Solid wood flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses: typically 1/2″, 5/8″ and 3/4″. There is very little difference in cost between 1/2″ thick and 3/4″ thick because you start with the same raw material when you make the flooring.
Sticking with the standard.
These days, the standard width in hardwood flooring is the 4- or 5-inch wide plank. Curious minds may know that the standard has grown wider with time. These widths are often the go-to because the boards can fit nicely and effectively in most rooms.
No, 3/4 solid Hardwood flooring can expand and contract more than engineered wood flooring. I would not suggest direct gluing down any 3/4-inch thick solid Hardwood flooring to any surface, the adhesive bond might not allow the solid wood flooring to move or breath normally and can cause the wood flooring to distort.
It is recommended to choose engineered wood flooring with an overall thickness of 3/4 inch to 5/8 inch. Breaking that down, the wear layer should measure 3/16 inch, and the core should have a 9- or 11-plywood (ply) thickness.
Laminates vary in thickness but most average between 5/16 and 3/8 inch. In comparison, today's solid hardwood flooring averages from 3/8 to 3/4 inch in thickness.
Subfloor sheets for both OSB and plywood come in 4 x 8 or 4 x 12 sheets. Thicknesses for products used for subfloors are generally 23/32 inch (just under 3/4 inch), but thicker sheets are available where building codes call for them.
This means that if you want more durability and last longer, then choose a vinyl flooring that's around 12 mil to 20 mil. It's suggested to have a wear layer of at least 12 mil for residential spaces and 28 mil for commercial spaces.
A 3mm wear layer can withstand three to four refinishes and has an estimated lifespan of 40 to 50 years. The thickest available wear layer, 4mm, can take three to four refinishes and has an estimated lifespan of anywhere between 50 to 100 years as a result.
An engineered wood floor, which is being fitted over under floor heating, is normally recommended to be a maximum of 15mm thick. The reason for this is that boards of this thickness will allow the heat to pass into the room more efficiently than a thicker board.
Solid hardwood floors must be fixed into position by either gluing or nailing down to the subfloor. Engineered hardwood floors can be glued or nailed into position, but they also have the option of being floated over an underlay.
It is important to mention that you do not need a wood floor underlay when you have a solid hardwood floor and that's because it is not stable, hence it has to be installed mechanically to the concrete subfloor.
Stick with thin widths for a classic wood floor: If you're a traditionalist, planks between 2 ¼ inches and 3 inches are most common in homes and give you that classic hardwood floor appearance. Go wide if you love character: Wider floorboards of 5 to 12 inches reveal a wood's character, including grain and knots.
Usually made from sawed timber, planks are usually more than 11⁄2 in (38 mm) thick, and are generally wider than 21⁄2 in (64 mm).
As the name implies, solid hardwood flooring is one solid piece of wood sawn from a log. The standard thickness is ¾”, but there are also options 5/16″ and ½” thick. Older homes often have even thicker boards—pre-1850 houses can have floors as thick as 11/8″.
With that said, there is no current set width that is required for a hardwood floor to be considered a “wide plank floor”. Some companies will say floors above 3 inches in width are considered “wide”, whereas another company may say a floor must be no smaller than 5-inches to be considered wide.
In a typical home, the entire structure between levels can be about 12 to 14 inches thick, depending on the type of joists used and the finish materials for the floor and ceiling.
14mm engineered hardwood flooring is a fantastic choice as it offers the elegance and beauty of a natural floor covering, which can last a lifetime of looked after correctly, and it can be found at a cost effective price.
Generally speaking, the hardest wood for flooring is Ipe (or Lapacho). However, this is very hard to find, due to its rarity. This also makes it a very expensive flooring product. Therefore, more widely available, and hardwearing are Hickory and Maple flooring.
On average a refinish takes . 75 to 1 mm of your current floorboard's density. That means that if your floor has only a 2mm veneer with a wirebrush and/or is handscraped, sanding down and refinishing is likely not an option since sanding down through the wear layer will total your floor.
A high quality engineered wood will be able to be sanded and refinished as many times as a solid wood floor, depending on the thickness of the wear layer. Solid wood floors typically have a 6-7mm wear layer, remember to look for at least 4-7mm of wear layer in your engineered flooring.
Refinishing your engineered floor is a possibility. However it depends on the amount of sanding required to achieve a smooth surface prior to applying the finish. If your floors are worn and have deep scratches and goudges, they might need to be sanded. This process can remove up to 1/8" of material.
The more MIL's a product has the stronger the wear layer is. So, a 6 or 12 MIL product will work for your home, but not for a commercial setting. A 20 MIL product will work for your home, AND work for a commercial setting. The higher the MIL's the higher the warranty in years, and vice versa.
While new styles of luxury laminate flooring look beautiful, hardwood tends to be the best flooring to increase home value. Made of natural materials, hardwood exudes a luxurious aesthetic in any home whether it's old or brand new.