click-lock system allows engineered and laminated wood flooring to float over padding. You can install engineered wood over cement. There’s no need to glue or nail the planks in place. This reduces the labor required for installation too.

Where to use it

Laminated and engineered flooring goes in any room you want. Water poses no problem when the planks are properly installed. Put this flooring below grade without worry. Check with the flooring manufacturer before installing over radiant-heated floors.

Wood Look Porcelain Flooring

Everyone loves the spa feel of wood in a bathroom. But water and wood just don’t go together. Enter porcelain tile created to emulate wood. This tile is often indistinguishable from wood flooring by look alone. As you can see, this Orange County flooring contractor creates spa experiences without wood.

How is it available

Wood-look porcelain flooring is available in tile lengths that emulate wood planks. You’ll find the plank widths in the most common hardwood plank sizes as well. So as hardwood plank trends come and go, wood look porcelain flooring trends go with them.

How is it installed

This flooring installs differently from wood because it isn’t wood at all. The tiles are first secured to the backer board with mortar. They may be spaced apart or butted together. Any gaps between tiles are filled with grout.

Where to use it

You can literally use wood-look porcelain tile in any room in your house. However, keep in mind that because it is tile, it will be harder underfoot than other wood flooring options.

Orange County Flooring Contactor for Any Flooring

Inspired Remodels is the Orange County flooring contractor to whom you can turn for any type of flooring. Wood, tile, stone, and even carpet flooring options are available.