Solid Hardwood floor is a popular choice in homes because of its warm and natural appearance and because it can be laid over an existing floor. Also, hardwood floor is durable compared to engineered wood as it consists of solid pieces of wood from top to bottom.

Here, I have described the characteristics of hardwood floor along with my rating. The overall rating will help you compare Hardwood with other floor options.







DIFFERENT TYPES OF HARDWOOD FLOORS:

There are essentially three different types of hardwood flooring: Strip, Parquet and Plank.

STRIP: The Strip floor also known as linear floor consists of thin strips, 1.5" to 2.25" wide which creates an illusion of space.

PLANK: The Plank hardwood floor is similar to linear flooring, but has wider planks, 3" to 6" wide. But they warp more than thinner strips.

PARQUET:  Parquet floor consists of small wood pieces glued together in repeating, geometric mosaic pattern.




CHARACTERISTICS OF SOLID HARDWOOD: 

Composition: consists of real, solid wood pieces from hardwood trees like walnut, oak etc

Occurrence: Solid hardwood is natural. * 9

Physical Characteristics: Solid hardwood is strong and durable compared to engineered wood floor. * 8

 Seamless flooring: There are no visible grout lines between the hardwood pieces and the floor has a seamless appearance unlike engineered wood floors. * 9

Porosity: Solid hardwood is more affected by water and moisture than engineered wood which has water-proof plywood backing. * 7

Scratches: Solid hardwood is  more durable and will not get easily dented or scratched. * 8

Stains: Solid hardwood is more stain-resistant than engineered wood. *8

Choices: Solid hardwood does not have as much range of colours, patterns, textures as tiles or engineered wood. * 7

Cost: Solid hardwood is cheaper than  Marble and Granite. * 8

 Maintenance: Solid hardwood is easy to maintain because of the shiny surface. *9

Green rating: Solid hardwood is a green option. * 9


OVERALL RATING OF ENGINEERED WOOD:  * 8.2





ADVANTAGES OF HARDWOOD FLOOR:

Durable: and will not get easily dented or scratched.

Maintenance: It is very easy to maintain and clean because stains and dirt do not stick to it.

Colour permanence: The colour in the hardwood floor will not fade and will remain. If you are tired of the colour, you can sand and refinish the floor in another stain.

Appearance: Hardwood provides warmth to a space.

Versatile: can be used with any type of décor or style.

Wide variety and choice: expensive hard woods such as walnut, cherry, or oak or cheaper options like pinewood.

Allergy free: hardwood floor is easier to maintain than carpet and is allergy free.

Natural grains: No two hardwood floors are exactly alike because they have different natural grain patterns.

Laying and setting time: Unlike tiles, hardwood floors do not require specially prepared substrates or setting time.

Re-polishing: Solid wood floors can be sanded and refinished many times.

Add value to house: When you decide to sell your home, hardwood floors will increase the value of your home.





DISADVANTAGES OF HARDWOOD FLOOR:

Expensive: because only natural wood is used.

Professional laying: Laying of hardwood floors is time-consuming since they have to be laid in strips, by a professional.

Regular waxing and care: Hardwood floors require periodic waxing by a special machine as they lose shine with time.

Slippery: Hardwood floors are slippery to walk on with socks.

Affected by humidity: Humidity and moisture can cause the wood to deteriorate rapidly.

Denting: Softer woods, such as pine may dent easily and are difficult to repair.

Shrinking, warping: Hardwood in all probability will shrink and expand creating gaps.

Noisy: Walking on hardwood floors with shoes can be noisy.





SUITABILITY OF HARDWOOD:

Hardwood floors are fast becoming a popular choice for homeowners, because of their warm and natural appearance, ease in laying over an existing floor and durability. But hardwood is expensive and easily affected by moisture. A cheaper and more environmentally friendly option is Engineered wood flooring.