Dramatic and tough

Tigerwood Flooring is extremely tough

Tigerwood flooring is a true hardwood and very dense. Although the Janka rating on any kind of hardwood can vary according to where the wood is harvested, Tigerwood has a rating that hovers around 2000, which is quite hard.

Installing Tigerwood flooring can present some challenges. The fact that it is so hard makes it kind of a bear to cut. Carbide tipped power tools are required for Tigerwood installation. Tigerwood is 170% stronger than red oak.

Origins of Tigerwood flooring

Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are the leading producers of Tigerwood flooring, with smaller quantities coming from other Latin American nations. Sometimes the wood is referred to as Brazilian Tigerwood regardless of origin. Because the wood is imported, this exotic hardwood can fetch a fairly handsome price. But due to the unusual nature of the wood, it can impart a real feel of luxury to any room in which it is installed.

Other names for tigerwood are goncal alves, muiracatiara, astronium and cuta tigre as well as the aforementioned ‘zebrawood’. Because it is such a very hard wood, it is long-lasting and will be an enduring feature of your home.

Caring for Tigerwood Floors

Once the Tigerwood flooring is installed, caring for it isn’t much different from other types of hardwood floors. As with our care articles it is worth repeating that you should use mats at all outside entries, sweep before you mop, avoid harsh chemicals, vacuum with proper attachments and care and use as little water as possible when cleaning your floors.

Tigerwood flooring, like any hardwood floor will darken in tone with age and more so if it is exposed to a great deal of natural light. The contrast that Tigerwood is prized for can fade slightly as the contrast between the light and dark hues in the wood lessens. Therefore, as we have advised in our care articles about other types of flooring, care should be taken to draw the curtains when the sun is bearing down directly on your Tigerwood floor.

As far as exotic hardwood species go, dramatic Tigerwood is really an eye catcher. It has a base color of golden yellow to golden brown with highly contrasting streaks throughout. Deep black or chocolate brown stripes serve to create a truly unique. A wonderful living material, Tigerwood will mature with time and the colors will become mellower and a bit more subtle.

So, you’ve made the decision to install oak floors in your home. You still have to choose among the types of oak flooring available. There are a number of choices still left to consider, each of which has practical and aesthetic considerations. As with all home construction and/or decorating decisions, your choices are going to be unique to you. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to hardwood flooring. Oak floors come in several types and styles, as do all types of hardwood floors.

Three Types of Oak Flooring and Their Characteristics

1. Solid – As the name implies, this product is made of solid wood. The thickness of the planking can range from a quarter inch to one inch. As the thickness increases, the price goes up. Thicker products are going to be more durable, allow for more refinish jobs and feel more ‘solid under your feet. There is a wide variety of wood species used to make this type of hardwood floor with types of oak flooring being among the the most popular. Solid oak flooring can literally last for generations in your home. In general, solid hardwood flooring will make the most lasting contribution to the value of your home.

2. Engineered – These products are constructed in layers. The way the planks are constructed, the grain of the wood is laid in opposing directions and this makes the floor more stable. Most engineered floor products are between three and twelve layers with the more expensive products having more layers. The advantage to engineered wood floors is due to their greater moisture resistance they can be installed in places not suited to solid wood flooring, like basements or in climates with high levels of humidity. These floors have nearly the same variety of species to choose from as solid hardwood floors. The top layer of the floor is the one that imparts the ‘look’ to the floor so you could choose oak veneer if you are looking for oak flooring and get essentially the same result. There are many types of oak flooring available as engineered products. High quality engineered floors can be refinished up to five times, however the cheaper brands may have as little as .6mm of veneer and can only be recoated once they become worn. Engineered oak flooring is popular because it can give a very pleasing appearance for a more budget friendly price than solid oak flooring.

3. Acrylic Impregnated – This type of wood floor is very hard and stands up to a lot of wear and tear. The wood grain is injected with acrylic resins. This type of floor can be obtained in most of the hardwoods as the other floors and it is ideal for very high traffic areas, even commercial installations in restaurants and stores. It also makes a very durable choice for homeowners. It is one of the types of oak flooring that can handle nearly any situation.

The way you assess each of these various types of hardwood flooring is to first consider where the flooring is to be installed. Solid hardwood flooring is not appropriate for some installations. In places where high moisture is going to be an issue you should consider other choices. Budget considerations will also come into play. Remember that you can get the same look as solid oak flooring at a more attractive price if you choose engineered oak flooring. So you can see that there are many types of oak flooring that fit your unique circumstances.

Shopping on line for wood flooring — Know what you are searching for!

Oak flooring, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring, walnut flooring and all the exotic woods you can name are just a click away and it’s so easy to compare prices when you can select a feature that lets you put your selections in ascending or descending price order. You can sort by brand names like Armstrong, Anderson or Mohawk Industries. Or if you know you want solid wood flooring, you can filter for that choice. There are a number of different engineered wood flooring options as well. There are nearly two dozen installation types to choose from with every imaginable combination of glue, staples, nails and snap in place tongue and groove.

I may be stating the obvious, but when you shop on line, you should make your searches count so that you can get the most out of them. By putting your search term in quotes in the search engine’s query box, you will get results returned that are an exact match to what you have typed. For example, if you type in “white oak laminate flooring” you will get results for that type of flooring.

Sort by length, width or thickness if you know specifically what dimensions your planking needs to be. By far the  largest choice is in materials.  And species!  I counted over 168 different kinds of wood on one amazing site.  I know a lot about hardwood floors, but I was astonished at the number of woods I had never even heard of. Nogal , orosi  and sakura woods are three I didn’t recognize. The scary part about these was the ‘call for prices’ part of the description.

Showroom versus Shopping on line for wood flooring

I don’t know about you, but I get a bit nervous when I have a salesperson shadowing me ready to pounce when I pause at this or that display. I appreciate being able to see and feel the flooring materials, but many times I have had to ask the price of each and every option I take a peek at.  Or, if I go to some of the big box home improvement stores, I wind up getting no help at all in spite of advertising to the contrary!  Sometimes, I find the best approach is to spend some time in a showroom where I can establish the look and feel of what I want and then return home and shop on line for wood flooring at the best price and quality I can find.

Although many people assume that solid wood flooring is the best you can buy, that may or may not be true, depending on a number of factors.

First of all, let’s explain what engineered wood flooring is. It’s made by sandwiching together several layers, usually a veneer, a core, and a base. The veneer or top layer is the one you see and it can vary in thickness. Generally speaking, the thicker, the better.

One of the advantages of engineered wood flooring is that it’s easier to install than solid wood flooring. It can be glued down – which is essential if you have concrete sub floors – stapled, or floated. And it’s easier to saw and nail than many solid woods. If you want to install your floors yourself, they’re your best bet.

It can even be installed over tile or vinyl, as long as it’s clean and level. Check to make sure the moisture level is less than 4% first.

Because the grain of the core is perpendicular to the grain of the veneer, it’s actually more stable than solid hardwood. It warps less and is better suited to homes in high-humidity zones or for summer homes that are unheated in winter.

The best thing about solid wood is that if it gets worn, it can be sanded down and refinished. But people forget that even though the wood is ¾” thick, it can only be sanded down to the bottom of the tongue on the side of the plank. In most cases, that’s only about 5/16” thick.

An engineered wood floor with a veneer of 3/16” can usually be sanded three or four times. It should have a lifespan of 60 to 80 years.

Most engineered flooring comes pre-finished, which eliminates all the hassle of sanding and finishing your floors after they’re installed. With 3 -10 layers of urethane already applied, they’ll look good for years with proper care.

These days, you can find engineered wood flooring in virtually every wood, color, and finish. Even hand-scraped and distressed styles are available.

As a rule, engineered wood floors are less expensive than solid wood floors. But if you sell your home, prospective buyers will pay the same price. This is not true for laminate floors which don’t look like real wood.

Another benefit is that they’re environmentally responsible. The wood required to produce one square foot of solid wood flooring will yield approximately four times as much engineered product.

Read about other kinds of wood flooring.

Few home improvement projects can improve the appearance and value of your home as much as installing wood flooring.  Solid wood floors make any home look better, and their durability and longevity make them an investment you’ll enjoy for a lifetime.

Solid wood flooring isn’t hard to install.  It’s a project most homeowners can tackle with good results.   But since sanding is tricky, and produces a huge amount of dust, it’s probably best to use pre-finished flooring.

Check your sub floor before you install solid wood flooring.

Before you decide which kind of wood floors to install, you’ll need to evaluate your sub flooring.  If you have a concrete slab, solid hardwood floors are not an option.  You’ll need to go with an engineered floor.

Solid wood flooring should only be installed over a clean, smooth, level base.  A plywood sub floor will provide insulation and sound proofing for your wood floors.  And give your floors added stability.

Because wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and humidity, it’s a good idea to store the boards in the room where they’re going for a few days so they can adjust to the new environment.

You should buy about 30% more wood than your measurements indicate because there will likely be some boards that you don’t like and would prefer not to use.

Ready the Room for Solid Wood Flooring Installation.

If you haven’t already, remove the doors and baseboard molding from the room where you’re installing wood floors.  Numbering the baseboards and corresponding place on the wall will make reinstalling them much easier.

Figure out where the floor joists are and mark their location on the wall with a pencil.  You’ll be installing the wood flooring perpendicular to the joists.

To ensure a smooth surface, go over the sub floor and sink any nails or screws that protrude.  Then use a moisture tester to make sure the room is within the acceptable range.

To minimize creaks and squeaks and add some moisture protection, use a staple gun to tack down a layer of 15-pound asphalt felt.  Overlap the seams by 2 or 3 inches.

Once the felt is installed, measure the width of the room in several places, then snap a chalk line down the center, parallel to the wall where you‘ll start installing the wood strips.  Usually exterior walls are the straightest.

Snap additional chalk lines to show the location of the joists.  Finally, snap a chalk line parallel to your centerline 1/2″ from the starting wall.  Because this gap lets the wood expand, it’s essential.  And after the wood flooring is installed, it will be covered with the baseboards.

Begin to Install the Solid Wood Flooring

Check the boards and discard any that are crooked or warped.  If they aren’t already cut to random lengths, cut them yourself in varying sizes.

Select one of the longest boards and drill pilot holes that match up with the location of the joists.  Using 1-1/2″ finishing nails, nail the board to the plywood sub floor with the tongue side away from the wall.  Place the nails about six inches apart.  Use spacers against the wall to maintain the expansion gap, and to avoid denting the wood, use a nail set to drive the nail slightly below the surface.

If you don’t have a pneumatic blind nailer, you should rent one. It will make the job a lot easier.  Because it takes up some space, you probably won’t be able to start using it until the third or fourth row.

Putting a piece of tape on the head of the nailer will reduce the chance of it damaging the wood flooring.

Once the first board is nailed down, lay out a group of boards, staggering the ends by at least four to six inches.  Cut the end pieces to fit.  This process, called racking, speeds up the job by letting you install large sections of the solid wood floor at once.

Place a small piece of scrap next to the second-row board and hit it with a mallet to make sure the tongue and groove fit together tightly.  Then use the blind nailer to drive a nail at an angle from the top of the tongue into the sub flooring.   Driving the nails at an angle keeps them from becoming loose over time.

You should nail the board every ten inches or so, starting about three inches from the end joints.

When you get down to the last two or three rows, you won’t be able to use the blind nailer anymore, and you’ll need to face nail them.  As you did with the first board, drill pilot hotels and attach them with 1-1/2″ finishing nails.  You may need a pry bar to pull the boards together for a tight fit.

Sink the nails with the nail set and then use a matching putty to fill the holes.

Once the solid wood floor is installed, install the transitions, and reinstall the baseboards.

Wood Flooring Offers Many Choices

Few home improvement projects improve the appearance and value of your home as much as wood flooring.  Hardwood floors make any space — from a formal living room to a country kitchen — look better.  And wood flooring is an investment that provides lasting benefits.  A good-quality, well maintained wood floor will last a lifetime.

Because wood flooring is easy to care for and doesn’t show dirt or stain like carpeting, it’s a good choice for families with children and pets.

When you first start shopping for wood flooring, you may be overwhelmed by the choices.  But there are basically just three types of wood floors.  The type that’s best for you will depend on a number of factors, including where the floor will be installed and how much traffic it will get.

Solid Wood Flooring

As the name implies, solid wood flooring is made from pieces of wood that are between 1/4″ and 1″ thick.  As a rule, the tongue-and-groove boards fit together and are installed by nailing them to a sub floor of 3/4″ plywood.  For this reason, solid wood floors can’t usually be used over concrete slabs.

Building a sub floor to use over concrete essentially doubles the cost of using solid wood.  So if you have a concrete floor, you’re better off with an engineered wood floor.

Because solid wood expands and contracts with variations in moisture and temperature, it’s also unsuitable for areas where those conditions fluctuate dramatically.

You can choose from a wide assortment of solid woods, stains, and finishes.  Or you can buy your flooring unfinished and having it finished after it’s installed.  This is ideal if you’re trying to match a pre-existing floor.  But it’s a messy process and not everyone will be want to put up with the noise and dust.

Because there is usually 1/4″ or more of wood above the tongue and groove, solid wood floors can be sanded down and refinished.  If you have lots of traffic or large dogs, solid wood flooring are a great choice.

Engineered Wood Flooring

This kind of flooring is made of several layers — or plys — that are laminated together.  Usually a base, a core, and a veneer.  The top layer or veneer varies in thickness.  But for the best wear, it should be at least 3/16th of an inch thick.

Veneers of 1/8″ or less are usually rotary peeled.  Thicker veneers are sawed and look more like solid wood.  Veneers of 5/16th can usually be sanded.

The grain on the plys in engineered wood run in different directions, which makes the flooring more stable.  Engineered wood flooring won’t warp, and because it can be glued, stapled or floated, it can be used almost anywhere.

Most engineered floors come prefinished with 3 – 10 layers of urethane.  But a huge selection of finishes is available.  If your sub floor is a concrete slab, engineered wood will cost you about half as much as solid wood.

Acrylic-impregnated Wood Flooring.

Better known by the brand name Pergo, acrylic-impregnated wood floors are extremely durable.  In fact, they’re 300% harder than natural wood.  Liquid acrylic, stain, and fire retardants are injected into the wood and then it’s cured.

Because impregnated wood is water resistant, it’s often used in kitchens and bathrooms.  And because the color goes all the way through, it’s ideal in commercial setting like restaurants, where there’s lots of traffic and wear.  In fact, scratches are barely detectable.

Many people don’t like the look of acrylic-impregnated wood floors, but they are the best choice if you want the appearance of wood but need a more durable floor.