Type of Hardwood Floors: Engineered & Solid Wood flooring types

Getting new hardwood flooring could be both exciting and overwhelming especially when you are not sure where to start. Type of hardwood floors, price and color are basic things to think of, but how about installation methods, floor underlayment, leveling and many more. Do you need all of it?

In this “New Hardwood Flooring project Step by step guide” article we will try to go over every step of flooring installation services and answer all common questions to give you a better picture.

1. EVALUATION OF FLOORING AREA

Different areas of your home space might require different types of flooring due to some specific conditions, such as: floor level, room traffic, level of humidity, kids and pets in your home and others. These criteria have to be taken into consideration if you want your new floors serve you long and well.

2. WOOD FLOORING TYPES AVAILABLE IN VANCOUVER AREA

Once all the above conditions are determined, it is time to make a decision about a type of flooring that will work best for your space. Even hardwood flooring itself varies a lot in its characteristics including softness. Janka scale (the result of Janka hardness test) illustrates hardness ranking of each type of wood. The harder the material, the more resistant it is to wear, scratches and dents.

 HARDWOOD FLOORING HARDNESS SCALE:

3. CHOOSE FLOORING STYLE AND DECOR

This stage is usually the most enjoyable part of the whole process. At this point you finally get a chance to look at the samples that are right for your project and match them with your home decor. And there are lots of materials to look at as they can differ by style, color and finish. Color creates an image of your home, while finish is responsible both for the look and touch of your floors. Here are some main types of engineered hardwood floor finishes:

smooth – basic flooring that is smooth across the entire surface

wire brushed – planks brushed with hard wire brushes that add extra texture and dramatic look to your floor and significantly reduce softness of flooring material

hand scraped – floors with distressed texture simulating the old-fashioned hand-scraped solid hardwood floors

oil finish – finish that allows the natural color of the floor to really stand out without adding any extra sheen or gloss to it

Step 4:

4. COST OF FLOORING

Do you know that now when you are holding your dream floor sample in your hands, this might not be exactly what you end up getting installed? It is time to manage your budget for new flooring. Sometimes the cost of flooring materials can significantly vary depending on a brand name, product line, country of origin, veneer and core thickness and other aspects. If you are renting a place, for instance, you are most likely looking for something not quite expensive and  ready to accept a shorter warranty period or some less popular brand. Some other brands can offer 20 or 25-year warranty on their materials and in return require a higher price. So make sure that you know about all the options that are available for you. Canadian Hardwood Flooring will provide superior quality and highest eco standards. We offer a wide selection of hardwood made in Canada (Prverco, Marage, Aacer, Appalachian)

Hardwood is the most popular flooring choice in Vancouver. If you are a big fan of wood flooring, we recommend you to check our Cost to install hardwood floors article

5. FLOORING PROJECT IN-HOME ESTIMATE

The use of our on-site consultation cannot be overestimated. Our specialists measure every area that requires flooring installation (rooms, stairs, closets, etc) and evaluate the scope of work that needs to be completed including old floor removal, leveling, floor installation, moulding and transitions installation, etc. Plus, we explain the difference and help you decide on the method of installation as it turns out to be quite a surprise for the majority of homeowners that not only one exists:

• Floating installation method 
• Glue down installation method 
• Nail down installation method 

Each type of flooring and house area might allow only certain methods of installation. Will a method of installation affect the final cost of your project? Yes, as they do differ in labor cost.

Now, having all proper measurements and knowing your expectations, we can provide you with complete quotes for your floor project. BC FLOORS provide a Free in-home estimate and consultation.

6. FLOORING QUOTE CONFIRMATION

If there are no questions left, we move on to signing an agreement that contains project description and responsibilities of parties. At this point we expect a 50% deposit of total invoice prior to starting any work on the project. We accept the following methods of payment: cash, cheque, Mastercard or Visa.

7. FLOORING INSTALLATION SERVICES

We set the start date for the project at your best convenience and stick to the pre-approved working schedule.

BC FLOORS provides all type of hardwood floor installation Services (including hardwood installation via floating/nail or glue down, old floor removal, leveling, prep work, trim and baseboards). We also provide, hardwood floor refinishing and restoration

8. FLOOR PROJECT COMPLETION

Once our work is completed and required cleanup is done, we do a final walk through to make sure the results meet your original requirements and expectations. If you are satisfied with the project, the remainder of your balance becomes due.

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact our BC FLOORS Project Manager.