It’s undeniable that wood flooring is a beautiful and luxurious option for any indoor space. Add to that the wealth of options and styles to choose from and the chance at a DIY – it makes sense why many people prefer it regardless of price.
Installing wood flooring can be tricky, especially when it involves complicated styles like parquet or obstacles like doorways. But it’s not impossible. Whether you are a professional or want to try your hands at DIY, there are dos and don’ts you ought to adhere to. So stick with us to learn more.
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Benefits of wood flooring
You shouldn’t be intimidated by wood flooring installment. There are some nuances and tips we’ll address, but it is worth the trouble. The undeniable benefits are apparent.
Wood flooring will improve the aesthetic of your home. A high-quality floor will bring elegance and warmth to your space. There is a certain elegance and coziness that comes with the traditionalism of a wooden floor. It screams quality, but it also reveals a quaintness to your home at the same time. And aside from the great first impression, such flooring can make rooms look bigger and more inviting.
Another essential advantage of wood flooring is low maintenance. This type of floor is easy to clean, and you can do it with a vacuum and wet mop or robot.
A healthier environment is something to consider. Because wood flooring doesn’t trap excessive dust or animal hair and is easy to clean, you will have improved indoor air quality.
Wood flooring is incredibly durable and robust. Solid wood floors are more resistant to scratches and dents than other wood-based flooring systems. They also add value to your house because of their visual appeal, quality, and reputation.
Wood floors also tend to keep the original color for a prolonged period, so you won’t have to worry about that. Of course, keeping up appearance is a great advantage, but once it does lose its original appeal, wood floors can be refinished and regain their original looks.
One of the biggest challenges in wood flooring is doors and room transitions. So, let’s look into how to solve these issues.
Door Thresholds: What are they?
A property contains several floor coverings at any one time, particularly in doorways and across rooms. Since floorings can change from room to room, they must be joined correctly to improve appearance and uniformity and decrease wear and tear. The solution is door trims. They are functional yet aesthetically appealing and capable of withstanding use.
Door thresholds are the most common trim in the business and are usually made of metal. They make the confluence of two-floor coverings or flooring types near and secure. And as the name suggests, they are typically used in doorways. However, they can also be used around fireplaces, windows, and rooms.
Depending on your flooring needs, there are a variety of door thresholds to choose from, including parquet to multiply flooring, vinylles to engineered wood, etcetera. These instruments also help fix specific issues, like merging floating floors and different floor height transitions.
Tips for Fitting Around and Through Doorway Thresholds
Here are some handy tips that could save you time and resources:
- Expansion Breaks: Engineered and solid wood floors experience expansion and contraction based on temperature and humidity changes. As a result, it’s imperative to make enough expansion gaps around the floor perimeter. For doorways, expansion gaps are hidden under ramp trims and door thresholds.
- Type of Threshold: Measure the doorway’s breadth and mark it on the threshold. For bridging between different materials or flooring, you need the correct threshold type. For instance, when transitioning from vinyl to wood, you need a threshold with a recessed section bottom.
- Precision: As you install the wooden flooring up to a doorway threshold, you need not make exact cuts on the wood just yet. You can always return after completely installing the flooring to make precise cuts across with a circular saw.
- Know When To Use A Quadrant: It’s difficult, if not impossible, to fit a skirting between where the flooring meets a door threshold because there is little to no space for it. Instead, a quadrant will come in handy for covering up the expansion gap. To install a flooring quadrant, fix it into the surface behind or the door frame rather than the floor. That way, there will be room for expansion and contraction.
- Nails and Underlays: When installing natural flooring on existing timber floors, ensure that there are no raised nails or screws on the surface. Knock them down before proceeding. Also, apply the correct underlay depending on the type of wood flooring you want to install.
Wood Floors Without Thresholds
Most houses have transitional pieces between rooms. However, you can achieve aesthetically more pleasing flooring if you avoid thresholds and other transitional options. If your floor runs throughout the house, it will connect the space and add to the luxurious vibe.
Tips for avoiding thresholds and transition pieces
Creating continuous hardwood floors is not an easy task, but there are a few tips that can help:
- All in one go: Work on wood floors without thresholds in one go. It is the only viable approach, and the result will be a more open home with better aesthetics.
- Boards in the same direction: You should make every board go in the same direction. Using longer boards is advised; if you have longer boards stretching through two rooms, it will create instant appeal. It requires careful planning, but continuous boards without thresholds will look better.
Figure out the direction
Choose one direction for your wood floorboards, which should be in the direction of the most extended space in your home. Sometimes it is impossible to create a free run of boards throughout the house, so you can revert to adding some transition pieces for weird-shaped rooms. Whether you or your contractor go for the wood floors without thresholds, the final product will be better with more floors going in the same direction.