It has often been said that good things take time and that if something is too simple, it is probably faulty. This is not always the case as I found out when I decided to look in to wood flooring suppliers to find a wood flooring company which would also provide wood flooring installation.
I had always imagined that a wood floor installation would be a long and complicated job but I was assured by the many wood flooring companies which I contacted that this was not the case. The first thing to remember that wooden flooring does not mean a solid wood floor, but rather a layer of wooden planks over your existing floor. The effect is just the same as a real wooden floor but you will find that there are differences in the wood floor finishes.
The durability and performance of engineered timber varies, and the strength of the top layer is no different to solid wood. Generally speaking, engineered wood is better protected and pre-finished with special treatments, plus its edges bevelled for an attractive appearance. Engineered panels are longer and wider than solid wood ones. Often engineered timber has a tighter fit, too. Whats more, installation costs are usually less than solid wood installation. The word solid relates only to the wholly timber planks that are cut from a tree, shaped, and laid as a floor. These can then be treated or finished with chemicals to resist moisture and staining, or to achieve a particular decor hue, but they are otherwise unaltered from their natural state.
However, solid timber offers several advantages in spite of its limitations. Solid wood is generally thicker than engineered flooring, which allows for future re-sanding to smooth the surface if it becomes marred with use. Thin engineered flooring, on the other hand, does not give much depth for future sanding. Solid wood is also less expensive than engineered wood.
Engineered wood allows you to get that real wood look without the drawbacks. Better still, the engineered pieces fit together for quick and inexpensive installation, while also costing less than wood installation. Also the thicker panels last longer and could be sanded and refinished in future. If in doubt, consult the experts who will be only too pleased to help and advise you.
One of the things which concerned me about a hard floor, as opposed to carpets, was the way that it would be too cold in the winter. One solution to this is to consider installing radiant heating under your new hard floors. Radiant heating consists of tubing through which hot water runs or heating coils. When installed under the floor, the heat radiates out from the tubing or coils and leaves a comfortably toasty floor.
There are many quality wood flooring suppliers in the country who will be able to provide you with an estimate regarding cost and time frames and you need to shop around a while before you decide which wood flooring company to go with.