Consider These Different Types of Wood Flooring
Among the different types of flooring for your home, wood remains one of the most popular. While hardwood is definitely a possibility, it is not the only type of wood flooring to choose from. Here are some different types of wood flooring to consider having installed in your home.
Hardwood Flooring
The first type of wood flooring you can get for your home, and one of the most popular types, is hardwood flooring. You can get hardwood that is engineered or non-engineered. When it is engineered, the flooring is made with plies of laminate and wood pieces together, instead of being solid hardwood from top to bottom. This has the same appearance and many of the same benefits of solid hardwood, but it is more protected and doesn't warp or get damaged as easily from water and spills. It can also handle more temperatures and a higher level of moisture without warping. Solid hardwood flooring is more expensive, but also provides a rich and warm appearance in your home. It hasn't gone through the engineered process and the chemicals that is sometimes associated with the manufactured process.
Laminate Flooring
If you want the look of hardwood flooring without the added cost, consider having laminate flooring installed. This includes multiple layers of laminate, instead of having a layer of hardwood like with engineered wood flooring. Laminate flooring is long-lasting, low-maintenance, and more affordable. The floors tend to be more durable, able to withstand more moisture, temperatures, and pests. Regular hardwood might be susceptible to termites, but not laminate flooring since it isn't real hardwood. However, it looks almost identical to solid and engineered hardwood, so people might not notice the difference.
Bamboo Flooring
You may want a more environmentally-friendly wood flooring, which you can get with bamboo. This is a type of manufactured flooring made from bamboo plants. They often begin with the bamboo that grows in parts of Asia, then is shipped to your native country and manufactured for the flooring. Bamboo flooring has the same rich look of real hardwood, though is often softer and less susceptible to damage. The cost of bamboo varies widely based on its type and quality grade, much like other types of wood flooring. You can get it as cheap as laminate flooring, or nearly as expensive as solid hardwood or engineered hardwood flooring. However, it tends to last longer, so you have that added benefit.