Benefits of hardwood floors
- Adaptability – from the most elegant, formal sitting room to game rooms, they work
- Durability – with proper care and maintenance they will last you a lifetime
- Value – often noted as a key feature in reselling a house, condo or commercial space
- Minimal care – the beauty continues with very minimal cleaning
- Healthy environment – allergens collect in the fibers of carpet and with wood this isn’t a problem
- Ecofriendly – Hardwood floors last longer and offer the availability of sustainable / environmentally friendly options
It’s all in the details
Color
One of the more dramatic choices you will make when making your hardwood choices is the stain color. It can mean the difference between a formal to informal feel to a room. You must take into consideration the décor and the other wood features in the room and try to maintain consistency. However, it is nice to know that as your tastes or interior design trends change you can also change the wood colors through re-sanding, restaining and refinishing the floors and multiple times.
Gloss
You are probably familiar with the gloss classifications of paint: high-gloss, semi-gloss, eggshell and matte. These are the same options when choosing the gloss to be applied to your floors. There are numerous considerations when choosing your finish; brighter finishes reflect light to a greater degree and as a result show scuffs, scratches and general marks more. They will also require cleaning and maintenance on a more regular basis. Matte or satin finishes absorb more light, giving a more subtle or soft reflection and thus will not highlight the wear, scratches and scuffs as much.
Floorboard positioning
When designing the installation, Full Circle will advise you on the direction of the boards. Typically if possible, the boards are installed at a right angle to the floor joints. However the best design for the space maybe the more dramatic diagonal position or even parquet.
Grading
This is a designation that the manufacturer or mill will give boards to specify their variations in color or markings. Often the pricing of the wood is analogous to the grading and thus understandably the more uniform, better grades are more expensive.
Board width
Boards come in a number of sizes. Standard widths that are generally available include 2 1/4″ [57 mm], 2 1/2″ [64 mm], and 3 1/4″ [83 mm]. Widths of up to 5″ [127 mm] are becoming increasingly popular. Your choice will depend on the effect you want to create. Thinner boards make a room look longer, while wider boards make it appear shorter. Remember, however, that wood is affected by its surroundings. For instance, a tight grained wood (such as maple) expands with moisture and humidity, which may make thinner boards preferable in some instances.
Features
You’ll need edgings, stairway nosings, vent flashings, and moldings to align and join your woodwork with the surrounding walls. Make sure these basic accessories share the same stain and gloss as your flooring.
Custom Work and Design
At Full Circle, we are happy to work with you to come up with a custom design for your floor. We have done various patterns in previous jobs that include inlays, medallions, wood borders and herringbone. Contact us for more information on custom wood work.
