floor
Bona Naturale » Because many of my clients have been asking for a matte floor finish that looks like there is no finish on the floors, I've been searching for a floor finish that holds up but still fits this description. I just used Bona Naturale for the first time on some old white oak strip flooring. It is the least glossy finish I've seen, and based on Bona's reputation for excellent products and my observations using the product, I recommend trying it if you are looking for the natural look. More:
Installation Most cork flooring comes in one of two forms: planks or tiles. Planks can either be solid cork or engineered laminate-style (cork veneer with a fiberboard core). They’re available in glue-down or “floating” applications—the latter locks together at the edges and sits right on top of any smooth surface, which makes it especially DIY-friendly. Avoid engineered planks in moisture-prone areas; they’re likely to warp. Tiles, made from solid cork, generally are glued to a subfloor. Installation isn’t difficult, but it can take a fair amount of prep work to get the underlying surface in shape. If you’re opposed to the look of seams, or you want custom-cut shapes and designs, cork is also sold in sheets. However, installation gets much trickier, so you may need the help of a pro. What you’ll pay Cork isn’t inexpensive, exactly, but it’s manageable on a budget. The price tag falls roughly between $2 and $12 per square foot, uninstalled (professional installation generally adds $3-5 per square foot to the total). Don’t skimp on quality—cheap, lower-density cork flooring won’t hold up in the long run.
What to consider Although cork is durable, be prepared to put in some maintenance. Crumbs, dirt and other detritus can scar its surface over time, so don’t go more than a week without sweeping or vacuuming. Cork also needs to be re-sealed with protective coats of polyurethane every few years. Alternatively, you can seal it with wax, which is less likely to scratch but must be stripped and reapplied more frequently. Some cork flooring comes pre-finished, although it still will need periodic doctoring to keep it in shape. Cork can bounce back from small nicks, but major dings—for example, sliding a table across the floor and taking a chunk of cork with it—are tougher to fix. Furniture eventually will leave permanent dents unless you place it on protective coasters to offset the pressure. As with carpeting, sunlight will fade it over time. Also, cork doesn’t always work well in damp areas. Although its natural waxiness repels moisture,standing water can permeate the joints and cause damage. If you really want cork in a bathroom, basement or laundry area, it’s worth consulting with a pro about how to ward off water leakage and infiltration.
Spotted gum floors - $10.00 » The native hardwoods of Australia, in this case Spotted Gum, are showing up outside of Australasia with increasing frequency. Spotted Gum makes a stunning floor, whether it's an exotic species or not. Because I live in North America, I know very little about Australian hardwoods. Do any of our Australian Houzzers have an opinion about the woods that are available for floors? Spotted Gum Pros: Beautiful patterns in its natural grain Cons: May be too busy when you're looking for a subdued floor Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, foyers, baths Price range: $10 to $20 a square foot In my two part series, I've covered most of the species most people encounter when considering solid plank flooring. Stay tuned for when I will review engineered floors and how they're different from plank floors!
Teak floor - $10.00 » Teak is a deciduous tree native to Southeast Asia but now commercially farmed throughout the tropics. It's an extremely long-lasting material and reclaimed, upcycled teak products abound. The natural resins in teak heartwood are water- and insect-resistant and it's been used in ship building for centuries. Those same characteristics make it an obvious choice for use in bathrooms, kitchens and outdoor decks. Though it's not the hardest wood out there, it's one of the most dense and few woods will dull a saw blade faster. Teak Pros: Water- and insect-resistant, long-lasting Cons: Its density may make installation more expensive Suggested uses: Decks, living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and baths Price range: $10 to $25 a square foot
Tiger wood floor - $9.00 » Tigerwood is another wood species with a troubled history. It's an African native tree that's left a legacy of overharvesting and deforestation. However in recent years, it's been farmed in South America with a better environmental record. Do not buy wild-cut, African Tigerwood. Instead look for FSC- or SFI-certified, South American grown Tigerwood. Tigerwood Pros: Extremely hard and beautiful Cons: Has some of the same problems as Zebra Wood does with its supply Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and baths Price range: $10 to $15 a square foot
Zebra wood floors - $15.00 » Zebrawood is a Central African, tropical hardwood that's come into vogue in the West. However, it's an environmental nightmare, despite its beauty. Zebrawood, or Zembrano, is something to avoid. Before too long, that won't be hard to do as the supply is drying up due to overharvesting. Never buy Zebrawood unless it's upcycled from another use. There are stranded bamboo alternatives that abound and are virtually indistinguishable from the real thing. Zebrawood Pros: Very distinctive grain pattern, very hard and resilient Cons: Unsustainably harvested, use caution when buying Suggested uses: Not recommended due to its harvesting issues Price range: $15 to $20 a square foot
Brazilian Cherry floor - $7.00 » This is what's sold as Brazilian Cherry. Brazilian Cherry is not a true cherry at all, and it's known as jatoba in Brazil. Whatever its called, it's an exceptionally hard wood and in my opinion, has more of the characteristics of mahogany than cherry. Whatever you call it, Brazilian Cherry tends to be sustainably harvested and it's always extremely resilient. Brazilian Cherry Pros: Many of the characteristics of mahogany, tends to be sustainably harvested Cons: May be overwhelming for small rooms Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and baths Price range: $3 to $8 a square foot
Rosewood floor - $8.00 » Rosewood is an exceptionally hard wood with a very distinctive grain pattern. Its colors range from light yellow to nearly purple. Rosewood has been popular for centuries for furniture making and has recently been turned into flooring planks. It is an uncommon wood species, due mainly to its historic over-harvesting. However, in recent years it has started to grow on sustainable farms. Rosewood doesn't get its name from its coloration. Rather, it gets its name from its distinctive, rose-like scent. A rosewood piece of furniture or rosewood-floored room will smell like a spring garden for years and years. Rosewood Pros: Its distinctive grain pattern and fragrance add character to any home Cons: An attention grabber with a checkered past Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens and baths Price range: $8 to $25 a square foot
Lyptus floor - $10.00 » Lyptus is a eucalyptus hybrid developed by the Brazilian corporation Fibria. It's grown on sustainably-managed plantations and distributed in North America by Weyerhauser. It's a beautiful wood with a fibrous grain pattern similar to mahogany. Unlike mahogany however, it can be harvested after 15 years of growth. It's significantly harder than oak and is easy to mill and finish. Lyptus is available all over the world and is increasing its market share every year. If sustainability is one of the things you're looking for in a flooring material, consider Lyptus. Lyptus Pros: Gives the feel of mahogany at a lower price Cons: Tends to draw attention to itself Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, kitchens, hallways, stair treads Price range: $5 to $10 a square foot
Walnut floor - $15.00 » There is no doubt that walnut floors are a showstopper. But all that beauty comes at a price. North American Walnut is only slightly harder than North American Cherry. This means that it will mar and dent in response to chair legs and spiked heels so be careful where you use it. Walnut Pros: Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful Cons: Relatively soft, always dark Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms, stair treads Price range: $10 to $20 a square foot
Hickory floor - $15.00 » Hickory is starting to show up as floors too. It's significantly harder than oak and it has a grain pattern and color variation that won't quit. It has a tendency to add a rustic air in any room where it's used so it's a natural choice if you're drawn towards country or rustic styles. Its hardness makes it a logical choice for active households. Hickory Pros: Extremely hard, beautiful grain pattern Cons: Tends to lend a country air wherever it's used Suggested uses: Living rooms, hallways, kitchens, foyers Price range: $5 to $15 a square foot
Cherry floor - $15.00 » North American Cherry is an increasingly common wood species used for floors. It's beautiful, close-grained and smooth. It takes a variety of stains well and shows up on the market in colors that range from cherry in its natural state, to nearly black. However, cherry is around 25% softer than red oak and it's highly reactive to sunlight. It will darken noticeably in a bright room. Be careful using it in areas with a lot of dog and or kid traffic. Cherry Pros: Absolutely gorgeous, adds interest without dominating a room Cons: Not as resilient as other hard woods, use caution in high-traffic areas Suggested uses: Living rooms, dining rooms Price range: $7 to $15 a square foot
Teak laminate floor - $3.00 » Laminate flooring is stain- and fade-resistant and has a tendency to repel water. It's an extremely hard and durable surface, but it is possible to scratch it. It's not possible to repair the actual scratches when they occur, so be sure to buy extra material with your initial purchase and hold onto it in case you'll need it later. Laminate flooring doesn't need any special cleaners or special treatment to keep its looks. It never needs to be waxed or polished. At the same time, it can't be refinished.
Pine Planks | Dupont - $3.00 » The printing technologies laminate flooring manufacturers use has improved tremendously since the early days of laminate floors. There are options galore; the floor shown here imitates the look of a wide, pine-plank floor.
Pergo Laminate Floor - $3.00 » By buying a NALFA-certified laminate floor you know a few, important things about your floor. First, you'll know that your floor will be installed without glue. This is good for a couple of reasons. Click-together laminate floors are easier to install, and by not using glue, your floor won't emit gasses that can harm the quality of the air in your home. NALFA certification also tells you that a product bearing its logo is recyclable and conforms to all regulations regarding formadehyde emission.
Cherry laminate floor - $3.00 » Laminate flooring was invented in 1977, and the company that developed it introduced Pergo to the European market in 1984. Pergo is just one brand of laminate flooring out of many but since its product was first out of the gate, Pergo is often (mistakenly) used as a generic term for the whole category. The market is flooded with cheap laminate floors that cases of buyer's remorse waiting to happen. Beware suspiciously low prices and look for the seal of the North American Laminate Flooring Association, or NALFA.
Mafi Nero Coral Oak Vulcano » Mafi flooring has a visionary, almost avant-garde style that is unlike anything else out there. While this brand has numerous treatments, this style — specifically in the Coral Oak Vulcano — is a favorite of mine. Like all of the wood used in Mafi flooring, it is built in a three-layer construction and treated with natural oil. However, this style is enhanced with artistically integrated and treated cracks. It comes in several different woods with various color options for the cracks — including gold and yellow. It really draws the eye to the floor without taking away from the natural beauty of the wood.
Doussie Engineered Floor - $8.00 » The characteristics of the wood that ends up on the top layer will always play into the longevity and resilience of an engineered wood floor, though the effect is moderated somewhat. Even so, a Brazilian Cherry engineered wood floor will always hold up to more than a North American walnut floor will. Choosing an engineered option you may save money and end up with a more stable and adaptable flooring solution. Engineered wood floors Pros: Can be used in places wood plank floors can't be used; can be a more sustainable option; tend to cost less than solid planks. Cons: Cheap versions of this product won't last very long. Beware of low prices. Suggested uses: Anywhere you'd use a plank floor, plus above- and below-grade locations. Price range: $3-$18 per square foot.
Brazilian Hickory Engineered Floor - $7.00 » An engineered wood floor will last from 20 to 100 years, depending on the thickness of of the top veneer. The best engineered wood floors available will last as long and perform as well as a plank floor, so another consideration to keep in mind is how long you want this material to last. Using a high-quality, long-lasting engineered wood floor won't affect your resale value, but using a cheap one will.
Hickory Engineered Floor - $6.00 » The newest, thinnest engineered floors use an advanced tongue-and-groove system that locks them in place. These thin floors (usually called floating floors) can be placed over a cork underlayment or directly over an older floor. Though it does take some skill, floating floors are the easiest to install. But before you attempt to do this on your own, be sure you have access to a table saw and chop saw — and know how to use them.
Oak Engineered Floor - $7.00 » Engineered wood floors thinner than 3/4" (2 cm) can be glued down, similar to how you'd glue down a vinyl or resilient floor. Gluing down an engineered wood floor is a project a do-it-yourselfer can usually take on provided he or she has a lot of time and a fair amount of experience with DIY projects. It may make more sense to have it installed, but there's a ton of information out there for the motivated.
Maple Engineered Floor - $9.00 » Engineered wood floors were developed for use over concrete slabs, but the thicker, 3/4"-thick (2 cm) versions can be nailed down over a wood subfloor, the same way you would install a plank floor. If you can save some money when you're building or renovating a frame house by buying a quality engineered wood floor, go for it. No one will know but you. Nailing down any wood floor is a job best left to the pros. Seriously.
Cherry Engineered Floor - $14.00 » The different thicknesses exist so engineered wood flooring can be used in a variety of applications without awkward transitions between different flooring materials. The most common transitions people have trouble bridging are areas between a tile kitchen or bath floor and the rest of the house. By using an engineered wood floor in a renovation, you can remove the need for large transition strips and trimming down doors.
This photo shows a cross section of a high-quality, engineered wood floor. They range in thickness from 3/8" to 3/4" (that's approximately 1 cm to 2 cm). The top layer is a veneer of the desired wood; the thicker that veneer is, the more expensive the floor will be. When this top veneer is very thin (.6mm or so) the resulting floor cannot be refinished should that ever be needed. However, when the top veneer is between 2 mm and 6 mm, it can be refinished multiple times. The layers in the buildup underneath the veneer top layer are important and also play a role in the final price. There can be anywhere between three and 12 layers of plywood and unfinished white wood, depending on the thickness and quality of the finished product. When you are shopping for an engineered wood floor, pay attention to how it's made inside almost as much as you pay attention to how the top layer looks.
Tarakan Teak - $7.00 » Engineered wood floors can be more resistant to moisture and tend to be more stable. While no wood product can tolerate water standing on it, the increased moisture levels over concrete aren't a problem for most engineered wood floors. The key to this increased stability and moisture tolerance comes from how an engineered wood floor is made.
Not everyone wants to use the same flooring indoors as they do outside. Here they have hardwood inside and stone outside. I am not sure what material is used as a transition line between the two, but the threshold space is absolutely flat, and that also helps to increase that feeling of the indoors flowing on outside.
Even when there are track lines, as there are for these custom folding doors, keeping the flooring tile the same creates a strong feeling of one continuous space.
In this example, the flooring and the ceiling material both continue past the sliding door tracks. They both help to reduce the clear line between indoors and outdoors.
Even though the exterior flooring is in smaller sections, it is still gray concrete inside and out, so it feels like the space is continuous.
Concrete is used both inside and outside here, but the interior floor is polished. Lining up the joint lines inside and outside gives it a seamless flow despite the change in sheen.
You can either use the exact same flooring material inside and outside as in the previous photos, or you can use materials so similar that they minimize the change and have the same feel. In this home, the interior hardwood and the decking material are the same color, but the hardwood has more shine. They are both laid the same direction and the tracks for the sliding doors blend right in. It's still barely noticeable where the inside stops and the outside starts.
Same thing here. The flooring material just continues right on out the door with no interruption.
In this spectacular room, the opening from wall to wall and floor to ceiling is the biggest element that removes any feeling of barriers between the indoor and outdoor area. Here's how the flooring contributes to the feel of a continuous flow to the outdoors. The gray rock in the garden area repeats the color of the concrete flooring and is at almost exactly the same level, so you barely notice the change as you look outside. Having the flooring and the ground cover matching and level goes one step further in merging the exterior and interior.
Pine. On the opposite side of the hardness scale sits pine, which is technically not a hardwood at all. Pine is a soft wood, though its hardness varies wildly with the species of pine used. If you're buying a pine floor, be sure to find out what kind of pine it is. Pine is a character wood. It has pin holes and knots and it's popular for that reason. It's difficult to keep it looking pristine, which just adds to its character.
Ash solid plank floor - $15.00 » Ash holds stain colors well, and since light-colored ash floors made from ash sapwood are more desirable, most ash floors tend to be lightly stained. A light color and a consistent grain pattern drive the cost of this type of floor. And as is the case with all woods, it's available in a variety of grades. Ash pros: This is an extremely hard, hardwood floor Cons: Can be too light for some; tends to cost more than oak Cost: $10-$20 per square foot Suggested uses: Living areas, hallways, entryways, baths and kitchens
Ash. A similar wood to oak that's even harder is ash. Baseball bats and garden tool handles are usually made from ash, just to give you a sense of how hard it is. The sapwood of an ash tree is cream-colored to almost white, and its heartwood is tan to dark brown. The grain pattern in each type is always apparent, though not as pronounced as it is in oak.
The quality and consistency of the grain pattern is one of the characteristics that drives the price of an oak floor. The more consistent the grain, the more expensive the floor will be.
Red oak solid plank floor - $15.00 » Red oak holds wood stains evenly and comes in a wide variety of stain colors. It can be light or dark, but its distinctive grain pattern is almost always obvious. If you don't like strong grain patterns, oak is not the floor for you. Depending on the manufacturer, many plank floors are available in an unfinished state so they can be finished on-site. Factory finishes tend to be more consistent and more resilient, but you'll have more finish options if you have your floors finished on-site. Neither option is automatically better or worse; it depends on the project at hand. Know however, that factory finishes tend to cost less, and matching them at a later time is a lot less trouble.
Maple is a nearly non-porous wood and it can't absorb dark stains very easily. Dark-stained maple tends to look blotchy — it's a characteristic of the wood, not the stain. All woods change color with time, and maple tends to grow more yellow with age. That's another characteristic to be aware of. The clearer the maple, the more expensive it tends to be. Natural flaws such as mineral streaks and pin knots tend to lower the grade and the price of a maple floor. Maple pros: Hard and dent resistent Cons: Doesn't hold dark stains well Cost: $7-$16 per square foot Suggested uses: Living areas, hallways, entryways and kitchens
Maple. If you're looking for a hard, light-colored floor, consider maple. It's a close-grain hardwood, meaning that its grain pattern is more subtle than a lot of other woods can be. Maple is extremely hard and dent-resistant, and as a naturally light wood, it tends to show up as a light floor. There's another reason for those light finishes, however.
Solid bamboo - $6.00 » In recent years, bamboo flooring manufacturers have been taking some liberties with the bamboo we've come to know. In the floor shown here, this bamboo plank has been stained dark and hand scraped, a treatment that used to be reserved for wood floors exclusively. Some of the new bamboo floors aren't immediately recognizable as bamboo at all and can be used as stand-ins for less-sturdy woods in areas such as baths. As a manufactured product, bamboo floors are always factory finished. The quality of the topcoat and the binders are what drive its price. Inexpensive bamboo floors can scratch easily; the combination of a cheap bamboo floor and a big dog is a recipe for a ruined floor. Bamboo pros: Sustainable and long-lasting Cons: Lends a modern air that may not be intentional Cost: $8-$15 per square foot Suggested uses: Living areas, hallways, entryways, bath and kitchens
Bamboo is an extremely stable material and it will last as long and wear as well as any wood floor.
Solid bamboo - $6.00 » Bamboo. Bamboo floors have been available around the world for about the last 20 years. In those 20 years, they've become so widely adopted that their use is no longer unique. Bamboo floors are made by soaking individual strands of bamboo in a binder and then pressing everything together under high pressure. The resulting plank is for all intents and purposes a solid piece of bamboo every bit as hard as oak. Bamboo has usually been stained in lighter stains to allow its fibrous grain pattern to show.
Eastern white pine » There's a place for other pine floors. too. This photo shows an Eastern white-pine floor with a dark stain on it. It's also significantly wider than a heart-pine plank can be. Other varieties of pine hold stain colors exceptionally well and almost always cost less than heart-pine floors.
Antique heart pine - $15.00 » The heartwood of a pine tree yields the darkest and hardest wood the tree has to offer, and heart-pine floors are made from this heartwood exclusively. A heart-pine floor will resist dents and deep scratches better than a pine floor made from sapwood. Heart-pine floors have a natural, reddish-gold tone to them. Most heart-pine floors aren't stained, they're simply treated with a clear topcoat. They don't shift in reaction to humidity levels and have a tendency to last for a very long time. With age, heart pine develops a patina such as the one on this reclaimed antique floor.
Crossville Tuscan Clay Series - $9.00 » A C.O.F. greater than .50 is recommended for standard residential applications. A C.O.F. greater than .60 is required for commercial applications and to meet Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. If you're looking to tile a bathroom floor, pay attention to that C.O.F rating. The higher the number, the less likely you'll be to slip when you're getting out of the shower.
One of the reasons these examples are successful is because they have restricted their choices to just two types of flooring within view at any time. Too many types of flooring all seen at the same time makes spaces feel smaller. Letting flooring flow from room to room when possible tends to make a space feel larger. So, although you don't have to use the same flooring throughout your entire home to make it feel larger, coordinating their look and making good transitions will assure that your flooring flows gracefully from space to space.
If you want to feature a flooring choice in a small area, keep the surrounding flooring to one material. Here, using the same flooring upstairs and downstairs makes these stair treads stand out.
Sometimes you just have to pick a spot and run a line This transition lines up with the wall, but not the island. The white molding covering the line between the wood and the gray kitchen flooring material ties in the color of the island and feels better to me than if the molding had matched either the gray flooring or the wood.
Kitchens are another place where flooring may change. This bright apple green looks spectacular next to the light natural color of the wood. The same wood tones are found in the cabinetry in the kitchen, creating a nice tie-in.
If you want to set the entry floor apart but don't want to use a different material, here's a nice idea. The wood is set in a herringbone pattern in the entry and then switches to a straight pattern at the hallway.
This designer made a similar decision but reversed the materials, with wood chosen as the walkway and stone leading off into the adjoining rooms. I like that the direction of the wood runs across the hall so it doesn't look like a bowling alley. I also like that the direction of the wood and the stone tiles are perpendicular to each other.
In this entryway, stone tiles run right down the middle of the hall with wood on either side, almost like a carpet. I love the tone-on-tone look of the dark espresso color for both materials.
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by Exquisite Surfaces Montaigne collection Tournai Wood Floors Beautiful, aged gray patina in this oak, wide plank flooring.
by Exquisite Surfaces Montaigne collection Tournai Wood Floors Beautiful, aged gray patina in this oak, wide plank flooring.
1. Paint stair risers a rainbow of hues. You won't be able to help smiling when you climb the stairs each day if they are painted in such a cheerful range of colors. For the best effect, choose colors that are all similar in tone: pastels, clear midtone colors or deep and rich.
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