Not Sure Which Would Be the Best Wood Flooring for Your Home?
Tips on How to Choose the Best Wood Flooring
When you are planning to install
it is important you understand what your options are. Even though it is tempting to choose a color and a plank size which is a match for your decor and get it installed, don’t, you first need to understand what each woods characteristics are and how they act under specific conditions.
One important characteristic of wood to understanding its dimensional stability. Which means how the
wood
will react to changes in humidity. Every wood will expand and contract with humidity changes, however, some wood, like Santos mahogany, is stable and expands and contracts much less than its counterparts.
If your home has air conditioning and a humidifier that will keep constant levels of humidity, you will have more choice in your wood, which can include birch or maple, however, wood floors which are exposed to the elements or installed over basement concrete floors has to be more durable, like ash, cherry, walnut or mahogany.
In addition to the above, you need to take into consideration the foot traffic the
wood flooring
will receive. High traffic areas need the hardest wood there is, and low traffic areas can have softer wood. You need to compare each wood’s hardness to its dimensional stability in order to find out which is more suitable for your purposes. Some of the hardest woods include African mahogany, pine, and California redwood.
Be wary though, and know that the hardest woods are measured by the Janka scale, and some do not have the best dimensional stability, which is why it is so important to weigh all your options with care. For instance, even though Santos mahogany is stable and flexes with humidity, it is
, in fact,
a soft wood which will dent very easily. This type of wood is better suited for bedrooms and not hall or entryways where it can be easily dented. If you want to know more about our services and prices, why not call Woodsman Flooring Greenville in Greenville, MI now on (231) 751-9029.