Smooth Vs Hand-Scraped Hardwood Floors & [ solid vs engineered ]

If you’re hoping to install new wooden flooring in your home soon, you are probably wondering whether you should choose smooth or Hand-Scraped hardwood floors. Deciding which is the best option for you will really depend on the general décor and look of the room or rooms in which you’re installing the floor.

Short definition smooth Vs Hand-Scraped floors would be:

A smooth wood floor is exactly what it sounds like: a wood floor with a beautifully smooth and attractively shiny appearance. It is the most popular option overall, and probably the most versatile as well

A hand-“scraped wood floor, on the other hand, is a floor that has been intentionally made to look a bit worn and aged. This means that it is most suitable for decors that call for that sort of appearance. Examples might include certain types of vintage and rustic decorating styles. For those who want something a bit different and unique from the norm.

Think about protecting them. Start by buying quality door mat. I made list of 10 best door mats for hardwood floors.

Smooth Hardwood Floors

The smooth wood floor is an undeniably wonderful option for almost any home. It provides a refined and beautifully finished appearance to any room. It’s also remarkably versatile, able to fit into pretty much any sort of room décor.

There are many different types and tones of hardwood flooring, so when you’re doing your research, you will want to look at the different woods and colors available. No matter what type of hue you desire, you’ll find a great variety ranging from light to dark wood.

As you probably expect, smooth wood floors require a certain kind of maintenance. You can find great and inexpensive wood polishers like Gladwell on Amazon. It Will make sure you floors will look awesome!

One of the advantages of a hardwood floors is its durability but it depends on the type of wood you choose. If you choose a softer kind of wood, you’ll have to be more careful compared to harder types.

Kids = Harder wood 😉

Refinishing wooden floors is time-intensive and expensive, and it tends to be a messy process. The cost of having wood floors refinished by a professional can cost between $1.25 and $4 or even more per square foot. The exact cost will depends on factors such as the exact finish, the layout of the room, and the type of floor. When you have your floors refinished, you’ll need to deal with dust created by fumes and sanding. The fumes come from the polyurethane coating. 

Hand-Scraped hardwood Floors

Hand-Scraped wood floors are becoming more popular by the year, and it’s certainly something you might want to think about if you feel like having something a little different from the norm. The ways by which the scraped wood appearance is created have been around for thousands of years.

One of the big advantages of hand-scraped floors is that you might not have to worry quite as much about some of the everyday wear and tear that will accrue on your floors.

If you have a very busy household and perhaps young kids, this type of floors might be a good option for you. Or at least buy harder smooth polished option. . 

You should be aware that hand-scraping today is most often done by machine. Most people consider this to be irrelevant, however, as the complete look is most often identical. 

Difference between Solid vs. Engineered Hardwood Floors

Traditional (solid) hardwood floor have boards made of solid wood. Engineered floorboards, on the other hand, provide the appearance of solid wood while boasting a lower cost and a greater variety of options for application.

Features of Solid Hardwood Floors

• Traditional solid wood floors can be refinished as many times as you want. This means that it is an excellent option, if you want something that will endure for several decades.
• You can be placed on top of a wood subfloor.
• Solid wood floors are generally unsuitable for installations that are below grade. This is because too much residual moisture and excessive humidity can cause warping, which would be disastrous. If you live in a place with high humidity and you lack climate control in your house, you should be aware that this could lead to cupping in solid hardwood floors. 

Features of engineered hardwood floors

• Engineered hardwood flooring is comprised of a number of thin layers, including resin, compressed wood, and polymers.
• Real hardwood is layered on top. Usually you can refinish them 2-3 times. It depends on the thickness of solid wood layer. If you ask me, this is more than enough.
• Engineered wood flooring can be put over different kinds of flooring. It’s more versatile in this way than solid wood floors, as it doesn’t need to be nailed to a subfloor.
• It is an excellent option if you will be installing it in an area with high humidity. This is because of the polymers and resin that is included in the flooring composition.
• You will already getvthrm finished when you obtain them, compared to solid hardwood floors where you need to apply finish afterwards.

Types of Wood used in hardwood flooring

Some of the most popular types of wood used in hardwood flooring are oak, walnut, cherry, maple, and hickory. 

There are two kinds of oak available: white oak and red oak. White oak is a harder wood than red. This makes it an excellent option when you’re looking for something that is more practical.

The grain of white oak is variable, so you will want to make a decision based on your preferences and décor. Red oak features appealingly warm tones that you might enjoy. 

Maple is very durable, as well. Maple has a lovely creamy light-wood look. This wood has quite a refined grain pattern. It can have some darker specks and streaks in it, but many find that this adds a certain depth to the appearance.

Cherry is a beautiful look if you love warm hues. The tone tends to deepen over time, so this wood is often a lovely choice for traditional rooms.

Why Should You Install Hardwood Floors in Your Home?

Hardwood floors will probably increase the value of your home. High quality and well-maintained hardwood floors almost always make a property fetch higher prices than carpet. Not only are they more durable (and often more attractive) than carpet, they are more fashionable and on trend.
Hardwood floors are easy to clean, so you won’t have the issue of dust and dirt collecting as they tend to in carpets. With hardwood floors, you’ll just have to sweep or lightly vacuum and use a wood floor cleaner on occasion.

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