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With so many diverse and unique materials that are used in today’s modern hardwood flooring, it can be difficult to choose between all of the options that are available. Hardwoods, softwoods, engineered and substrates are all terminology that you should get familiar with before you begin selecting wood flooring. Learn these wood-flooring basics and you’re sure to make an informed decision when choosing wood flooring.

Substrates

A substrate or sub-floor is the surface on which your wood flooring rests upon. A substrate for solid wood flooring can be plywood over concrete or plywood over wood joists.

Engineered wood flooring can rest upon concrete directly, so long as it rests upon an adhesive or a foam/plastic vapor barrier.

Hardwoods

This wood flooring option is probably the most common and easily recognised of all. Blackbutt, Gum, Ironbark, Ash and Mahogany are all prime examples of hardwood floors. Prized for their beautiful grains patterns and rich colors, hardwoods are a great way to make any room charismatic and opulent.

Known for its quality, durability and strength, solid hardwood floors are the top of the line when it comes to wood flooring options. Solid hardwood flooring can be refinished multiple times, creating a durable flooring that will last for decades. Solid hardwood flooring can also be the most expensive wood flooring option. Also, solid hardwoods should not be installed in basements or other high humidity locations.

Softwoods

Pine is the most commonly used softwood flooring material and exudes a character and color all its own. It accepts stains well and easily changes from a light yellow-tan to a dark black—or any color in between.

Bamboo is technically not a softwood or a hardwood but is instead a grass. Because of its strength and durability, it is a widely used wood flooring option. Factor in that bamboo can be harvested every 4-5 years and you can see why bamboo has recently become so popular as an eco-friendly building material.

Engineered Wood

If you’re looking for the same quality material as a solid wood floor but for a cheaper price, then an engineered hardwood floor is the right choice for you. Built like a piece of plywood, an engineered hardwood floor has a thinner layer of hardwood on the surface and cheaper layers underneath with wood set perpendicular to each other to create strength. The drawback with engineered wood is you can’t refinish it multiple times like a solid hardwood floor.

Planks and Strips

Once you’ve selected a wood species and grade, you’ll need to choose a width for the planks. Planks range in size from 3” and anything bigger, giving the wood floor a more rustic feel. Strips are smaller and more common in traditional wood flooring designs and come in typical widths of 2 ¼”.

Patterns

Conventional wood flooring is set in straight strips or planks against the longest wall of a room. This is the cheapest and easiest pattern for wood flooring.
Diagonal patterns add a little more cost to the materials and labor price, but add a dramatic effect to any room. Parquet patterns resemble a checkerboard with opposing squares set perpendicular against the grain.

Herringbone is similar to parquet except squares are set into diagonal patterns. This is where pattern design becomes pricey.

Borders and mosaics are one of the most expensive patterns of all. Often seen in high-end homes, a border frames the perimeter of the room, while a pattern or mosaic medallion rests in the middle.

Nearly every new home requires some form of carpet. But what kind will you install? Berber, level loop pile, frieze, Saxony or something else? With so many carpet styles available, it can be tough to choose a style when you’re not sure what a cut and loop pile carpet is. By learning the terminology first, you can easily make an informed decision when you have new carpet installed in your home. Use this guide to carpet and you’ll be on your way to buying the right carpet to suit your homes design elements.

Cut Pile

This carpet is one of the most commonly used carpet styles and is easily recognized. As loop fibers are pulled through the back of the mat, the top loop is cut leaving an exposed bundle standing straight up. Multiple cuts create a plush look that is less resistant to crushing than many other carpet styles. Cut pile carpet can be used in just about any room. Cut pile also includes frieze, velvet, texture and Saxony styles. 

Saxony / Plush Pile

While the process for making Saxony carpet is similar to cut pile, there are some differences.  When the fibre loops are pulled through the mat, they are twisted together with two or more fibres and heatset straight. This medium durability carpet has a softer texture than typical cut pile.   The carpet has an opulent and luxurious look so this style is best suited to formal areas like dining rooms and master bedrooms, as footprints and vacuum cleaner marks show up easily in this style of carpet. 

Textured Saxony is slightly different because textures are heatset into the carpet, creating an impressed texture that changes the shades of the carpets color, helping to disguise footprints or vacuum cleaner lines. Bedrooms and living rooms are a great place for this carpet style. 

Frieze

This carpet is made just like Saxony with the exception that carpet fibers are heavily twisted and shorter fibers. Fibers curl in multiple directions, making this carpet style suitable for higher traffic areas like bedrooms and living rooms. 

Level Loop Pile

Unlike cut loop, as the carpet fibers are weaved through the mat, the yarn is pulled into level loops. Because level loop piles are tightly packed, they are extremely durable and resist crushing well. This style carpet allows for easy cleaning, as the dirt isn’t pressed down between the yarns like a cut loop carpet. Level loop carpet also comes in tall loops and multi-level loops that create a more impressive look that is used more commonly in higher end homes.  

Berber

This popular carpet style is manufactured just like level loop pile but thicker yarns are used. Typically a wool mix is used, setting the price for this carpet much higher than conventional level loop pile. Synthetic fibers can be used to bring down the price. While this carpet is resilient in higher trafficked rooms, loops can easily snag, damaging the carpet. 

Cut and Loop Pile

A combination of both cut and loop piles of yarn, this style of carpet is often used with a heatset to form patterns or textures into the fibers. A wide variety of colors are also available with standard cut and loop pile carpets, creating a gorgeous carpet fit for nearly any room in your home.

 

Tile floors create a clean and natural feel that opens a room and shows off design elements well.  Because they come in a wide variety of interesting shapes, styles, patterns, colors and materials, they are versatile enough to look great in any room or space. Flooring tiles work especially well in kitchens and bathrooms where a tiles sharp lines and flat surfaces denote cleanliness. With so many options available, it’s easy to see why it can be hard to choose between the many types of tile for those uninitiated in tile installation. Use this guide to help you make an informed decision when purchasing tile for your home.

Stone

Stone tiles have been around as long as stone tools, making it the most dated method of covering a floor in existence. Because stone varies from region to region, it comes in a huge selection of natural and exotic colors. After it is quarried from the earth it can be shaped into any size, making it a highly prized floor tile.

Marble, granite and limestone are all examples of stone tiles that can be used in bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms. While the materials may cost more than ceramic, the process of installation is virtually the same, keeping labor costs consistent with ceramic.

Ceramic

Ceramic tile is over 4,000 years old and can be seen in monuments all over the world. The Greek word for ceramic—‘Keramos’—roughly translates into the word ‘pottery’ thought to have derived from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘to burn’. Ceramic tile is clay that is fired into slabs at high temperatures several times; creating a glazed top that resists water well.

Ceramic tile comes in a wide variety of colors, shapes and styles making it a versatile product for design. Because the process for making ceramic tiles is automated, it can be made quickly and in bulk, making it an affordable and easy product to install.

Porcelain

Porcelain has its historical roots tied into the eastern culture of Asia and China. This white powdered clay has been mined for centuries for its strength and durability as that is demonstrated well with today’s modern porcelain electrical insulator. Porcelain is made from kaolin and petuntse clays. Petuntse is a variety of feldspar typically found only in China, while kaolin is white clay that forms when feldspar deposits breakdown. When the two ingredients are mixed and fired at extreme temperatures, it melts and petrifies into a nonporous natural glass.

Because porcelain tile is such a durable and strong product, it’s hard to cut. A diamond blade wet saw can’t stand up to the speed and agility of an experienced porcelain tile installer using a scoring cutter. By virtually breaking the tile, the installer quickly cuts tiles much faster than a wet tile saw. Chips and breaks easily occur when cutting porcelain tile, so buying an extra box might be necessary.

Mosaics

A mosaic tile can be made from ceramic, porcelain or stone but is cut into smaller shapes and glued to a fiberglass, paper or fabric backing into a mosaic tile design. Since the tiles are so small, they can be arranged into any pattern, style, design or mural. These tiles work great for shower enclosures and kitchen backsplashes as they are simply cut with a razor knife and easily adaptable to fit any custom width or length.

 

 

 

Much time and energy goes into building a new home. It is exciting and stressful to choose the piece of land, select a plan, choose the right builder for the job, work with the financial institutions, and watch it all come together. In fact, sometimes people get so wrapped up in all of those decisions and projects that the fact that they will have to decorate their home almost gets lost in the maze.

From Wall Coverings to Floor Coverings

People get so caught up in the big stuff that they sometimes forget that the wall finish will have to be painted or covered and the floor boards will require some form of finishing. Whether you are a do-it-yourselfer that prefers to do your own decorating or you have a hand-picked decorator handling this for you, you will still need to select the motif that will best suit your family.

That is right. It is something that everyone that lives in the house will probably want to participate in on some level. This can be a whole new battlefield. Don’t fall into the temptation to let these decisions create strife in your family.

How to Avoid Decorating Debate Blow-Outs

• Try not to rush decorating decision. It is easy to feel pressured and push the members of your household to come to an agreement. You will find that allowing yourself and others sufficient time to meditate on the decorating decisions that involve them will diffuse a great number of arguments before they happen.
• While you may not feel it is necessary to involve children in many of the decisions regarding decorating your home, allowing them some input into their bedrooms and any other rooms that will be greatly devoted to them will allow them to feel important and a sense of ownership in the new home.
• Some people change their room colors regularly, while others keep things the same for years at a time. Assess the type of decorator that your family is and keep that in mind when decorating. For example, if you do not intend to change your bedroom walls in your children’s room for at least five years keep it generic enough so that when your son is fourteen years old, he won’t still have Winnie the Pooh on his walls.
• Keep in mind that your fixtures, from lights to plumbing, will accent your home. Choose carefully to keep the same feel throughout.

Do not allow the task of building your home to tear apart your family. Keep things in perspective and do not allow things that may be changed within a couple years anyway cause friction in your relationships. Realize that home building can be a stressful time. It can consume your thoughts every waking moment. Be sure to take time to do something fun every once in a while. It will help you keep your priorities in order, as well as remind you that your sanity is still intact.