Choose the Look

In choosing the look there are several factors to consider. The first choice involves deciding which color matches your style. There are basically 5 color families, excluding specialty colors, natural, yellow, red, brown and dark brown. While there are various combinations of these 5 colors, these are the general categories. Second, you need to determine the right style, meaning traditional, exotic, contemporary, and vintage etc. Traditional tends to be natural or brown. Contemporary usually is yellow or dark brown. Exotic can be any of the colors, but has more character and variance to the wood grain.

Choose the Construction

Determining the construction has two facets to consider. Do you want a solid hardwood which is defined as 100% wood, (3/4 or 5/8 inch thick), a multi-layered engineered product with a hardwood surface layer (1/2 inch thick), or a high density fiberboard (HDF) core with a hardwood surface layer, (3/8 inch thick)? Second where is the floor being installed? Solid can be installed on or above grade, Multi-ply engineered and HDF can be installed below, on or above grade.

Choose the Connecting System

Solid hardwood is connected by a tongue and groove method and is nailed down to a plywood or wooden plank subfloor. Solid Bamboo with tongue and groove connector can be either nailed or glued down. Solid Bamboo click can be installed by nailing, gluing or floating. Multi-ply engineered may have a tongue and groove or click together system and can be nailed down to a wooden subfloor or glued down to a clean concrete substrate with the appropriate adhesive. HDF utilizes a click together process which requires no installation tools and is preferred by Do It Yourself installers. HDF can also be glued down for those who prefer not to have a floating floor system.

Natural

Yellow

Red

Brown

Dark Brown

Color Family and Exotic Grains

Construction

Connecting System

HDF

Multi-ply   

Engineered

Solid

Click

Tongue and Groove