Country homes with hardwood flooring remain top picks for homebuyers. There’s something very romantic about hardwood floors—it may be the gleam after they’ve been polished or the unique sound they have upon contact with shoe heels. The old-fashioned method of maintaining their quality also has the particular charm that in a very special way, connects the past to the present.
Anyway, hardwood flooring is truly classic yet versatile and it looks great not just for country homes, but in practically any home design. In choosing the right wood flooring for your home, you have to start with the bit that it does not begin with the variety of wood that you want to use. The right way to begin is to choose the type of flooring that will be in accordance with overall style you want for your house. There are three types: strip, plank and parquet.
Strip flooring makes use of wood planks with fixed widths of one and a half inches, two inches and two and a quarter inches. As for wood thickness, this often varies but the ideal, based on the width, is from 5/16 to ¾ of an inch. This type of flooring is perhaps the most versatile as it can go from classic to incredibly modern based on the wood variety used. It’s easy to maintain with regular waxing and polishing.
Plank flooring looks greatly similar to strip flooring but it makes use of bigger wood strips. The usual measurement is based on the thickness of the plank which can range from half an inch to three quarters of an inch. The width can range from three to eight inches. This type of flooring is easier to lay down as there are fewer planks (essentially because of their size) to set which are still often nailed to ground. Cleaning and maintenance are similar to strip flooring’s.
Now, parquet flooring makes use of smaller wood strips that are set to follow a particular geometric pattern. Nowadays, the wooden slats are secured in place with adhesive or mechanical fastening. One complaint that most people have with this type of flooring is that it has a bit of a retro appeal but flooring experts claim that with the right wood variety, parquet flooring can still look very chic and modern.
As for hardwood varieties, oak, maple, mahogany, walnut, cherry and ash are the popular choices. Homeowners who want to contrast their light walls and ceilings will like the dark gleam of red oak and mahogany or the warmth of cherry wood. Those who want a completely modern-looking hardwood floor will like the light colour and interesting grain of walnut, cherry, white oak and ash.