• Which wood floor for what room ?
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Entry / Foyer - Custom One-Of-A-Kind designs are
popular for foyers, including medallions, feature
strips, accents and/or borders. Foyers tend to be more formal than not. Making a design statement in this area
has most recently become a new wood flooring trend.
Using outside walk-off mats and if there is no design,
area carpets inside will help in keeping wear down.
Kitchens/Family rooms: These are most common spaces for
wood floor installation in new construction. The ease
of care, open floor plans, and the flow of traffic make
this a very popular area for wood floors. Dark and
white/bleached wood floors do NOT fare well in this
area because of the high traffic, food & water
continuously being on the floor. In some very grainy
species, the direction of the wood floor can add to the
wear of the product. NOTE: Kitchen wood floors should
be screened (lightly sanded) and recoated as needed,
say every 6-18 months, depending on the amount of
traffic and cleaning habits. Make sure the finish used
is recommended by the manufacturer and/or is a
compatible with what you have. Good cleaning habits are
very important part of maintaining a wood floor, high
traffic or not. Clean regularly, and always wipe food &
water spillage immediately.
Formal Living and Dining Rooms- Most often a more
traditional formal setting, darker in color with the
combination of oriental carpets. This area also often
receives border inlays, with turning blocks or corner
accents to add a Custom-One-of-A-Kind floor. Design
considerations for this area often will be compatible
with the furniture being used. Not matching the exact
color but a darker or lighter color in the same family
of the floor color, thus complimenting each other.
Remember the darker the floor, the smaller the space
will appear, and maintenance consideration will
increase.
Bathrooms - A bathroom that receives daily use would
not fare well with wood floors, due to continued
moisture exposure. On the other hand a guest bathroom
not used on a day to day basis could be considered.
Make sure to use area carpets/mats, and always
immediately wipe up any water.
Home offices, Bedrooms - Wood Floors work well in
bedrooms, often with area carpets being used. Office
settings lean toward the traditional darker colors, and
bedroom are a 50/50 tossup on colors used. NOTE:
Rolling furniture, chairs, TV stands etc., can damage
the finish very quickly, if used day to day. Make sure
the floor is protected and/or the rollers are not made
of metal or other damaging materials. Regular
maintenance is required.
INSTALLATION METHODS
What type of installation method is required ? What is
the nailing schedule (how far apart are the nails
placed) or what type of adhesive is needed (always use
manufacturers adhesive products-if not warranties may
be voided). Has the wood floor material been properly
handled prior to installation ? Has it acclimated at
the job site( In HVAC conditions- those that are normal
for the area under regular living conditions?), Are the
moisture contents of the wood floor products and the
subfloor compatible? Whether you, your architect,
builder, or designer helps in the decision making about
your wood floors, you must do your homework. The
following are additional details you must consider, or
have specified when knowing what hardwood floor will be
installed.
Source of the article: www.chinafloor.cn
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