Solid hardwood floors are made of planks milled from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood floors were originally used for structural purposes, being installed perpendicular to the wooden support beams of a building known as joists or bearers. With the increased use of concrete as a subfloor in some parts of the world, engineered wood flooring has gained some popularity. However, solid wood floors are still common and popular. Solid wood floors have a thicker wear surface and can be sanded and finished more times than an engineered wood floor. It is not uncommon for homes in New England, Eastern Canada, and Europe which are several hundred years old to have the original solid wood floor still in use today.
Solid wood flooring is milled from a single piece of timber that is kiln or air dried before sawing. Depending on the desired look of the floor, the timber can be cut in three ways: flat-sawn, quarter-sawn, and rift-sawn. The timber is cut to the desired dimensions and either packed unfinished for a site-finished installation or finished at the factory. The moisture content at time of manufacturing is carefully controlled to ensure the product does not warp during transport and storage.
A number of proprietary features for solid wood floors are available. Many solid woods come with grooves cut into the back of the wood that run the length of each plank, often called 'absorption strips,' that are intended to reduce cupping. Solid wood floors are mostly manufactured .75 inches (19 mm) thick with a tongue-and-groove for installation.
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With prefinished solid plank flooring, the finish is applied at the manufacturer's facility. These plank floors require less time to install because the sanding and finishing process has already happened. The plank flooring is ready to walk on immediately
See our collection prefinished solid plank brands like Bruce Hardwood Flooring, Anderson Tuftex Hardwood Floors, Mirage Hardwood Floors, Mullican Hardwood Flooring, Somerset Hardwood Flooring, and more... Click below to see our whole selection of prefinished solid plank brands!
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With unfinished solid plank flooring, your wood installer will sand the plank and apply the finish on the job site. There are several finish options. This is the best option if you are looking for a specific color or need to match existing plank floor.
See our collection unfinished solid plank brands like Anderson Tuftex Hardwood Floors, Mullican Hardwood Flooring, HomerWood™ Flooring, PG Model® Gymnasium Flooring, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors , and more... Click below to see our whole selection of unfinished solid plank brands!
Deciding on what wood flooring type you should install in your home or office, can be very difficult. So to make it easy for you, we have decided to provide you with accurately detailed information on two major types of wood flooring.
