Things to remember while installing hardwood floor

There are lots of decision to be made once you decide to install wooden floor in your home.  It is possible to install hardwood floor on various levels in your home as they are available in various structures for easy installation over subfloors. These levels helps to mitigate moisture. You need to identify the level of your home and the subfloor to decide which type of hardwood construction will be best suitable. 

Moisture plays a major role while deciding on hardwood flooring as1 alteration in moisture can create problems like gapping and warping. The manufacturers of the hardwood flooring are the best people to suggest you the right type of flooring. It is better to acquire the materials based on their recommendation. A moisture barrier should be installed for preventing damage caused by moisture.      

There are primarily three type of subfloors over which you can install the hardwood flooring. They are:

·      Basement or concrete beneath ground level

·      Concrete on ground level

·      Plywood subfloor on or over the ground level

There are four types of hardwood floors constructions available for each type of subfloor:

·       3/4-inch Solid Hardwood

·      5/16-inch Solid Hardwood

·      Engineered Hardwood

·      Locking Hardwood

3/4-inch Solid Hardwood

This 3/4 inch thick solid hardwood floor needs to be installed on a plywood subfloor above ground level as solid floors expand when they are exposed to moisture. If there is any crawl space, you should put moisture barrier beneath that and it will restrict the moisture to come through the ground in your home.

5/16-inch Solid Hardwood

This is thinner than 3/4 inch hardwood floor. Since the wood used is solid, it is impossible to install it on concrete beneath the ground level or in basement. You can install it on plywood over ground level. It can be glued down as well. It is better to use moisture barriers and urethane adhesives for gluing down this solid wood.

Engineered Hardwood

Engineered floors are designed in such a way that it can be successfully installed on concrete. It also helps to mitigate moisture. The floor does not expand as compared to 3/4 inch or 5/6 inch solid floor. It is possible because of the cross-layer construction. You can install engineered hardwood anywhere in home. They are eco-friendly and less expensive compared to other solid hardwood floors. It is few millimeters thick but it looks really good.

Locking Harwood

A locking is an engineered floor and you can install it on your own. No nails, glue, staples are required to install this floor. You just need to roll out moisture barrier.

The choice of hardwood floor varies from person to person and it also depends on project budget. There are domestic species as well as exotic species and you can differentiate them by seeing their grain pattern. You can get wide range of texture like, distressed, hand-scrapped, wirebrushed and smooth. The above details may help you to find out the right kind of material needed for your home which will suit your purpose.