Your hardwood flooring options for your home
Wood floors have a warmth and elegance like no other, but there's a lot more to consider than just choosing species. At Al Barnes Carpets, our goal is to help you get the right one for your needs and style, with a quality installation that will make your floors your home's crown jewel. Here are some things you should look for when shopping for hardwood in Cedar Point, NC.
Two kinds of wood floors
Hardwood floors come in two versions: solid and engineered. Solid wood is most often thought of and has been used for centuries; however, it can be damaged by excess water and moisture. They need to be acclimated to the rooms before installation and can only be installed above ground.
Engineered hardwood is taking a significant share of the wood flooring industry, and for good reasons. They are constructed with a top layer, a slice of your chosen species, providing richness, undertones, knots, and swirls. Underneath are three or more layers of genuine wood combined with resin and placed in a crosswise position. As a result, it's more stable, doesn't need acclimation, and can be installed in higher-than-normal moisture areas, including basements.
Just like solid, engineered floors can be sanded and add value to a property. Thickness is important to both because it determines the number of times the floor can be sanded. The ideal thickness for solid is ¾-inch and can be sanded up to six times. Engineered ranges from ⅝-inch to ½-inch and, depending on that, can be sanded up to five times.
Engineered hardwood is taking a significant share of the wood flooring industry, and for good reasons. They are constructed with a top layer, a slice of your chosen species, providing richness, undertones, knots, and swirls. Underneath are three or more layers of genuine wood combined with resin and placed in a crosswise position. As a result, it's more stable, doesn't need acclimation, and can be installed in higher-than-normal moisture areas, including basements.
Just like solid, engineered floors can be sanded and add value to a property. Thickness is important to both because it determines the number of times the floor can be sanded. The ideal thickness for solid is ¾-inch and can be sanded up to six times. Engineered ranges from ⅝-inch to ½-inch and, depending on that, can be sanded up to five times.
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Species & style
Domestic species are harvested in North America and are warm and more traditional. Exotics come from locations like Indonesia and Brazil and are ultra-hard, darker, and dramatic. Not all hardwoods have the same toughness, so your durability needs will help in that decision. Your preference for knots and raised grains or need for something more "quiet" will also help you decide.
The most popular woods are white and red oak, hickory, maple, walnut, and cherry. But you aren't limited to those choices, and we will show a myriad of options. Wider planks are trending right now; however, if it's for a small room, you may prefer narrow, which has a more contemporary feeling.
The solid wood floor installation requires special skills because it's a tongue and groove, then nailed-down. Engineered installation can be a floating floor where the pieces click together and hover over the existing subfloor. Visit the Al Barnes Carpets showroom to learn about our quality hardwood flooring, installations and to get your free quote. We're in Cedar Point, NC and service Cedar Point, NC, Cape Carteret, NC, Emerald Isle, NC, Swansboro, NC, Newport, NC and Indian Beach, NC.
The most popular woods are white and red oak, hickory, maple, walnut, and cherry. But you aren't limited to those choices, and we will show a myriad of options. Wider planks are trending right now; however, if it's for a small room, you may prefer narrow, which has a more contemporary feeling.
The solid wood floor installation requires special skills because it's a tongue and groove, then nailed-down. Engineered installation can be a floating floor where the pieces click together and hover over the existing subfloor. Visit the Al Barnes Carpets showroom to learn about our quality hardwood flooring, installations and to get your free quote. We're in Cedar Point, NC and service Cedar Point, NC, Cape Carteret, NC, Emerald Isle, NC, Swansboro, NC, Newport, NC and Indian Beach, NC.
