Solid Hardwood FlooringSolid hardwood floors have been used for centuries, and they never seem to loose their charm and warmth. There are solid wood floors that are several centuries old and are still in good condition today. Solid wood floors are one solid piece of wood that come in either prefinished or unfinished styles. Solid is milled from a single 3/4" thick piece of hardwood. The most popular hardwood species used for solid wood floors are red oak, white oak, ash and maple. Because of its thickness, a solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. You can refinish, or recoat solid wood floors several times, which adds to their appeal and to their long life. One of the properties of solid wood flooring is that it expands and contracts with changes in your home's relative humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter round is traditionally used to hide the extra space. The other very important characteristic of solid wood floors is that they react to the presence of moisture. In the winter heating months, moisture leaves the wood causing the floor to contract which leaves unsightly gaps between each plank. In the summer months when the humidity is higher the wood will expand and the gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture it may cause the wood planks to cup, or buckle. This is why it is important when installing a solid strip floor to leave the proper expansion area around the perimeter and to acclimate the wood prior to installation. Solid wood floors are sensitive to moisture and it is not recommended to install these floors below ground level, or directly over a concrete slab. These floors are for nail-down installations only.
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