Thinking about Wooden Flooring!
Do you want to add some spice to your home with amazing patterns of wooden flooring? Wooden flooring is an excellent choice for its unique beauty. Architects from all over the world recommend this flooring as it is extremely versatile and can go well with any kind of furnishings. Its' carved designs can keep pace with latest lifestyles. These designs and styles have always been known for their aesthetic craftsmanship.
Identifying Wood
The table below lists the various type of wood being used currently in the wooden flooring.
|
Wood |
Color |
Features |
Design |
|
Oak |
Red, Golden |
Hard, durable and gives rich color effect after polishing. |
 |
| Maple |
Creamy yellow |
Hard, elegant and resists scratches and dents |
 |
|
Walnut |
Dark, Chocolate |
Strong, durable, flexible but expensive |
 |
|
Cherry |
Orange |
Warm and moisture resistant |
 |
|
Ash |
Natural wood color |
Hard, strong and damage resistant |
 |
|
Merbau |
Reddish brown |
Classic, durable and termite resistant, |
 |
|
Mahogany |
Red |
Strong, durable and sands beautifully with natural polish |
 |
| Pine |
Creamy pale |
Re-colored and repaired easily |
 |
|
Birch |
Creamy pale, Deep rich red tones |
Extremely durable and resistant to splitting and damage,
Uniform in appearance |
 |
|
Fir |
Large patches of dark grains |
Long lasting and pleasing aesthetically |
 |
Various Wooden Flooring Patterns
Wooden flooring may have various patterns. Here are given some patterns for your help in the work.
Straight Pattern of Wooden Flooring: Straight Pattern is widely used for its simple patterns and contemporary designs. Wooden boards are installed parallel to each other along the length or width of the room. It’s the least expensive of all the installation patterns.
The wood speaks of itself in this pattern and gives a wonderful look.
Parquet Pattern of Wooden Flooring
Parquet gives a unique and warm look to a room. To lay square wood modules in repeated geometric way provides an appearance of a checkerboard. Individual square module is laid in crisscross fashion.
Traditional installation of this pattern is expensive and rare. But it has been replaced now with prefabricated square modules.
Herringbone Pattern of Wooden Flooring
Herringbone provides a beautiful look to a room. It is similar to Parquet pattern but the square modules are laid at diagonal angle in zigzag way that looks like at random. This pattern can be laid out either in traditional manner or in the square modules.
Perimeter Border of Wooden Flooring
Perimeter gives different look to the edges of the floors. It provides a frame and more formal appearance. It can be used to separate adjacent rooms having no walls between them. Any of installation patterns can be complemented or finished off with a perimeter border. This pattern can be made of wood, natural stone or alternative materials like glass or metal tiles. This pattern frames the room in which it is installed.
Maintenance of Wooden Flooring
• Dirt and sand are harmful to wooden floors so lay down the rugs or long bristle mats at all entrances in the home to avoid any dirt or dust.
• Clean your wooden floors with dry and clean cloth every day.
• Re-polish the wooden floor after 5 or 6 years of the installation.
• Direct exposure to sunlight results in the loss of its color. To protect the floor from direct sunlight, close curtains during the day.
• Never apply acrylic polish on this floor because it can cause dull appearance.
• Fix protective pads at the feet of all articles of the furniture to avoid scratches on the flooring.
• Do not use high heels, narrow and sharp wheels which causes dent on the floors.
• Never use any oily soap to clean the floor as it can make the finish of the floor dull.
• Remove out stagnant water which results in molds and dampness in the wood.
Advantages of Wooden Flooring
• Wood is a natural insulator.
• Easily cleaned and maintained.
• Long lasting with proper care.
• Be purchased unfinished or pre-finished.
• Extremely beautiful and adds a value to a home.
• Re-cyclic use makes it superior.
Disadvantages of Wooden Flooring
• More prone to termite attack.
• Discoloration decreases its value.
• Refinishing dust causes unhealthy environment.
• Large cracks between the boards make the flooring worse.
• Solvent products can cause fire during its installation.
• Chemical emission from the sealer or surface finish affects the health adversely.
When you are ready to spend your hard earned money on genuine wooden flooring, this detailed information would prove to be useful enough for taking well versed decisions.