Your guide to Wood Flooring
So you’re looking at re-doing the flooring in your house and you got this brilliant idea: Wood Flooring. But now, you’re stuck. You’re not sure where to go from here. All you know is that you want a wood floor.
If this is the case, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll be addressing some of the major questions in this blog post:
- What type of wood can I use?
- Can I get Solid Wood Flooring?
- Pricing on Solid Wood Flooring
These are just three of the questions that we will be talking about today, Continue reading for more important information on timber flooring.
At Sabie Poles, we’ve been in the business of timber products for a very long time. Timber Flooring is no exception.
We pride ourselves in supplying our clients with top-notch products that will last for a very long time. Additionally, we want our clients to know that we go the extra mile to ensure that they get exactly what they want.
The first question we get most when talking about Timber Flooring is “What Type of Wood can we use?”. So we’re here to answer:
What Type of Wood can I use for Timber Flooring?
When it comes to timber flooring there are two things you can look at:
- Soft Wood
- Hard Wood
Both can be used for flooring planks and both are reliable and long-lasting. So how do you know which one to use?
Softwood Timber Flooring vs. Hardwood Timber Flooring
Softwood has a lower density. This means that is exactly what the name says: a soft wood. This means it can be more vulnerable to scratches, dents, and wear and tear over years.
Softwoods are usually evergreen trees which are classified under the gymnosperm trees. This means that they are not flowering trees, additionally, they grow much faster than hardwoods.
The most common softwood used for timber flooring is Pine.
This is an affordable option to choose, and you can improve the durability when following these steps:
- Stain and Varnish your floors (This will add to the floor’s lifetime considerably as you are protecting it)
The perk about pine flooring is the fact that it is widely available all over Southern Africa, Sabie Poles have various merchants all over the country that stock pine flooring planks.
Hardwood usually has a higher density than most softwoods. Therefore, it is more durable and more resistant to scratches and dents.
Hardwoods come from angiosperm, or flowering plants. Additionally, they also grow much slower than most softwood trees.
Some of the most common timber flooring hardwoods in Southern Africa are:
- Paniculate
- American redwood
- Casuarina
- Saligna
These woods usually come with its own natural color which makes it desirable and beautiful.
But due to the fact that they grow so slow, they are more pricey. At Sabie Poles, we are able to supply you with hardwood floor planks on request.
All you have to do is contact us for a quotation.
Can I get Solid Wood Flooring?
Yes!
You can get solid wood planks to build your floor! No need to go with synthetic materials that only give the look of wooden floors.
You can get solid wood flooring in any of the following timbers:
- Pine
- Paniculate
- American redwood
- Casuarina
- Saligna
It’s up to you what look and feel you want for your home.
Price and Sizes of Solid wood Flooring Planks
As mentioned previously, we have pine flooring planks in stock.
Sizes on hand:
22mmx102mm (Untreated Pine)
Available in: 1.8m, 2.1m and 2.4m
Pricing:
We encourage you to download our price list to see all the pricing on our pine flooring planks: Download Pricelist
Additionally, you can order treated decking planks if you plan on using it outside where it will be vulnerable to different wood deterioration factors.
Additional Notes On Wood Flooring:
- Brings a luxurious aesthetic to the home
- Can be stained to any color (Mahogany, Oak, Teak etc.)
- Does not affect the temperature of your house
- Easy to maintain (Only need wood polishing/wood cleaning once in a while)
- Solid Wooden Flooring usually increases the house’s value.
These are only a few of the many pros you get when adding timber flooring to your home.
Installing Solid Wood Flooring: Steps to success
First Step: Choose your Wood
Whether you use hardwood or softwood is your choice. But make sure that you are buying from a reliable supplier that will only sell you top-grade flooring planks. Ending up with sub-grade timber can lead to many unwanted complications like cracked wood and broken planks.
Second Step: Prepare your subfloor
Make sure you have a perfectly level subfloor to work with. If it is not level it can make the process very difficult. Furthermore, make sure you have the correct sized for all the corners in the home (Remember to look at doorways, nooks, and crannies to see if there are any specific sizes you will need for those places,)
Third Step: Allow your wood to acclimate
This is a step that many homeowners forget about when they are installing their solid wood floors,
Before you start laying down your flooring planks, it is important that you leave the flooring planks in the home for at least three days so that they can acclimatize to the moisture levels in the home.
Why? Wood expands and contracts depending on moisture level and temperature. Therefore, you want to install them AFTER they have already shrunk/grew according to the moisture levels in your home.
Fourth Step: Gather all the necessary tools
Ask your local hardware store or company that you purchased the planks from, which tools you will need to install the solid flooring planks.
Fifth Step: Start laying down your wood flooring planks
From here it all depends on what style and type of flooring planks you have.
The most common flooring plank is tongued edge flooring planks. Therefore, for the remainder of this post, we will assume that these are the planks that you are working with.
Place the first flooring plank, tongued edge facing out into the room (So there are no gaps between the wall and the plank. You can then start nailing the flooring planks to the subfloor.
You can continue to lock your planks together and then nailing them down against the subfloor.
Sixth Step: Add Finishing Touches to your wood flooring
When you have completed the wooden flooring planks from wall to wall, it’s time to add some finishing touches like moldings (baseboards) where the flooring meets the wall.
What type of moldings you choose will completely depend on you and your personal style.
Seventh Step: Use putty to seal any openings
When you are finished with everything, you can grab some putty (Preferably the same color as your flooring planks) and fill up everywhere between the planks and where you hit the nails in. This will ensure a tight seal and prevent any dust from getting in and lingering in the room between the fine cracks.
In conclusion
There are so many different options when it comes to flooring. But using solid wood not only increases the value of your home, buy it gives it a certain aesthetic that no other flooring material can compare to.
If you have any enquiries regarding wooden flooring planks, please feel free to contact us!
