Wood floors are any type of product that is manufactured or created from timber which is meant for flooring. Its use can either be for aesthetic or structural purposes. Wood is a common choice for a flooring material that comes in several colors, styles, cuts, and species. Bamboo flooring is considered by many as a type of wood flooring, despite its material being made up of grass species instead of wood. Hardwood flooring contractors are knowledgeable in wood species which is why it is best to work with them so homeowners can receive advice about the best sorts of woods that might be good in a home.
Hardwood flooring
Solid hardwood floors are made up of planks that are milled coming from one piece of timber. Originally, hardwood floors were used for the purposes of making structures, it had been installed perpendicular to wooden support beams of a structure which are referred to as either joists or bearers. With the rising popularity of using concrete as a sub-flooring in other parts of the world, engineered wood flooring has garnered popularity. Nonetheless, solid wood flooring remains common and remains popular. The reason for its continued relevance is because of its thicker surface which can be finished and sanded more times that can be done on an engineered wood floor.
How Solid Wood Is Manufactured
Solid wood flooring is made by being milled from one piece of timber in the kiln to be air dried before the sawing procedure. Depending on the customer’s desired design as discussed with the hardwood flooring contractors, the timber is often cut and divided in 3 ways. The 3 ways timber is often cut are rift-sawn, quarter-sawn, and flat-sawn.
The wood is cut into the specified dimensions of the client. After the cut, the timber is often packed for either an unfinished to be installed on the location or it can be finished at the factory. The moisture content during the manufacturing is controlled carefully to make sure that the merchandise won’t warp during transport and storage.
Different types of solid wood flooring are made available. Different solid woods come with some grooves that are cut from the back of the wood which usually runs the length of every plank. Most of these grooves are called absorption strips that are intended to reduce any cupping on the floor. Solid wood flooring is manufactured at 0.75 inches thick alongside a tongue-and-groove for installation purposes.
Other Types Of Wood Manufacturing
Sliced-Peel Style
This process slices the log from the same manner the way lumber is sawn from a log, which is a straight-through process. Any engineered hardwood that’s produced in this fashion tends to have lesser problems. It doesn’t have any similar plywood appearance in its grain.
Rotary-Peel Style
This process begins with the same treatment that the sliced-peel method uses. The log is boiled in the water when it involves the rotary-peel style. After the preparation is completed, a blade is used to peel the wood. The peeling starts from outside of the log while working toward the middle part which creates a wood veneer. The veneer is pressed with high pressure. This type of manufacturing style has some problems whenever the wood curls back to its original form. Engineered woods that are mostly rotary-peeled tend to have a plywood appearance in its grain.
Dry Solid-Sawn Style
Instead of boiling the logs like the rotary-peeled method, the dry solid-sawn style would have the log kept at a low humidity level where it’ll be dried slowly. This method will draw moisture coming from the inside of the wood’s cells. The logs are sawn the same manner as for solid wood plans. This engineered hardwood features a similar appearance as solid hardwood. It doesn’t have any issues like face-checking which other sliced-peel products or rotary-peel woods may have since this procedure didn’t use any additional moisture. Face checking is made of fine hairline cracks that line the wood’s grain on the surface.
Homeowners must consult reputable hardwood flooring contractors before proceeding to install any hardwood floors. Various engineered and manufacturing styles can make a difference on the hardwood floors which is why advice must be heard before going through the project.
