Hardwood Types

There are three main types of hardwood flooring on the market: unfinished solid hardwood, pre-finished solid hardwood and pre-finished engineered hardwood. When deciding the best option for your needs, consider the following questions:

Is the installation below grade? Is the matching of the hardwood floor's height to other floor coverings critical? Is the installation over wood joists or over a concrete slab? These variables will dictate which product is best for your situation.

Unfinished solid hardwood is sold in the form of non-varnished, rough strips. These are low-cost and have to be nailed to a sub-floor. A wide variety of species, grades and widths are available.

Pre-finished solid hardwood is sold as ready-to-install wood strips that are already sanded, stained, and finished with multiple coats of protective coating. The finish is factory-applied in an ideal controlled environment for maximum, long-lasting results. To install these strips a sub-floor is needed and can be secured by adhesive or nails.

Pre-finished engineered hardwood flooring is sold as strips or planks made up of a hardwood surface (called the wear layer) glued to a plywood base. Developed for installation in areas with varying humidity levels, engineered hardwood flooring is more stable than solid wood. Engineered flooring can be glued directly on to concrete, an acoustic underlay, or even a sub-floor with a floor heating system. This kind can also be nailed or stapled to a plywood sub-floor, glued or floated.