FLOORS | HARDWOOD

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.

For information on other types of floors, go to:

• FLOORS

FLOORS | ENGINEERED WOOD

Engineered wood flooring is made up of layers of plywood that are pressed and glued together with a high-quality wood top layer. The grains of each layer run in different directions and as a result engineered wood is less likely to expand and contract compared to solid hardwood during fluctuations in humidity and temperature.

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERED WOOD: 

Composition: Only the top thin layer is made of high-quality wood, therefore sanding and finishing cannot be done as many times as solid hardwood floors.

Occurrence: Engineered wood is man-made. * 7

Physical Characteristics: Engineered wood is strong because of the underlying plywood resistance. * 7

Seamless flooring: Engineered wood has grout lines between them and so the floor does not have as seamless appearance as hardwood floors. * 7

Porosity: Engineered wood is partially impenetrable to water. * 7

Scratches: Engineered wood is more durable and scratch resistant than Laminate flooring. * 9

Stains: Engineered wood is stain-resistant. *8

Choices: More range of colours, patterns, textures is available in Engineered wood than in solid hardwood. * 8

Cost: Engineered wood is cheaper than  Marble and Granite. * 8

Maintenance: Engineered wood is easy to maintain because of the shiny surface. *9

Green rating: Engineered wood is a green option. * 8

OVERALL RATING OF ENGINEERED WOOD:  * 7.1

ADVANTAGES OF ENGINEERED WOOD FLOOR:

Real wood: Engineered Wood Flooring has real hardwood veneer on top unlike Laminate flooring which has melamine-infused paper veneer.

Strong: Engineered wood has plywood underneath, which is laid cross-ways thus providing additional strength to the flooring.

Pre-Finished: Engineered Wood is sanded and sealed before installation, unlike solid hardwood.

Can be sanded: Engineered Wood Flooring can be sanded upto 3 times.

Moisture-proof: Unlike solid hardwood, engineered wood flooring works well in kitchens, basements, and bathrooms where light moisture might be present but doesn't hold up in really wet areas.

DISADVANTAGES OF ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING:

Cost: Engineered wood is almost as expensive as solid hardwood and much more expensive than laminate wood flooring.

Maintenance: While solid wood floors can be sanded many times to eliminate scratches and blemishes on the surface, the thin top layer of engineered wood only allows this to be done two or three times.

Cleaning: Engineered wood flooring comes with beveled edges to make installation easy. But the joints attract dirt and are difficult to clean.

Appearance: Although the top layer is made of real wood, in some cases the engineering process can result in a different grain pattern that does not look like wood.

Durability: Because of the thin top layer, engineered hardwood is susceptible to dents, and harder to repair if damaged.

SUITABILITY OF ENGINEERED WOOD:

Engineered wood floors look like real wood floors, are easy to install, are more moisture-proof and cheaper than solid hardwood floors. Therefore they are the most commonly used wood flooring option in homes. But engineered wood is not that affordable and a cheaper alternative, laminate wood is available.

For information on other flooring options, go to:

• FLOORS

FLOORS | VITRIFIED TILES

Vitrified Tiles are better choice than Ceramic tiles as they undergo a process called  vitrification which makes them more durable, hard and impenetrable to water. High quality vitrified tiles have a lot of benefits over natural Marble and Granite tiles and hence are very popular in residences nowadays.

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF VITRIFIED TILES:

Composition: Vitrified tiles are made by fusing silica and clay. The mixture is then heated to high - fiery temperatures, which results in a non - porous tile with glass - like texture. Unlike Ceramic tiles, the vitrified tile doesn't need additional glaze to be added on to it.

Occurrence: Vitrified  tiles are man-made. * 7

Physical Characteristics:Vitrified tiles possess much better mechanical strength and scratch-resistance compared to Marble or natural Granite and are easy to clean. * 8

Seamless flooring: Vitrified tiles have grout lines between them and so the floor does not have a seamless appearance. * 7

Porosity: Vitrified tiles are totally impenetrable to water. * 8

Scratches: Vitrified tiles are more durable and scratch resistant than Marble. * 9

Stains: Vitrified tiles are stain-resistant. *8

Choices: Wide range of colours, patterns, textures is available in Vitrified tiles. * 8

Cost: Vitrified tiles are cheaper than  Marble and Granite. * 8

Maintenance: Vitrified tiles are easy to maintain because of the shiny surface. *9

Green rating: Vitrified tiles are not a green option as they are manufactured in factories and a lot of carbon dioxide is released into the environment during their manufacture. * 6

OVERALL RATING OF CERAMIC TILES:  7.8

ADVANTAGES OF VITRIFIED TILES:

Very durable: in comparison to Ceramic, Marble and Granite.

Consistency: Being machine-made products, Vitrified tiles are consistent in sizes, shades and thickness.

Quality: Being man-made, the quality of Vitrified tiles can be guaranteed and is not a matter of chance - tiles that do not meet standards are simply not packaged and sold.

Laying and Setting time: They are easier to install and need practically no setting time or polishing after laying.

Thickness: Vitrified tiles are half the thickness of  Marble, Granite and other natural materials.

Bright: Glossy vitrified tiles reflect much more brightness in a room while matt tiles underplay excess light.

‏Colour permanence: Direct exposure to sunlight will neither alter the colour of the tiles nor cause them to fade.

Non-porous: Vitrified tiles have very less water absorption index and are stain resistant.

Hygiene: Being moisture resistant, Vitrified tiles prevent bacteria and fungi from growing.

Easy to Clean: One of the biggest benefits of Vitrified tiles is that they are very easy to clean and maintain.

Cost Effective: Vitrified tiles are cheaper than many other types of flooring.

Wide range and choice: Vitrified tiles are available in many colours, patterns, designs, sizes.

DISADVANTAGES OF VITRIFIED TILES:

Installation: Tiles need to be installed by an expert tile layer to ensure thin, even and neat  joints between the tiles.

Repair: The tile with the defect must be cut away along the grout lines and surrounding material could be damaged in the process.

Slippery: Vitrified tiles are slippery when wet.

Grout Maintenance: Every year or two, the grout must be resealed or it will begin to look dirty.

Not a green option: Vitrified tiles are not environment friendly as the process of making them causes a significant expenditure of energy and carbon dioxide.

SUITABILITY OF VITRIFIED TILES:

Because they are cost effective, easy to clean, water-resistant and very durable, vitrified tiles are suitable in houses and public spaces as flooring, wall covering, back-splash, benchtops and showers. However vitrified tiles look artificial. In comparison other man-made options like concrete which has a more earthy feel and terrazzo which looks elegant are available. A very cost-effective flooring option is resilient flooring.

For information on other types of floors, go to

• FLOORS

FLOORS | CERAMIC TILES

Ceramic tiles, like  mosaic/terrazzo tiles, are man-made tiles that are affordable, durable, easy-to-clean. In addition they resist stains and scratches and are available in many sizes, colours, shapes. Also, Ceramic tiles can easily match with the decor of any room and hence are a popular flooring choice in homes.

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

CHARACTERISTICS OF CERAMIC TILES:

Composition: Ceramic tiles are made from a mixture of clay, quartz, feldspar which is then fired at high temperatures (approximately 2200 degrees). The tiles are either unglazed or glazed- the glazed tiles have a hard, non-porous, vitreous (liquid glass) coating applied at very high temperatures.

Occurrence: Ceramic tiles are man-made. * 7

Physical Characteristics: Unglazed Ceramic tiles are soft in nature (scratches easily), have high absorbency (stains easily) and are affected by acids. Glazed ceramic tiles offer a durable surface that is easy to clean, resists stains and scratches, doesn’t fade and is slip-resistant.* 7

Seamless flooring: Ceramic tiles have many grout lines between them and so the floor does not have a seamless appearance. * 7

Porosity: Unglazed ceramic tiles are very porous while glazed ceramic tiles are impenetrable to water.  * 7

Scratches: Glazed Ceramic tiles are durable and scratch resistant to some extent. * 7

Stains: Glazed Ceramic tiles are stain-resistant. *8

Choices: Wide range of colours, patterns, textures is available in Ceramic tiles. * 7

Cost: Ceramic tiles are cheaper than most other flooring options. * 9

Maintenance: Glazed Ceramic tiles are easy to maintain because of the shiny surface. *8

Green rating: Ceramic tiles are not a green option as they are manufactured in factories and a lot of carbon dioxide is released into the environment during their manufacture. * 6

OVERALL RATING OF CERAMIC TILES:  7.3

ADVANTAGES OF CERAMIC TILES:

Fire proof: They do not burn, nor give off smoke or toxic fumes.

Resistance to abrasion: Glazed Ceramic tiles can withstand heavy foot traffic.

Moisture Resistance: The glazed tiles being  impervious to moisture, are an excellent choice for use in wet areas.

Frost resistance: Glazed ceramic tiles will not deform or break in extreme temperature conditions.

Slip resistance: Ceramic tiles can be treated to prevent slipping either by adding an abrasive grit to the glaze or texture to the surface.

Chemical resistance: Ceramic tiles are highly resistant to chemical agents and stains.

Colour permanence: the colour of glazed ceramic tiles does not fade.

Hygienic: Ceramic tiles being moisture resistant, prevent bacteria and fungi from growing.

Easy to Clean: so the best option in areas where high sanitary standards are a must.

Cost Effective: Ceramic tiles are cheaper than many other types of flooring.

Wide range and choice: of colours, patterns, designs, sizes.

DISADVANTAGES OF CERAMIC TILES:

Installation: Tiles need to be installed with a lot of care by an expert layer as any unevenness can cause the tiles to break.

Brittle: If something heavy drops onto ceramic flooring, it can break or chip. If not handled carefully, the edges and corners can break.

Repair: Replacing a broken or chipped Ceramic tile is difficult. The tile with the defect must be cut away along the grout lines, but in the process, the surrounding material could be damaged.

Fade with time: If the Ceramic tiles have designs imprinted on them, then the design wears away with regular wear and tear.

Slippery: when wet unless the tiles are matt finished.

Grout Maintenance: It is advisable to keep the grout lines narrow while laying, to minimize the work involved in cleaning and sealing and to reduce the visibility of dirt.

SUITABILITY OF CERAMIC TILES:

Ceramic tiles are suited in homes as they are easy to clean and can go with the decor of any house as there are so many options available. They are suitable in kitchen back-splashes and food counters as they are hygienic and they are ideal in wet areas like toilets as the tiles do not rot and are impervious to water. But they are less durable and stain resistant compared to Vitrified tiles.

For information on other types of Flooring, go to:
FLOORS