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Types of Hardwood |
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Solid Wood
Floors |
Solid
wood floors are one
solid piece of wood and
are generally 3/4"
thick. Mohawk Solid
Hardwood Floors are
produced from the finest
domestic and exotic
hardwoods including red
& white oak, American
cherry, hickory, maple,
and Brazilian cherry,
and are available in
several widths. Because
solid hardwood floors
are more susceptible to
humidity and temperature
changes than engineered
wood floors they should
only be installed above
grade over approved
wooden subfloors and
must be nailed or
stapled down. Solid wood
floors can generally be
recoated and refinished
several times. |
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Engineered Wood
Floors |
These
floors are produced by
laminating several
hardwood plies together
to form the planks. Most
engineered floors can be
glued-down, stapled-down
or floated over a
variety of subfloors
including wood, dry
concrete slabs and some
types of existing
flooring. Engineered
hardwood floors have
cross-ply construction
which reduces the
expansion/contraction of
planks caused by
variations in humidity
and allows these floors
to be installed on any
level in the home.
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Exotic Wood
Species |
Today
wood flooring is also
offered in a variety of
hardwood species that
are not found in North
America. Jim's Floor
Depot carries hardwood
that include some of the
finest exotic hardwoods
from all over the world.
These floors offer many
unique and visually
striking appearances
that are distinctly
different from the North
American hardwoods. Many
of these exotic species
are photosensitive and
may change color over
time. |
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Prefinished
Versus Unfinished |
Unfinished
floors require several
days to install, stain
and finish the flooring.
Prefinished floors are
less messy and can be
installed and completed
the same day. A
factory-applied finish
like Mohawk's exclusive
Scotchgard™ or
CrystalShield™ finish
with aluminum oxide is
extremely durable and
could not be duplicated
with a job-site finish. |
Where is the
room?
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Knowing
where the floor will be
installed is essential.
Before choosing a floor,
determine if the room is
above, on or below
ground level (grade).
Mohawk Engineered
Hardwood Floors can be
used in most areas in
the home including rooms
below, on or above
ground level. Solid wood
floors are approved for
above ground-level
installations only.
These floors perform
better in
humidity-controlled
environments.
Is your sub floor
concrete or a type of
wood substrate?
Engineered floors are
ideal for concrete
slabs. For remodel
projects you may want to
consider Mohawk
Engineered Hardwood
floors that can be
floated directly over
the existing floor which
eliminates the mess and
additional costs of
tearing out the old
floor. |