Choosing the Look for your Wood Floor, Calgary

The final look your wood flooring is the combined result of numerous design elements. These looks can be achieved with solid or engineered flooring. There are so many options available today that almost any need can be met, from traditional, to contemporary, to rustic, to classic.

Wood Species

There is a wide range of species to choose from. Each species of wood has unique colours, tones, and grain patterns. Combine this with the different grades available and you can go from a select grade of natural maple, presenting as cool monochromatic, to a common grade walnut in natural that will provide black, deep purples, browns and near white flames.

Engineered Hickory, Natural Finish, Wide Planks, by Twelve Oaks Forest Products

Stains, Bleaching, Painting

Stains are still the most common way to change the colour of the wood. You can choose a colour that is a slight variation on natural wood or one that is so dark, you'll wonder why you used wood in the first place. (It's because the grain still shows, and the way it feels underfoot).

Bleaching is a process that will lighten the natural colour of the wood. Painting provides an opaque finish that still allows the natural grain pattern to show. Oak works well for this affect.

Surface Texture

The look changes again when manufacturers work with the texture of the boards. Brushing is the process of going over a board with a wire brush to remove the softer parts of the grain. This can be done gently or aggressively depending on how pronounced an effect is desired. This is usually done with grainier woods such as oak and ash.

Scraping is done by shaving out shallow grooves on the board face. The width and length of the grooves can vary. Distressing is the process of making the wood look like it has already been in use for a while. This can be done with chains that are used to beat the wood, giving it an overall dented and marred look. Often special staining is done to accentuate these marks. As with any treatment you will want to see a large sample to view the overall effect.

Gloss Levels

Does a shiny or dull surface show marks more easily? The gloss level has a major impact on how your floor will look and contribute to the feel of a space. A dark stain, high gloss finish is formal and higher maintenance. It's not a good choice for a household with pets and children. The lower the gloss the more informal the appearance. A lower gloss also affects how the surface texture looks. A brushed or distressed texture is more in keeping with a lower gloss.

Board Width

Board widths have increased over time. Engineered floors have made wider board widths possible and practical. The narrow boards, under 3¼" wide, are more traditional. Usually there are not many options in regards to surface texture or gloss levels. The wider boards allow the full visual impact of the various treatments now available. Even a 4" board with a smooth finish allows you to see the patterning of the grain more fully. The wider board can give you casual elegance or rustic cottage.

Variations on all of the above elements are being continually created. There are no rights or wrongs when choosing the style that you like. It is all about understanding the combinations and what your selection offers you in appearance and maintenance.

Hardwood Grades, Calgary Alberta

A number of associations have established guidelines for the grading of solid wood flooring. At this time there is no grading system that has been created for engineered flooring. With a wide variance between species of characteristics and types of wood flooring there are no standard grades for all wood floors. Different associations deal with specific species and many manufacturers have there own proprietary grades.

It will be important for you to understand what variations are allowed within a sample you are choosing from and what the effect will be over a larger area. Grading will include percentage variations in colour, size of knots, and board length minimums. The grading is based on the appearance of the floor. It is not a measure of the structural quality. That should be the same regardless of grade.

Probably the most common species of wood flooring is oak. Standard grading includes clear, select, #1 common and #2 common. What follows is a description of what you can expect at the different grade levels

Red Oak, Clear Grade

Clear Grade The wood in this grade is very uniform in colour. There will not be any dark streaks or knots. Any character marks will be very small. Visually there will not be any breaks in the floor, it will be very consistent. The average board length will be in excess of 3.75 ft. Pin knots allowed. When the wood is being chosen for use with with a mid to darker stain they will often use select since any variations will be disguised.

Red Oak, Select Grade

Select Grade presents with more colour variation than clear grade does. More character marks that include very small knots will be visible. The average board length will still be greater than 3.25 ft. When you see a large area of the floor it will be less uniform from piece to piece yet quite consistent on a wide scale. No stains, checks or splits allowed.

Red Oak, #1 Common

#1 Common provides pieces with much more shade variance since all colour variations are allowed. Pieces will have sound knots no bigger than 3/8" wide and dark mineral streaks. Average board length is 2.5 ft. with a minimum of 10". The combination of the shorter boards and the increased variation will give you a more casual rustic appearance. No splits, holes or voids allowed.

Red Oak, #2 Common

#2 Common Common is the most rustic. Colour will vary widely including some very dark ones. All characteristics of the species is allowed. Knot holes, worm holes, checks, splits, and other imperfections are filled and finished. The minimum board length is 10".

Visit our showroom in Calgary at 6229 Centre St. SW. See how selecting the correct grade can give you the look you want within your budget. In addition to having Calgary's best selection of quality hardwood floors, Fashion Flooring will also professionally install your new floor.

Janka Hardness Scale, Calgary Alberta

When choosing hardwood for the various rooms in the house a number of factors will determine suitability. Types of footware permitted, pets, humidity, amount of traffic, how the floor was finished and gloss level will all contribute to the floors long term appearance.

Underlying all these factors is the density of the wood. Each species has a different density and the Janka Hardess Scale was created to provide guide lines on this topic. In simple terms it measures the amount of force reqired to imbed a .444" steel ball to half its diameter into a piece of wood. These tests are done on a piece of hardwood, not on wood or engineered flooring. Unless stated otherwise the wood has a 12% humidity rate. The number provided represents a range of results. The higher the number given the harder the wood. For general comparison the janka results will give you an idea as to which species is better suited for your requirements. At the same time the number also indicates indirectly the level of difficulty installing the wood. A much harder wood will present more of a challenge while nailing, sanding and cutting the flooring.

Professional installation becomes more important with harder woods. The installer will know which staples or nails will do the best job. Professional installers also have the equipment to cut harder woods.

While the Janka Scale gives you a great indication of hardness for a solid wood floor, it is a little less indicative of the performance of an engineered floor. Things such as the thickness of the veneer and the material used to make the core can have some impact on the floor's performance.

In general, exotic woods are the hardest, domestic hardwoods from deciduous trees are the next group followed up by coniferous species. To ensure your satisfaction with the floors long term performance you will want to refer to the Janka Hardness scale as a starting point to select your flooring.

A new floor is a big investment. The professionals at Fashion Flooring in Calgary will help you from the selection process all the way through installation.

Solid vs Engineered Wood Flooring, Calgary

Choosing wood flooring involves a number of considerations. One of the first decisions will be whether you decide to go with solid hardwood or engineered hardwood. Below, you will find an overview of the differences and similarities between the two.

Solid hardwood is a made up of single pieces of wood. There are no layers involved. While different thicknesses are available the standard is ¾". Board width and length is variable.

Engineered flooring is made of numerous layers that are glued or laminated together. The top layer will be made of a veneer of the actual species that you choose. The additional layers can be made up of a number of different products. The total thickness can vary from producer to producer and series to series. Various board widths are variable.

Hickory Cheboygan Engineered Hardwood Flooring, by Twelve Oaks Forest Products Installation: Nail Down, Glue Down or Floating

A solid wood floor can be have a large array of surface textures , colours, species, board lengths, widths and grades (which refers to the clarity of the wood). Most commonly a box of solid hardwood will contain boards with a specified minimum and maximum length. All the boards will fall randomly between these two measures.

Red Oak Solid Hardwood Flooring, by Twelve Oaks Forest Products Board Width: 3¼" - Board Lengths: Random, 12" to 72"

Engineered flooring also comes in a wide range of finishes, colours, species and board sizes. The big difference in regards to board length is that an engineered floor will come with set board lengths. For example in one style all the boards may be one length while another style may contain 2 or 3 different lengths that are alternated during installation. This will alter the look of your floor.

Board widths are also quite different between solid and engineered. Solid can start quite narrow, under 3" if you prefer a formal more structured look. Board widths can go to 5" or more. Generally engineered flooring presents the consumer with wider board widths to begin with.

The biggest difference between the two products has to do with where they can be used and why.

Solid hardwood can only be installed at ground level or above ground level. This is due in large part to its susceptibility to changes in humidity levels, which we can experience in Calgary. This issue becomes more pronounced when you have a large seasonal climate changes, like we have in Alberta. The wider the solid hardwood board the more extreme its reaction to changing humidity levels. In order to control expansion and contraction, the boards need to be nailed or stapled into the subfloor, which rules out a concrete subfloor (normally what you have below grade).

Due to its' construction, engineered flooring is much more stable, resisting cupping and gapping of the boards. An engineered floor can be installed a number of ways, floating, glue down or stapled. Unlike solid hardwood, it can be installed below grade. The construction also means that engineered floors can be installed over in-floor heating, since it is less suseptible to drying out.

In both cases you have the look and feel of real hardwood. A high quality engineered flooring can be refinished a number of times just like a solid hardwood floore. A common misconception is that a hardwood floor can be refinished as much as you want, but that is not true. There is a point where the wood can no longer deal with the process and will become rough and grainy.

Regardless of your choice you need to understand the type, quality and durability of the finished surface. In solids and engineered there are many options in this area, both having suitable choices for your needs.

One consideration for Alberta consumers is that an engineered floor is a more sustainable solution. By using a veneer rather than a solid piece of wood, you are able to get much more surface product out of the same tree. This is an important consideration when looking at finate materials such as antique timbers or exotic species.

You will find both engineered and solid wood flooring used in quality installations around Calgary. Both are available in a wide range of colours, textures, species and styles. The enviroment in which you are putting the floor and the usage patterns will help determine your final selection.

Fashion Flooring in Calgary can show you a wide selection of both hardwood and engineered flooring, all from quality manufacturers. We employ experienced installers that know how to install your choice properly, giving you years of enjoyment of your new floor.