To decide on your new flooring is both an exciting and daunting time as homeowners often have a lot on their plate. From deciding the type of flooring, to worries related to hardwood flooring installation and evolution, we answer 5 common questions to ease your choice.
Please contact us whether you have a question about ironwood flooring or even other types of flooring. We are always happy to help everyone, be it a potential client or not. We will give you our honest opinion. Then, do not hesitate to look at our “Learn” and “FAQ” sections.
What is the difference between laminate flooring and wood flooring?
It’s a common question for every homeowner. The choice of flooring is extensive and it can be a headache to make the right choice.
Laminate flooring consists of synthetic melamine resin and fiber board material backing with a high-pressure laminate surface designed to imitate the appearance of real wood.
Laminate is not renewable and therefore has a short usable life span.
Wood flooring on the other hand consists of wood backing with wood wear surface or solid wood. With proper care will last generations and can become an important part of your property’s history. It can be refinished, re-sanded, and re-coated to look like new again!
Source: The Spruce
What are the benefits of wooden flooring?
It could be summarized by “unbeatable beauty”. While other flooring types have improved a lot over the years in imitating the look of real wood, there is nothing like the feel and smell of hardwood flooring. Additionally, quality wooden floors are both renewable and recyclable.
If you suffer from allergies, wooden flooring is also the best choice. Bacteria, dust and dirt do not embed themselves in wooden flooring, unlike other flooring options. Millions of people suffer from sensitivity to dust and toxins. Tests have proven that wooden flooring provides a healthier environment for such individuals.
That being said, we always come back to the main benefit: wooden flooring is stunning!
Kaltimber ironwood flooring
Is there a type of hardwood that is more durable than others?
As long as you choose hardwood over softwood, you are in the safe zone. Most temperate hardwoods fall within a category with different durability grades. Thus, the choice really comes down to aesthetics and your own personal choice.
However, some tropical hardwoods are considerably denser and more durable.
Ulin grades as an A1 which is amongst the strongest hardwoods in the world.
Download our ironwood datasheet for full information about its properties.
Do you have to install your hardwood flooring under existing cabinets?
Ideally, the hardwood flooring would go under the cabinets. You can, however, cut around the cabinets if removing the cabinets would cause undue complications. Keep in mind, though, that if you were ever to change the cabinets, you could have a problem if the new cabinets weren't the same size as the old cabinets.
Sometimes the cabinets are made in a way that you cannot really change them. There, no choice but to perfect the installation around them.
No choice for this ironwood flooring here, with these concrete-made cabinets.
More details about the process in this detailed article.
I see several crack lines on my deck. Is this normal, or is the wood of poor quality?
These crack lines are actually termed as "hairline cracks", which are very common occurrences in natural wood. When the moisture content of the environment is drier/lower than the moisture content of the timber, moisture starts to escape from the ends and surface of the timber by creating splits. Aside from the weather conditions, a proper acclimation (see previous article) of the wood prior to installation can help in preventing crack lines
