Written by Cheryll Gillespie for The Star.
Our job as new homeowners is to carefully select the coveted hardwood flooring from a wide variety of multi-tonal stains, thicknesses, plank widths, finish levels and species.
The flooring supplier will first ask you if there is a particular species of wood that you are considering. The most popular hardwood floorings come from deciduous trees such as cherry, oak, maple, hickory and walnut. These particular trees produce a very hard wood due to the fact that they lose their leaves during the winter months, giving the trunk of the tree a chance to harden.
To make your decision about what hardwood flooring you want in your home, be sure to look at multiple planks laid side by side so you can inspect the total range of grain patterns and subtle shades common to each tree.
With respect to graining, cherry-wood grain is perhaps the most consistent with minimal colour variations, while maple is usually clear and free of noticeable grain patterns and colour shifts.
Buy with respect to our planet: Ask the supplier if the raw materials to produce this particular flooring product have been purchased from certified sustainable forests. Most manufacturers today respect the ramifications of depleting this natural resource.
We should all be concerned about “out-gases” that come from building and finishing materials. Be sure to inquire as to how the wooden planks are processed. Ask if the manufacturer has used only planet-friendly products such as water-based stains, finishes that don’t contain harsh solvents, and adhesives systems that are formaldehyde-free.
Read more about things to consider when choosing hardwood floors.
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