Hard Surface Floors: Wood, Tile & Resilient Flooring

Hard Surface Floors: Wood, Tile and Resilient Flooring

Hardwood Floors

These floors come in a variety of colors, wood types, and finishes. The wood can range from plain, domestic pine to an exotic Brazilian cherry. The planks can range from natural wood to black stain, and can be finished with anything from a low-luster to a high gloss finish. In addition, the plank surface can be sanded smooth, or be "hand scraped," which is a more rustic, uneven surface. Hardwood flooring comes in planks typically 4 feet long and 2½" to 6" wide, and are usually joined by tongue and groove joinery secured by nails.


American Walnut "Natural"	Handscraped Oak "Leather"	Brazilian Cherry "Cabin"	Domestic Birch "Natural"	Peruvian Mahogany "Natural"

Engineered Flooring

Engineered wood floors are built using multiple thin ply layers (see picture below) that are glued together. The inner cores are generally either a hardwood and/or soft plywood type of material, which incorporates the tongue and groove system. The hardwood veneer wear layer is glued on top of this core and is available in almost any hardwood species. Because of this, engineered flooring has the natural characteristics and appearance of the selected wood species as opposed to a photographic layer. The product has been designed to provide greater stability, particularly where moisture or heat pose problems for solid hardwood floors.

Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is a rigid floor covering with a surface layer consisting of one or more thin sheets of a fibrous material (usually paper), impregnated with resins. These sheets are either pressed or otherwise bonded to a substrate of high density fiber board (HDF) . The laminate flooring is normally finished with a backing. These floors usually join with tongue and groove, and can either be "floating" or nailed in place (a floating floor is not attached to the subfloor but floats over it and can expand and contract with changing temperature and humidity). The realistic wood prints are available in as many varieties as real wood flooring, as well as bamboo, stone, and other decorative finishes.

Overlay: High abrasion resistant surface
Decorative Paper: True-to-nature simulation of natural wood or other material
Carrier Material: 6 to 12 mm thick high density fiber boards
Counter-Laminate Backing: Protects against moisture and provides additional stability

Pergo "Roma Terra"

Pergo "Asian Bamboo"

Pergo "Red Oak"

Solid Bamboo Flooring

Loved for its beauty, durability, and sustainability, bamboo flooring is made from the tough stalks of the bamboo plant. The strands can be oriented horizontally or vertically. Horizontal bamboo is manufactured by laying the bamboo pieces horizontally and gluing them together. Vertical bamboo is arranged vertically and glued. Originally only available in "natural" and "carbonized," bamboo floors can now be stained and are available in a variety of colors. In addition, bamboo is available with a rustic, hand scraped finish, just like hardwood floors. These floors also use a tongue and groove, and can be nailed in place, glued down, or float over the subfloor.

Horizontal bamboo

Vertical bamboo

Stained bamboo

Engineered Bamboo Flooring	Engineered bamboo flooring is not made up exclusively of bamboo. As with the engineered wood product, a veneer of bamboo is attached to a core of plywood and HDF. The engineered variety offers more stability and will resist cupping. Although solid bamboos are described as moisture resistant, engineered products offer a more worry free advantage within areas of questionable moisture conditions.

Resilient Flooring	Resilient flooring refers to flooring materials which have a relatively firm surface, yet characteristically have “give” and “bounce back” to their original surface profile from the weight of objects that compress its surface. It has long been the most popular hard surface flooring in the United States. Resilient flooring materials are made in various shapes and sizes including both tile and roll form. Common types of resilient flooring include: Vinyl composition tile Vinyl tile and sheet flooring Linoleum tile and sheet flooring Rubber tile and sheet flooring Cork tile and sheet flooring
	Vinyl composition tile: Vinyl composition tile (VCT) is a mix of thermoplastic binder, fillers and pigments. Vinyl Composition tiles offer moderate pricing, durability, easy installation, and assorted colors and patterns. They effectively resist scuffs, burns, dents, and grease, but may require occasional heavy duty cleaning because the embossing can trap dirt.
	Vinyl tile and sheet flooring: Vinyl flooring, a plastic material, is sold in sheets up to 12 feet wide or as individual 12- or 18-inch-square tiles. One advantage of sheet vinyl is that it can be installed with a bare minimum of seams (sometimes none at all), making it impervious to damage from water that can seep between the joints of other flooring materials.
	Linoleum tile and sheet flooring: Linoleum is made from solidified linseed oil (linoxyn) in combination with wood flour or cork dust laid over a burlap or canvas backing. This product is considered eco-friendly and non-allergenic due to its organic composition. The highest quality linoleum floors are inlaid, that is, they are made by joining and inlaying solid pieces of linoleum to form complex patterns.
	Rubber tile and sheet flooring: Rubber flooring is durable, long lasting, and easy to care for. It is used in applications such as commercial food & beverage locations, commercial fitness flooring, home use gym mats, pet care facility floorings, playground surfacing, garages, and any other place a water and oil resistant, non-slip, and shock absorbent flooring is needed.
	Cork tile and sheet flooring: Cork used in the manufacture of cork flooring comes from the bark of the Cork Oak tree. The bark is harvested by peeling it away from the trunk and branches every 9 - 12 years and does not necessitate the felling of the tree. Unlike other types of trees that may die when they have their bark removed, the Cork Oak survives and will grow back its bark, thus making cork flooring an eco-friendly and sustainable product.

Ceramic & Porcelain Tile

Ceramic and porcelain tile is derived from mixtures of clay, porcelain, sand and natural minerals that are shaped into tile and fired at high temperatures. Ceramic tile is one of the oldest decorative finishing products known. Advantages of ceramic tile is vast variety, color permanence, stain resistance, durability, and ease of maintenance. Ceramic tiles can be used on countertops and walls as well as the floor.

1" and 2" glazed ceramic

4" unglazed ceramic

12" glazed porcelain

1" glazed ceramic

Natural Stone

Natural stone tile is available in almost as many styles as ceramic and porcelain tile, including polished marble, granite, slate, and travertine. Where ceramic and porcelain tiles are fairly consistent, there is much variation in natural stone tiles, as they are quarried and cut rather than manufactured, and no two are exactly alike. Stone floors are very heavy and can range from rustic casual slate to highly elegant polished marble.

Granite

Marble

Sandstone

slate