Almost everyone loves to have hardwood floor in their house. And most love to take the role of do-it-yourself experts and install the hardwood floor in their homes by themselves. Having hardwood floors at your house can give it a sense of a warm comfortable feeling that makes a house a home, in which no other types of flooring can ever achieve. Hardwood floors are also beautiful and give the house a touch of class and elegance.

There are many types of hardwood floors out there, some do not need sanding and are easier to install by almost anyone and are easier on your bank account. There are also many species of wood available, but the most common are oak hardwood floor and maple hardwood. White oak is a type of oak, while maple has other forms such as sugar, black, or red maple. Oak hardwood floor appears as light brown woods, and oak is also installed in gyms and bowling centers. Maple is more reddish brown in contrast. In terms of durability maple woods are more durable than oak based on the Janka Table which is a ranking system for woods based on hardness.

Oak hardwood floor are less expensive than maple floors, it cost an estimated $5 per square foot. It also comes in different grades which dictate the cost and its appearance. Clear oak hardwood floor is derived from the heart of the tree and looks more uniform. Some home owners are undecided whether to install the floors by themselves and save more money, or handle experienced installer and save more time. The advantage of having experts do the dirty job besides saving time is that they can give an accurate estimate of how much materials are going to be needed, what other moulding or materials are needed, teach you the proper care & maintenance, and they have the right tools to do the job which if all added up will also save the home owner some money in the long run.

In case you decided to install it yourself then the task is about moderate in difficulty. The first step is to see if the subfloor has any weak spots needed to be fixed. Next remove the baseboard from the wall and place a space of a half inch from your wall which allows the wood to expand and contract base on the weather. Lay the planks of wood and hammer each in place with nails, and then replace the baseboard with moulding to seal the gap between the floor and the wall.

Now that you have your hardwood floor installed it is important to care for it so that it will last you for many years to come. It is important to clean your floor every day to prevent dirt getting stuck on the floor which will wear away to wood’s beautiful finish. Water is your hardwood floor’s enemy and can lead to irreversible damage. You can also use cleaner to remove grease and give the wood some shine. Waxing is not advisable since the wax can worn out and make the wood look lifeless, if you notice that your floor’s coat is wearing away then you can have the stain reapplied every couple of years. With all these tips at hand you can be sure that your investment will serve you for many years.

Author Bio: William I. Neil is an architect, providing home improvement information and business directory listing about oak hardwood floor also categories, e.g. engineered hardwood floor

Category: Home Management
Keywords: oak hardwood floor, hardwood floor, oak floor, oak, floor