Before shopping for wood flooring, it’s critical to understand which wood floors can be installed on your subfloor, what subfloors are accessible, and how each flooring type is put down.
Your flooring is possibly the most significant long-term investment you’ll ever make if you want to enhance the value of your property.
If you want to renovate your home’s interior, prefinished solid wood flooring is a risk-free investment because you’ll be able to recoup 100 percent of the money back from the value of your home.
To get the most from your investment, you’ll want to conduct comprehensive research into the best wood flooring material.
Common Types of Subfloors
There are four basic types of subflooring: plywood, concrete, OSB (oriented strand board), and particleboard. The home’s age and location determine the kind of subfloor.
Plywood
Plywood is the most popular subfloor in houses and has been one of the primary sources of subfloor since the 1950s. This is because it is one of the more cost-effective engineered wood substances available.
Plywood is incredibly secure and unlikely to shift because it generally employs a tongue-and-groove construction style. This is why plywood continues to be the most popular subfloor for construction.
Recommend wood floor types:
- Solid hardwood
- Engineered wood
Installation Methods:
- The first and most common technique is the secret nailing or stapling of solid or mill wood to your plywood subfloor. To nail down anything less than 18mm thick, wood flooring types, staples or cleats are generally used.
- You’ll need annular ring shank nails at least 50mm long for nailing or stapling down wood flooring. This will be enough to secure the flooring planks directly to the plywood. Before nailing or stapling, make sure there aren’t any service pipes.
- Next, you’ll glue your flooring. A floor adhesive may directly secure solid or engineered wood to a plywood subfloor. Use a flooring adhesive since wood glue and floor adhesive are different.
- The fourth and final step is to float. Floating is the simplest method to install your engineered wood flooring. You must loosely lay your floor planks over the underlay and glue them together with their tongue and groove joints.
Concrete
The most durable and robust subfloor is a concrete subfloor, which is generally installed on the ground floor of a home. Unfortunately, concrete is susceptible to dampness/sweating even with a moisture barrier, making some hardwood floors unsuitable.
Recommend wood floor types:
- Engineered wood
- Solid wood (if above grade)
Installation Methods:
- Before setting any prefinished solid wood flooring on a concrete base, you must check the moisture levels. This will tell you how much moisture retain in the subfloor and how much might seep through and damage your wood floor.
- If the test results suggest significant moisture, you’ll need to use a concrete sealer before laying your floor panels, clean, and fill in any cracks on your concrete subfloor.
- After testing and cleaning your concrete subfloor, you’re ready to install the wooden flooring. Engineered wood and solid wood can install using the first installation technique (if above grade). Next, you need to distribute a floor adhesive evenly over the concrete and place your panels in position using the glue method.
- The final installation approach is for engineered wood only. With the float technique, you may loosely lay the wooden panels onto a pad of underlayment that applies over the concrete. The meetings will connect using their tongue and groove technology or even glue.
OSB (Oriented strand board)
The OSB board, also known as the wafer board, was developed in the 1960s and entered the market. Some people prefer utilizing OSB over plywood since it always has a flat and smooth surface. Plywood may have little pimples on the sheet’s surface from time to time.
Recommend wood floor types:
- Engineered wood
- Solid wood
Installation Methods:
- The most popular approach to installing either engineered or solid wood onto an OSB subfloor is secret nailing or stapling, similar to tacking plywood. The same standards apply as if you were tacking plywood.
- The second approach for installing hardwood flooring on an OSB subfloor is to affix the pieces. A floor adhesive may glue the wood species directly to the OSB board.
- The final installation method is most likely the simplest, and it’s comparable to laying a plywood subfloor. You’ll still want to add cushioned underlayment to your wood flooring and provide a decent sound barrier between the subfloor and the actual flooring.
Particleboard
Particleboard, sometimes known as chipboard, is a wood product create by compressing wood chips and resin. Plywood has largely replaced particleboard in modern construction since most contemporary houses use it.
Recommend wood floor types:
- Engineered Wood
Installation Methods:
- Particleboard, sometimes known as chipboard, is a wood product creates compressing wood chips and resin together. Plywood has largely replaced particleboard in modern construction since most contemporary houses use it.
- Before you decide to finish your wood flooring project, consider the type of subfloor you have. Not all building types are taken care of the same, and each has its own set of benefits if you choose the right one for your needs.
WOOD FLOOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE HACKS FOR EVERY HOMEOWNER
Wood flooring is a popular choice. They bring natural beauty, as well as durability and strength. However, some people are put off by the upkeep of wood flooring. They scratch, gouge and stain over time, which can be costly to homeowners who just spent money on them.
However, we have gathered some hacks to help you keep your floors looking great while also reducing the risk of future problems.
- You’re in the habit of smoothing your clothing with an iron. Did you know that you may even use it to smooth out your floors? Place a wet cloth over any dents and iron them out using a flat iron. This method can work on wooden furniture. Take caution when testing on a small sample first.
- You can wear socks inside the house to protect your feet, but they may help protect your floor. For example, when you’re moving tables and chairs around, put socks on their legs to avoid scratching the floor when you move them.
- Toothpaste can remove common incidents such as permanent markers. To get rid of marks, dampen a cloth with toothpaste and apply some elbow work. A magic eraser helps in removing scuffs from the flooring.
- When it comes to making your floors more pleasant, baby powder is a beautiful thing to have. Baby powder will enter the cracks and fill the gaps between the boards, preventing them from squeaking. It’s also an excellent method for covering up scratches on hardwood flooring cause by furniture legs or other objects that can scratch floors.
- Do you have any scratches on your flooring? A few drops of canola oil might help to hide them.
- People are always looking for plant-based cleaners that don’t use harsh chemicals. Try using black tea as a floor cleaner if you’re in a bind. However, for long-term protection, experts recommend using an authorized flooring cleaner.
Don’t be scare of having wood flooring. These hacks will help you keep them looking nice at all times. Always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for maintaining your hardwood floors. If you’re unsure, seek advice from a specialist.