Wood Flooring

Originally popularized in the French royal courts of the 1600s, hardwood flooring remains the gold standard in flooring to this day. Known for its elegant beauty and strength, hardwood adds a natural design element, softness, and warmth to any space. When it comes to installing new hardwood flooring in your home or office, there is a lot to consider, and the experts at Absolute Flooring & Interiors in Santa Fe, New Mexico can help you make the right flooring decision.

TYPES

Hardwood floors are made of either solid wood or engineered wood. Solid wood floors have boards that have been milled into long planks, most commonly from a hardwood species. Each plank is one continuous piece of wood, which means it can be sanded and refinished many times over the course of its life. Solid wood floors require regular care, as the planks expand and shrink as the temperature fluctuates. Solid wood is more porous than engineered wood, and thus more vulnerable to damage and warping from humidity or water damage. Engineered wood floors are composed of planks made with a thin layer of hardwood adhered to a plywood core. The thin layer of hardwood means that engineered wood floors can only be refinished a couple of times, or possibly not at all, depending on the thickness of the hardwood layer. However, the man-made plywood core of engineered wood makes it more resistant to temperature-related shrinkage and expansion, making it more durable. Though less susceptible than solid wood, engineered wood is still not immune to damage and warping caused by humidity or water damage.

SPECIES

Another consideration when picking out hardwood floors is the species of wood. Each species has its own unique characteristics, from its hardness to its color. Wood hardness is measured using the Janka Hardness Rating: the higher the number, the harder the wood. High-traffic areas are better suited to harder woods, such as oak, hickory, or maple, as they hold up better to everyday wear and tear. Woods with a hardness rating on the lower end of the Janka scale (pine, spruce, fir, and cedar) are more easily damaged by continuous use, but, like their harder counterparts, can be sanded and refinished. Unlike the slower-growing hardwood trees, softer-wood trees are faster growing, making them more environmentally friendly and sustainable to harvest.

FINISHES

Hardwood floors are installed either prefinished or unfinished. In prefinished flooring, each plank is already stained and sealed and ready to go—saving time on installation and taking out the guesswork on how the finished product will fit in with your surrounding décor. Unfinished hardwood floors are raw, unstained, and unsealed. They are finished after installation, which means you have more opportunity to customize and create a unique finished product.

The experts at Absolute Flooring & Interiors in Santa Fe New Mexico will guide you through your options and help you make an informed decision when picking out your new hardwood flooring. Whether you choose prefinished or unfinished, solid wood or engineered wood flooring, you’ll find great products and knowledgeable guidance at Absolute Flooring & Interiors.

More and more homeowners are choosing cork for their flooring. Cork is comfortable to walk on, durable, beautiful and sustainable. There are many pros and some cons of cork flooring.

What is Cork?

Cork is the outer lining of a type of oak tree that grows in Mediterranean countries. What makes cork attractive is that this lining can be stripped off the tree without killing it. It then grows back and in time is harvested again. When the cork is taken from the tree, it is ground up and treated to turn it into floor planks.

The Pros of Cork Flooring

Cork is simply amazing to walk on with bare feet. It is soft and yielding, and a person can stand on it for a long time without fatigue. For many cooks, this makes cork ideal to install in their kitchen. It is forgiving of slips and falls, which makes it an excellent material to put in nurseries, playrooms and the bedrooms of older people.

Cork is an excellent insulator. This is because cork is full of tiny air chambers that keep heat out of a room during the warmer months but hold it during the winter. The air chambers also absorb sound waves.

A floor made of cork resists dust and allergens and is exceptionally easy to keep clean. It just needs a weekly vacuuming or sweeping, and spills should be blotted up as soon as possible. Cork comes with a natural material called suberin, which the tree uses to repel pests.

Like a regular hardwood floor, a cork floor can be refinished. This means sanding down the old floor, then staining and resealing it. How many times this can be done depends on how thick the cork floor is.

A DIYer can install cork tiles over a long weekend. Some tiles need thin-set mortar while others are peel and stick. After this, all they need is a sealant.

The Cons of Cork Flooring

Cork’s softness makes it vulnerable to dings and other damage. Coasters should be placed beneath the feet of heavy furniture to protect the floor from indentations. Another trick is to place heavy furniture on pieces of plywood.

People should never walk on a cork floor wearing high heels or shoes with cleats. Ideally, the homeowner should ask family members and guests to take off footwear that they’ve worn outdoors, for even a bit of grit can tear cork. The nails and claws of pets will need to be regularly trimmed to keep them from damaging the cork.

Cork swells when it is exposed to water, and a flood or even a sopping wet mop can cause the tiles to warp or cup.

Installing a cork floor in a room that gets direct sunlight will discolor the material. Place the cork in a room that gets indirect sunlight, cover parts of it with area rugs or block the sunlight with window treatments.

If you have any questions, reach out!

Fabricated or engineered wood flooring is a solid hardwood flooring alternative. Since it is a reasonably priced yet attractive substitute, engineered flooring is now the top-selling form of wood flooring.

Engineered wood planks are usually a thin layer of wood layered on top of plywood. The finishes, colors and styles of engineered wood have grown considerably in the last several years. There are several benefits to engineered floors versus solid wood.

Engineered flooring is different from laminate or vinyl. Laminate flooring uses a photograph of wood protected by a transparent layer instead of an actual layer of real wood. Vinyl flooring is plastic molded and designed to imitate wood.

Installation

Installing engineered planks is usually more straightforward than hardwood planks. Care is needed to ensure a solid foundation and proper alignment, but even homeowners can install engineered floors. They are also thinner and can mount over existing flooring without having to remove or resurface the original floor. When you want or need to change the flooring, it is easy to do so.

Durability

Generally, solid hardwood flooring can last a lifetime while engineered flooring does not. However, this can vary based on the quality and grade of the flooring.

Engineered wood is quite durable due to its’ construction. The layers of wood run perpendicular to each other. This layering reduces any expansion or contraction by creating equal pressure length- and width-wise. Even though it is durable, it can scratch or chip if abused or in higher traffic areas.

Since there is a thin layer of wood applied to plywood, these floors can only be sanded once or twice. After that, their replacement would be necessary. Solid hardwood can be sanded as needed.

Engineered flooring is more resistant to moisture than real wood planks. Water can damage both, but plywood warps less than solid wood when exposed to excess moisture.

Maintenance

Engineered flooring does not need to be sanded, buffed or refinished. They are usually pre-finished in the factory and remain the same for their lifetime. Engineered floors do not need to be sealed or stained. They are virtually maintenance-free, requiring light cleaning as required.

Applications and Aesthetics

Most engineered wood is used for flooring in the private and commercial sectors. However, it is also used in industrial applications as well. Architects and builders use it to replace steel beams and joists in many buildings. It is also a sustainable option since small trees or even scrap materials are used in their production.

Engineered flooring now comes in a wide range of colors, textures and finishes. Currently, it is available in more varieties than solid wood planks. Their aesthetics combined with their ease of use and durability is the reason that engineered flooring is the top-selling form of wood flooring.

If you have any questions, call us!

Many homeowners find themselves torn between choosing hardwood flooring or carpet and are unable to decide. The hardwood vs carpet debate is one that has been talked about for decades. So, how do you know which one is right for you?

Here’s what you need to know to settle the hardwood vs carpet:

Hardwood Flooring

People often go with hardwood flooring instead of carpet due to the number of benefits that come with it. However, keep in mind that hardwood flooring is far from perfect.

Pros of Hardwood Flooring

It gives off a luxurious vibe. Compared to carpeting, hardwood flooring is often seen as luxurious because it’s composed of high-quality material. If used in specific areas of a house, hardwood flooring can create a feeling of luxury. However, this does depend on what type of wood it is and how it’s finished.

It’s much easier to clean. One of the biggest drawbacks of carpet is how difficult it is to keep clean. That’s not the case with hardwood flooring. Due to the material, it’s made out of, it’s much easier to wipe up spilled drinks and other messes.

It can be refined. No matter how careful you are, the hardwood flooring can become dinged or nicked. Thankfully, it’s possible to buff out any damage that may occur.

Cons of Hardwood Flooring

It’s rather expensive. Due to the materials, it’s made out of and how long it takes to install, the cost of hardwood flooring is rather steep.

It’s a potential hazard. Some types of hardwood are slippery, which can cause a serious injury. Furthermore, parts of the wood can end up lifting up from excessive use or as time goes on. This makes it a tripping hazard as well.

It’s noisy. Wood, no matter what its purpose is, can make noise such as creaking and squeaking.

Carpeting

While hardwood flooring has its perks, carpeting has its strong points.

Pros of Carpeting

It is softer. Compared to hardwood flooring, carpeting is typically made of soft materials. Due to this softness, the risk of injury from tripping is greatly reduced.

It can be cost-efficient. Most carpeting is cheaper than hardwood flooring, despite it needing to be replaced every few years.

Less noise. Unlike its competitor, there is minimal noise disturbance with carpet when walked on. Carpeting adds padding and insulation to your floor, which makes it impossible to produce noise.

Cons of Carpeting

It’s can be difficult to keep to clean. As we’ve mentioned before, carpet is not easy to clean, especially when it’s in high-traffic areas. In addition, allergens such as dirt, dust, and dander can easily get trapped ina carpet.

It can be high maintenance. Despite its elegant appearance, carpet requires a lot of maintenance. This means that you’ll need to have consistent deep carpet cleaning and routine vacuuming.

It doesn’t last very long. Most carpeting these days are made of synthetic materials, which generally don’t have a long life span.

The Takeaway
Now is the time to answer the question of which type of flooring is better. Generally speaking, there isn’t a “better choice.” It’s all based on personal preference and which one appeals to you more. Remember to keep the cons in mind instead of just the pros. It can make deciding which flooring to go with much easier.

If you still have questions or concerns, reach out to us, we are happy to help!

When looking into installing wooden flooring, you’ll most likely come across these two options: Floating wood floors and glued-down wood floors. The two of them may seem quite similar at first glance, but there are a good deal of differences to account for, so you should take the time to get familiar before going with one option or another.

Floating Floors

Installing floating wood is a lot like putting together a big puzzle. The boards interlock with each other without any fasteners and possess just enough give to them that they’re comfortable to walk on.

Floating hardwood mimics the appearance of natural hardwood, although the give and the hollow sound they make can tell you that it isn’t. Because you would have to install floating floors over an underlayer on a level subfloor, the hollow sound comes from it. Despite that requirement, however, floating floors are quick and easy to install and don’t require much special equipment to put them in place.

The option to install floating floors will not only be easy to install but easy to tear up should you change your mind. This option is great to go with if you’re working on a budget, and if you’re worried about the boards wearing out quickly, you can refinish floating wood after it starts to look worn down so that the floor will last even longer.

Glued-Down Floors

Gluing down the wood is the pricier option, but that’s because the labor cost is higher since each piece has to be individually glued together. This also means that these types of floors are harder to tear up, so be committed if you give it a go.

This kind of installation can be a lot more sturdy, however. The boards will shift around less, won’t have that hollow sound, don’t require a vapor barrier (since the glue acts as one), and you can have them installed on a subfloor that isn’t quite level. The strength of the floors might mean they’re a bit uncomfortable to walk on, but the authenticity of the wood might make them a viable option if going for something that looks and feels more solid.

Which is the Better Option?

The best option for the type of wooden flooring depends on the individual factors that you look at. Floating floors are the better choice if you want something cheap and simple to install, and are also the best option for working with most types of subfloor, as long as the surface is level. Glued-down floors are the better option if you want something that has the sound and sturdiness of natural hardwood, and if you desire floorboards that are almost guaranteed not to slide around even slightly.

If you’re looking into wooden flooring and need to know the best option as at least a starting point, floating wood floors are probably the better bet. You can install them over just about any subfloor material, they’re easy to remove if you aren’t happy with the results, and you’ll save money. Remember, though, that only you know your preferences, so make sure you pick something for yourself that you’re going to be pleased within the end.

For an expert opinion, call us today!

When it’s time to update the flooring in your house, take a look at the structure of your stairs. If the existing treads are rough 2×4’s and if the riser or kickplate is rough plywood, you may need to replace treads to put down a beautiful wood staircase.

Wood or Carpet?

Carpeted stairs are challenging to vacuum and nearly impossible to clean with a DIY carpet cleaning machine. That being said, they do offer decent tread and can be a bit easier to walk on. If you have small children or plan to age in place and want wooden treads, be sure to use a finish that will provide some grip for those walking the stairs.

A Little Deconstruction

If the balustrade is attached to each tread, you’ll need to pull it to install the new treads and reinstall it when finished. Take care along the staircase to firmly attach the balustrade to the treads and make certain that the newel post at the bottom of the staircase is solidly in place.

Visibility Options

A dark staircase can be a hazard. You may not want to put anything reflective on your new staircase or define the edge of the step in any way, but you can still increase visibility on the staircase by painting the riser or kickplate a reflective white. It will only take a little light to make your staircase easy to manage at night if the risers are reflecting available light.

Laminate or Wood?

There are several material options for wood floors that you can apply to your staircase. If you’re looking for a material that will offer both beauty and grip, consider installing a vinyl laminate that closely matches other wood flooring in your home. These materials are extremely easy to clean and have enough texture to reduce the risk of slipping. You will likely need to add a nose cap to your stair treads to protect the edge of the laminate material. This can be used to add a bit of contrast to the edge of the stair, increase visibility to those climbing the stairs and further reduce the risk of a slip or fall.

Absolute Flooring in Santa Fe, New Mexico offers more than just flooring. Our designers are happy to assist you in choosing materials and paint colors that will make your house a home you’re proud and happy to come home to.

Need professional advice? Give us a call!