🔨 Solid wood flooring: the advantages and disadvantages of building materials

To form high-quality floor covering often used solid wood flooring. Such material has certain advantages and disadvantages that deserve careful material. With proper selection of the slats, the technology of stacking and follow-up care is required to be able to get a strong and durable surface.

Production of solid wood flooring

Forming solid floor board is carried out on special machines. For this bars sawn into individual lamellas, and then forming grooves and tenons with which manage to provide a snug fit parts. At the final stage is processed surface.

Manufacturers also offer lamella without locking connection. In this case, during assembly for locking lamella used in either solid adhesive composition, or screws. However, such a material is of limited use.

Design

Massive floor panels consist of a single piece of wood. Their upper bound is polished to gloss were aged or subjected to other finishing. If necessary, its tinted, painted in the desired color, varnish, rubbed with oil. End side has grooved. They have a connection type tongue and groove to facilitate the installation process. On the back side are provided two recesses for ventilation.

Variety of solid wood flooring

Advantages and disadvantages of solid slat floor is largely dependent on what they type. Boards can differ not only in the breed of timber used, but also on the grade and type of cut

Breed of wood

For the production of massive floor panels can be used different wood species. Choice largely determines its advantages, disadvantages, life. The most in demand:

• oak. This massive floor panel is characterized by durability, reliability, durability. It features a large weight and a long service life. More expensive counterparts;
• bamboo. Such a massive board offer not only foreign, but also domestic producers. The demand for such material is constantly increasing because of the long life of lamellas and hypoallergenic material;
• beech. According to the strength characteristics of such boards are comparable with oak. Distinguished by reliability. Attract unique expensive shades;
• Birch. Massive floor slat of such material will be cheaper counterparts made of beech or oak, since it is not valuable wood. But it is not inferior to them in strength characteristics;
• ash. Wood has an attractive appearance and a pleasant shade. At the same time, the cost of material is available for the majority of consumers;
• maple. Solid maple strips have sufficient strength characteristics. They have a unique natural fragrance.

according to the grade

Depending on the material quality and visual defects, heavy boards are divided into the following classes:

• higher. Lamella have a flawless appearance. On the surface there are no flaws. The material has a uniform structure, smooth drawing, beautiful iridescence. The most expensive option. It can be placed all over the place;
• the first. On the surface may occur browning unevenly colored areas, uneven drawing, little bitches. At the same time, the products themselves are of high quality and cost. Such an embodiment allows laying in all rooms;
• second. It has a reasonable cost. Used for floor covering device subjected staining. Lamellas may have various defects, including cracks and chips;
• third. It is used for device sub-floor. It has a low cost because of numerous defects. It is even possible deviation from the geometry.

According to the type of cut

Massive floor panel may have a different cut:

• radial. Formation of massive products is carried out by cutting a solid and high-quality wood. In most cases the manufacture of such oak lamellas used;
• SELECT. Formation of the board is carried out by tangential cut wood (near the annual rings). Such material differs affordable cost and has a low-key color with smooth contours annual rings;
• natures. During this cut manages to preserve the texture of natural wood, thanks to this panel and got its name. On the surface there are traces of knots, appreciable natural color differences;
• bossage. For such characteristic massive panel saturated hue and ideal geometry. Can be observed marks of knots, cracks characteristic.

Solid wood flooring: the advantages and disadvantages of the material

An array of floor, because of the specific manufacturing has certain advantages and disadvantages. Before you give preference to this type of finishing material, it is necessary to compare the pros and cons of each other.

pros

The main advantages are:

Minuses

The disadvantage is:

Colors and finishing

Color wooden panels may differ materially. Board can be:

• white. Classic and versatile solution, selected in the presence of indoor interior white or a contrasting color;
• light oak. It helps to refresh the interior. Actual embodiment for building located on the north side;
• chocolate color. Subsequent varnishing allow boards to fit harmoniously into the interior of the living room, hall or bedroom;
• ginger tint. Relevant for the rooms, decorated in bright colors;
• ashen. Preference may be given a lighter or darker tones.

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Finishing solid wood can be carried out in different ways. Most often the choice is made in favor of:

• traditional grinding. Due to machining, manages to provide the necessary roughness boards, make a perfect smoothness, desired pattern, color;
• special treatmentAllowing to achieve the effect of aged wood, during which the scraping upper fiber reinforced natural material structure. To preserve the integrity of the boards, slats covered with special oils or finishing varnish;
• toning surface. Massive floor panels, more vivid. If desired, the cheaper breed can become virtually indistinguishable from the expensive varieties;
• coating the surface of brass or bronze. As a result, it becomes possible to achieve the appearance of metallic effects. Most often, these slats are used in the design of buildings in the style of hi-tech or a modernist;
• brushing with a special brush. As a result of changing the texture of the upper layers. In massive lamella appears marked surface and characteristic relief.

dimensions

solid wood the size of each manufacturer is set individually. Wherein:

• The thickness may vary within 1,4-5,5 cm. The most popular is the range of 1.8-2.5 cm;
• The length varies from 40 to 300 cm. If the area of ​​the room is large enough, the length can reach lamellas 9-10 m;
• The width varies in the range 60-450 mm. Most demand board width of 12 cm.

Attention! The larger the width, the greater the need for a finishing material.

leading manufacturers

In order not to be disappointed as the acquired solid wood flooring, it is necessary to give preference to products:

• Berthold. The manufacturer offers a range of products, allowing you to select boards of any size and color. Their main advantage is high quality. Minimum board panels 9 mm;
• Missouri Collection. American manufacturer offers a board made of precious wood. Active introduction of modern technologies allows you to provide the highest quality of each batch supplied;
• Mercier. The Canadian company offers boards of fine wood;
• Magestik Floor. Producer from the Netherlands uses a special technique that preserves the natural beauty of the wood;
• Boen. In the catalog of oak planks, beech, ash;
• Amigo. High-quality material of the mid-market;
• Premier parquet. Italian manufacturer produces planks of wood Wenge, purchasing raw materials in Africa.

Comparison of solid wood with alternatives

Alternatively, can act for the flooring parquet or engineered timber. Before you give preference to a particular coating, it is necessary to compare and assess the advantages and disadvantages of each.

With the floorboard

Often massive floorboard and confused. Although they have one major difference. Parquet board consists of three layers:

• an upper formed of valuable wood and having a thickness of about 3 - 4 mm;
• average. It is used for its manufacture HDF plate or thin board made of softwood;
• lower. It made of softwood.

In the formation of solid wood flooring using a one-piece cut down the tree. This is the main difference from the floorboard. Also, the array has a higher cost and longer service life.

Attention! The service life of wood flooring is 2-3 times less than that of the solid.

From an engineering board

Engineering is a two-layer board. It consists of a plywood base and a top layer manufactured from laminated veneers. For the latter it can be used various wood species, including exotic.

In appearance engineering board is not very different from the massive. However, it has a high performance. Its main advantage is the strength and stability of the geometric parameters as the temperature and humidity fluctuations. It can be placed on the warm floor. The disadvantage is the complexity of the installation.

How to choose a solid wood floor: important points

To buy really high-quality material for flooring, you should pay attention to several important indicators. These include:

• wood breed. From this depends strength of the boards and their appearance. There is a conventional division into hard rock and soft (coniferous). High strength have slats made of exotic wood: bamboo, rosewood, merbau, Tauari and many others. However, due to the high cost of choice often made in favor of beech, oak, American walnut;
• wood density. The choice is made with taking into account the intensity of the load on the floor. For commercial properties sold mostly oak, for premises - birch and maple;
• cutting type. The selected variant will affect not only the appearance of the boards, but also on their strength. The most reliable are the sipes with a radial saw cut, less robust - with a tangential;
• selectionIe sorting by color and texture.

Features installation: basic rules

Laying solid wood must be carried out according to certain rules:

• The surface must be carefully aligned;
• presence of waterproofing layer, the rough flooring unit plywood lag system is required;
• when performing installation work room temperature must be above zero in the range from 10 ° C to 30 ° C and humidity greater than 60%;
• laying the first solid wood produce a spike to the wall;
• necessarily provide expansion space to prevent deformation of the lamellas under the temperature fluctuations and changes in humidity.

Use and Care

Massive floor panel characterized by beautiful appearance. To keep it as long as possible, you should observe certain rules of operation and maintenance:

• the humidity level should be maintained at a constant level in the range of 50-60%. This will prevent drying of boards and their deformation;
• the temperature should be within 18-25ºS. To avoid undue temperature fluctuations, since in this case the board quickly lose its geometry, and the coating - presentable;
• is update timely protective layer, using suitable means. If the coating is excessive wear, it is necessary to polish the front side, and then reapply the protective layer;
• Care should be used formulations intended for cleaning a solid board. Using aggressive household chemicals is unacceptable;
• conventional vacuum cleaner should be used to clean the panels. To wipe the surface, you can use a damp soft cloth. Prolonged contact of water with natural wood does not assume;
• do not move the heavy objects on the massive panels. It is worth to give up the furniture and interior items, with legs that may scratch or damage the solid wood in another way.

Tip! For protection, use special pads or soft pads to avoid scratching the floor.

Oil and wax. Such a mixture is useful for creating a robust protective film on the surface of solid wood. These funds are considered to be traditional, as people hundreds of years ago was treated floors in their homes waxing.

Share in the comments, what are the advantages and disadvantages of solid wood floor you find the main and why.

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