When it comes to beautiful looking floors, there are many advocates out there who will argue that there is little that can compete with the shades and beauty of real timber flooring. Already a very popular choice for homes and commercial properties everywhere, it would probably have even more customers if the cost wasn’t such a factor. Other options on the market including vinyl flooring, which has an excellent range of great properties, and laminate products, which are better than ever before in terms of durability, looks and ease of installation and maintenance. One of the major reasons why people opt for these two in large numbers, rather than timber comes down mostly to cost, with timber often being what people would buy, if they could afford it.
via Nuela Designs
Timber Flooring
Many of the benefits of timber flooring are immediately known to most, such as durability, ease of maintenance and cleaning, being a good investment for future resale purposes, while bringing a natural warmth that helps a house become a home. What some may not know though, is that natural timbers ability to moderate humidity levels, provides improved air quality, with health benefits including lowering heart rates and blood pressure, as well as stress levels. Timber also scores well from an environmental perspective, as significantly less carbon dioxide is generated in its production than pretty much all of the other construction and flooring products. It is completely natural and most importantly completely sustainable.
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Almost Timber
Natural timber has just about everything going for it apart from the price, which many find prohibitive, though there is another option for those who really love timber, but have budgetary restraints, and this is what is called the engineered board, which can be found in good timber flooring stores. It is made from more than one layer of timber, with the grain facing perpendicular to the next each time, leaving it almost impervious to any damage caused by changes in humidity. The top layer will be of the natural timber of your choice, providing the exact same look and feel that wood provides, but at a fraction of the cost of the real thing. All of the other attributes of the floor remain essentially the same as the real thing and in some cases better.
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A Recycled Option
Recycling is becoming ever more prevalent around the world across a diverse number of industries and recycling timber is no different. Containing a combination of engineered and solid products, recycled engineered boards look and feel like the real thing, but its manufacture has made it so incredibly stable that it can even be laid on top of underfloor heating.
via Anthropologie
Not surprisingly, engineered timber has become the most commonly used type of wood flooring around the world. They have none of the possible weaknesses of natural timber, such as swelling or warping, and are much simpler to install. Boards can be wider than is possible with wood, which needs to avoid the possible warping effect with humidity, while the array of options in the finishing is truly astonishing.
via https://www.etsy.com/listing/252075350/diamond-print-geometric-art-geometric
While demand for real timber flooring will undoubtedly stay with us, the engineered options benefits are looking increasingly appealing to the cost conscious. Thanks to Solomon’s for collaborating with us!
