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The Creation of Hardwood Floors
Part science, part art, we know how hardwood floors are constructed.
If you’re looking for information on how hardwood floors are made, you’ve come to the right place and the right people.
Baker Bros are the local experts on hardwood, and we’ve been this region’s headquarters for flooring facts for over six decades.
With each member of our sales team averaging over 15 years of flooring experience, you can count on us for wall-to-wall wisdom about hardwood.
In fact, compared to the flooring stores in this area, Baker Bros. offers you…
More knowledge per square foot.
It’s knowledge that begins with a unique point of view.
At Baker Bros. we believe that, while the construction of hardwood floors is manual and structural, the result is beautiful and magical.
We understand that the world of hardwood is part science and part art. Hardwood is manufactured but it’s also designed. It involves machinery and imagery. Mechanics and aesthetics.
That’s why we say Baker Bros. is “Where Fashion meets Flooring”. In our view, a hardwood floor is the junction of taste and technology, the union of style and substance, elegance and performance.
And knowing how hardwood floors are constructed can be very advantageous. It enables you to understand the product’s materials right from their birth. Remember that these are materials you will be living with, and on, should you choose to have our hardwood floor installed in your home.
Knowing the different hardwood choices and the methods of floor construction also helps you understand and evaluate their performance aspects: why certain hardwood floors are easier to install, for example.
Plus, perhaps most important, understanding hardwood floor construction can make you a smarter shopper, help you better determine hardwood value and keep you inside the borders of your home decorating budget.
So please read on, and we’ll do our best to help you understand how hardwood floors are constructed, the various types of construction methods, and the advantages and disadvantages of each for you and your home.
To begin, be aware of these hardwood sizes, species and types.
When we think of solid wood floors we generally are talking about a 3/4" thick plank that is 2 1/4" wide.This is the classic strip wood floor, although it is possible to find a narrower width or a slightly thinner gage. The strips are generally in random lengths from 12" – 84".
The most common wood species used for solid strip floors are red oak, white oak, maple, cherry, white ash, hickory or pecan.
And the three common types of wood floors are Engineered, Solid, and Longstrip Plank, each of which we will now address.
Type 1: Engineered for stability and moisture control.
Engineered wood floors are generally manufactured with 2,3, or 5 thin sheets or plies of wood that are laminated together to form one plank.
These wood plies are stacked on top of each other but in the opposite directions. This is called cross-ply construction which creates a wood floor that is dimensionally stable and less affected by moisture than a 3/4” solid wood floor.
In the presence of moisture, solid wood planks will always expand across the width of the planks, rather than down the length of the boards.
The advantage of cross-ply construction allows the plies to counteract each other which will stop the plank from growing or shrinking with the changes in humidity.
The other advantage for you is versatility. You can install these floors over concrete slabs in your basement as well as anywhere else in you home.
Because of this, engineered hardwood flooring is the hardwood flooring of choice in Arizona.
Most engineered floors can be nailed down, stapled down, glued down, or floated over a wide variety of sub-floors, including some types of existing flooring.
Engineered floors will range from 1/4" to 9/16" in thickness, and vary from 2 1/4" to 7" in width. The widths can also be mixed, such as 3-5-7-inch planks installed side by side. By varying the board widths you can change the total appearance of the floor. Create a truly custom look for your home. The lengths will be random and range from 12" – 60" in length.
For design freedom, consider engineered.
Because engineered wood floors are made up of several layers of wood the top finish layer can be a totally different wood species. A variety of domestic or exotic hardwood species are available such as Oak, Maple, Hickory or Cherry. You’re free to pick the one that suits your style.
Type 2: the floor that’s solid yet expands.
Solid wood floors are one solid piece of wood that have tongue and groove sides. When we talk about solid wood floors, we tend to think of floors that are unfinished, but it’s important to know that there are also many pre-finished 3/4” solid wood floors.
And you should also be aware of the moisture factor.
Solid wood floors are sensitive to moisture and because so they are used in nail down installations and are not recommended for installation below ground level, or directly over a concrete slab.
Therefore, relatively no solid hardwood flooring is installed in Arizona.
The good news is that these floors can be refinished, or recoated, several times, which adds to their appeal and to their long life in your home.
In fact, there are solid floors that are over 100 years old that are still in good condition with rich patina and character – enhancing the beauty of the home.
Because they’re a natural product, hardwood flooring will expand and contract in response to seasonal changes in moisture. In the winter heating months, moisture leaves the wood causing the floor to contract, which creates larger than expected gaps between each plank.
In the summer months, when the humidity is higher, the wood will expand and the gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture it may cause the wood planks to cup, or buckle. Not something you want in your home.
This is why it is important when installing a solid strip floor to leave the proper expansion area around the perimeter and to acclimate the wood prior to installation. This will help assure a lasting, beautiful application.
Consider oak, for all its choices.
Oak is commonly used for solid unfinished wood floors and there are several different qualities of oak for you to choose from. These qualities are clear, select and better, #1 common, and #2 common.
The clear has no visual blemishes or knots and is extremely expensive. While the select and better quality has some small knots and very little dark graining.
The #1 common and #2 common have more knots and more dark graining. So be aware of that when buying an unfinished solid oak floor and make sure you know which quality of wood you are buying.
Type 3: Longstrip offers you unique possibilities.
Longstrip plank floors are similar to engineered floors and have several wood plies that are glued together. The center core is generally a softer wood material and is used to make the tongue and groove. A hardwood finish layer is glued on top of the core.
The top layer can be almost any hardwood species and is made up of many smaller individual pieces that are laid in three rows.
Longstrip planks are approximately 86" in length and 7 1/2" in width. They generally have between 17 and 35 pieces that make up the top layer of each board.
This gives the effect of installing a board that is 3 rows wide and several planks long. Each longstrip plank looks like an entire section that has already been pre-assembled for you. This alone can create a unique look all your own.
Longstrip planks are designed for the floating installation, but most can also be glued-down, or stapled down. Because these floors can be floated they are extremely versatile – they can go over a wide variety of sub-floors and on any grade level.
Like engineered floors, longstrip floors come in a wide variety of domestic and exotic hardwood species.
Longstrip plank floors have another advantage. When damaged, they can be replaced with relative ease. That’s an important consideration for active homes.
Those are the basics of hardwood floor construction.
At Baker Bros. we believe that the right knowledge can be as functional and practical as a hardwood floor.
We also hope that the information we’ve featured here leads you to a better understanding of how this beautiful and versatile floor is constructed, and helps you be a better, smarter, more savvy hardwood shopper.
And when visiting any of our seven store locations, don’t hesitate to ask us anything about the world of hardwood. At Baker Bros. you can be assured of…
More knowledge per square foot.