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One of the most desired finishes in interior design projects is provided by natural wood floors compared to laminate floors. Such a special material has many advantages and also raises many doubts when choosing the best option. From us, we want to help you and make it a little easier for you in your choice, providing you with all the keys about the type of coating most appropriate to your needs and those of your home.
Natural Wood Flooring or Laminate Flooring?
The proliferation and improvement of synthetic materials have made laminate floors an alternative to parquet floors or traditional wooden floors. However, two important factors also have a lot to do with this: price and maintenance. If a few years ago the laminate flooring broke into the floor coverings market, causing a real revolution, the diversification and offer of products, both for interior and exterior, has made the possibility of achieving highly aesthetic results within reach of almost any pocket. But the million-dollar question is, what differences exist or which is the one that suits us best according to the type of space and project?
We are also living in a time when everything ecological and sustainable is so important and important to some people that they unquestionably prefer flooring wood to synthetic substitutes. So aspects such as price, shape, or how and when to maintain the wooden floor of your house tip the balance towards the natural.
This means that solid wood floors continue to have many followers regardless of their prices. Although laminates have perfected their finishes to the point of looking more and more real, it is undeniable that the presence and appearance of the original raw material remain inimitable.
How to Choose a Wooden Flooring
If the time has come to change the floor of your house and you are convinced that you want the most natural option, you should find out about the pros and cons of an interior wooden floor (or in its outdoor version: wooden floors for a terrace or yard). After searching and collecting all the relevant data, after filtering the messages and claims of the abundant advertising of manufacturing companies, you may find yourself facing an important dilemma if not many unanswered questions about this type of product.
This is where the advice of a professional becomes essential. As with the rest of the products used in construction and interior design, it is important to have all the data regarding its installation and subsequent useful life when choosing a wooden floor.
In the same way that electricity, plumbing, and windows are important in a reform or having all the information about the type of doors most suitable for our home is crucial, having the recommendations, advice, and ideas on wooden floors Solid as a material in home decoration is key when making such an important choice. Not surprisingly, its integration with other decorative accessories and the furniture is part of the criteria for choosing a wooden floor.
If you are carrying out the reform or the work of your home with an interior architecture studio, they will help you choose a wood that meets the most suitable aesthetic, functionality, durability, and resistance conditions. As you can well imagine, there are many types of wooden floors, and each of them has its specific characteristics that differentiate them from other types of laminated flooring.
As the choice of materials is usually made in the showroom or store of a supplier company, you will also have recommendations based on the manufacturer’s product file and the experience of people accustomed to the marketing and handling of wood of all kinds.
Types of Wood for Flooring
Wood as a raw material is very resistant. There are very suitable varieties of wood such as walnut, beech, or oak for use on floors. The choice of one species or another of wood will be determined by various conditions such as the intensity of use that you will give it, environmental factors, or your budget. Not in vain, the wooden floors and their price are fundamental factors for their prescription and choice when carrying out a reform.
Interior Wood Flooring
The variations between woods also include the aesthetic aspect. Unlike synthetic floors or other types of flooring produced in series where all the pieces are absolutely identical, natural always guarantees a touch of uniqueness, as in the case of furniture.
No two trees are the same, and neither are the characteristics between species. This makes each slat or strip of wood for interior floors unique and unrepeatable: identifiable by their own grain, their knots, as well as by subtle variations in tonality. It is precisely this natural imperfection of its nature that makes parquet flooring, flooring, and other products made of wood irresistible.
Exterior Wooden Decking
And not only in interiors but also in those projects that require wooden floors for exteriors as in the case of the design of spaces such as terraces or gardens. In communion with landscaping and integrated with plants and adequate lighting, the transformation of open spaces can turn an attic, a patio, or a pool area into a true paradise oasis.
Advantages and Qualities of a Solid Wood Flooring
Warmth
Since the beginning of time, man has used wood to protect himself from inclement weather in all kinds of constructions. In addition, its insulating capacity makes it a perfect modulator for temperature control, providing a pleasant thermal sensation both in cold months and in those when it is warmer. Therefore, it is a type of material that, as a coating, contributes to the air conditioning of homes and all types of spaces in conjunction with the windows and heating/cooling systems of our homes.
Acoustics
Another benefit is that it positively affects acoustics since it reduces the echo and the effect of the reverberations produced by the sound. Not for nothing is it one of the most popular products, for example, in recording studios. Although it is true that when we walk on it in the long term, it can “creak” under our feet, for many people, it is a sensation as pleasant as listening to music or the mere fact of walking barefoot on wood.
Cleaning and Hygiene
It is a natural origin that makes it a much more suitable option for people with allergy problems. However, as with natural fiber fabrics such as cotton or linen, wood is not exactly a paradise for dust mites, but quite the opposite.
Wooden Flooring for Kitchens and Bathrooms
Installing a wooden floor in bathrooms and kitchens is strongly discouraged. Excess water and humidity are counterproductive in the long run. However, this is precisely where laminates are the perfect alternative for this type of room due to their price and synthetic composition. There is a wide variety of products adapted in the catalog for sale in the market. You will find suitable substitutes with the appearance of natural wooden floors but with the advantages of artificial materials.
And remember that there are also ceramic wall tiles imitating wood of absolutely incredible realism, to the point that at first glance, it will be difficult for you to find the differences between one and the other.
The Key Installation for Success
Once the type of wooden floor has been chosen, it must be installed. The placement of a wooden platform or parquet requires a greater mastery and complexity than other floors and not only because of the type of tools but also because of the trade itself and mastery of the product. This makes the services of a professional installer necessary. The result will be seen and felt both in the finish and in the quality of the finishes: from large surfaces such as a living room, a dining room, or a bedroom to areas such as stairs.
In this sense, it is also crucial to properly prepare the flooring, conditioning the surface on which it is installed. It must be treated and prepared so that everything is perfectly level and without imperfections. First of all, it is vital to have absolute security that the installation will be at the same level as the floor or wooden floor quality.
How to Clean a Wooden Floor
Its regular cleaning does not imply any major difficulty. Generally, the supplying company will give you a series of simple guidelines so that you keep it in optimal conditions, advising you on the best cleaning products for each type of floor. Then, periodically and as you do with the rest of the elements in your home, you can polish or wax its surface using household products and simple processes so that it maintains all its splendor. Many of them are available in the department store drugstore section.
As we say, in this sense, you must follow the manufacturer’s instructions as well as the installation company. Correct maintenance is one of the quality guarantees to preserve its appearance and beauty. To advise you on this, we have created our own firm: Tarimadecor.
Care and Maintenance of Wooden Flooring
Every few years, the wood needs more in-depth care, which involves sanding and/or cutting its surface to restore it to its original luster. Expert hands must carry out these processes for what is undoubtedly the most important of all tasks: varnishing.
Varnishing a wooden floor requires knowledge and skilled people who know what to do with the product. It is, of course, an aesthetic issue but also practical since this process also acts as a surface protection thanks to the layer of varnish recommended by the manufacturing companies.
On the other hand, it must be considered that both the periodicity in the maintenance and the type of care of an interior wooden floor compared to an exterior wooden floor have nothing to do with it.
There are also other types of finishes for floors other than varnish, thanks to the development of new treatments for the conservation of wood, with a very natural appearance. But, again, we recommend that you inform yourself and let yourself be adequately advised to know if, in your case, it meets all the requirements that your house and your type of life implied.
A common mistake in this type of flooring is postponing maintenance until it is too late. The period between one maintenance and another depends on several factors, but mainly on use. A reasonable period is usually every 8 or 10 years, but it can vary depending on the traffic, the action of the sun, or the cleanliness of the wood.
This is also the perfect time to fix or repair those parts that may have suffered any damage due to use. One tip: although it is rare that in the long run, you have to replace a piece, we recommend that you always keep some surplus material as is done, for example, with tiles, in case there is any eventuality. This will ensure that the materials come from the same item, guaranteeing the quality standard and the appearance of the finished product itself.
And another important point: in this sense, the thickness of the wood itself that you choose will determine the finite number of times your flooring or parquet can be sanded and stabbed. With each renovation, your floor will inevitably get a little thinner. Do not forget!
Hydraulic Flooring and Tiles: An Irresistible Mix
As with other materials, currently, the combination of a wooden floor with other coatings is a trend. We have been seeing it for years with paint and wallpaper, and today it is very common to see a platform mixed with a hydraulic tile floor. The combinations are endless, and the product possibilities limitless.
In addition to being a very effective decoration resource, it also serves to delimit and differentiate areas, separate environments, reduce visual uniformity, contrast and give a highly original touch to spaces. For example, limiting the dining area concerning the living room or creating an “imaginary corridor” connects areas of the house in an open-plan room with almost no partitions after a distribution project.
Skirting Board: Meeting or Breaking Point
Traditionally the angle between the floor and the wall has been finished off by placing a skirting board. As with almost everything these days, the varieties and products that the market offers are endless. Therefore, regardless of the type of wood and the color you choose, if yours is skirting, you will find one that suits your tastes: straight, pigeon chest, higher or lower, thick, shaped, or modern metallic.
We, in particular, like that they contrast both in the form and in the design of their lines. But the skirting boards can also be an extension of the wooden floor itself, choosing a tone that is as close to the flooring as possible.
What if I do without the skirting board? Of course, it is another totally valid alternative that can be really amazing with a little care and ingenuity. Practicing a crevice in the wall and putting a led strip the effect is brutal.
Have you already decided to put a wooden floor or, finally, do you opt for another option?
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