Building your new home with elegance : How to choose a wood floor suitable for our budget and our needs ?

Summer has finally arrived and who says summer says moving season! If you are moving soon and the floor repairs are on schedule, here are some ideas to put forward a local and natural product: wood!

Number 1 trend in home materials, wood will be everywhere this summer! Whether it is hardwood or engineered wood, do not hesitate to opt for this Quebec natural resource that is both chic and affordable.

In fact, Flordeco, a specialist in flooring and decoration, is proud of its partnership with Préverco, a company that has stood for more than 30 years as a manufacturer of quality wood made entirely in Canada with great respect for our resource. However, choosing a wood floor is not just about the color and width of the boards. You also have to wonder about the essence, the appearance, the platform, the texture planks and the finish.

Here is a short guide that will help you make your decision: 

The 7 most popular species :

First, red oak exudes elegance with its vibrant patterns, porous areas and open, coarse grain. Known for its impact resistance, its color varies from pale pink to dark reddish brown. 

As for maple, it has excellent manufacturing properties, both versatile and majestic. Its grain is closed, uniform and shows its growth rings. You will recognize its sapwood by its ivory-white color with a hint of reddish-brown, while the heartwood varies more from pale gray-brown to dark-brown.

Birch is particularly distinguished by its whitish, pale yellow or light reddish-brown sapwood. Highly sought after for furniture and floors, its grain is similar as maple and its natural colors are factors that contribute to its charm.

Ash, exceptionally hard, differs from other hardwood species in its straight grain and visible growth rings. Similar to oak with its pronounced annual rings, straight wire and coarse grain, it is distinguished by its slightly harder grain.

Walnut can be treated to obtain a specific and unique appearance. Walnut has a fine grain that sometimes has attractive and decorative shapes. This essence trends to fade if exposed to light. The resulting hue is then called "patina".

Hickory is a natural beauty native to North America. Also known as pecan, it is strong and resistant. Its sapwood is white tinged with brown. The color of its heartwood is light brown to reddish brown. Its knots bring out its natural side.

White oak stands out for its strength and beauty. The radial or quarter-section cut emphasizes the linear appearance of the wood grain and creates a more refined and trendy pattern. The color of his heart varies from light to dark brown. The radial section (or quarters) highlights the linearity of the wood. 

Appearances (grades) of wood 

• Pure: minor color variation.
• Nuance: moderate color variation.
• Variation: a mix of wood with a pronounced color variation that combines the natural colors of heartwood and sapwood.
• Variation with knots: pronounced color variation with knots, a mix of wood that combines the natural colors of heartwood, sapwood and knots, with a visibly darker grain of wood.

Hardwood floors

If you are in the "long-term vision" type, opt for a traditional solid wood floor such as SolidClassic. The latter has a long life and the offer is very varied! Made entirely of hardwood and free harmful volatile organic compounds, it is the ideal product for a family home.

If you are moving into a newly built wood frame house, your best choice is probably sawn hardwood flooring. For example, Flex offers excellent acoustic performance and superior stability to counter floor noise. It can be glued or stapled and has better structural properties than traditional hardwood.

To maintain hardwoods natural beauty, it is recommended to use Saniten N200 ecological cleaner, without rinsing or residues, found at all Flordeco stores. Keep away from water, soap, detergent or any other cleaning product designed for other types of surfaces. To revive the luster of floors, simply apply a coat of a polyurethane finish and voila!

Engineered wood

For new condo-type constructions, engineered wood, which can be nailed or glued directly to concrete, offers a very natural look. For example, SolidGenius provides stability and structural strength, in addition to providing a superior wear layer and reduced transition moldings.

For smaller budgets, but without concessions in terms of aesthetics, opt for the HD Preloc! Easy installation and superior stability to solid wood, this is the ideal alternative for a low renovation project.

All types of floors mentioned above are available at Flordeco.