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You have questions, we have answers. Explore the most frequently asked questions about hardwood flooring below. Need assistance or want to know more? Contact Carlisle or call 800-595-9663 today to get all your inquiries answered.
Hardwood flooring has long been the top choice for homebuyers and remains so today. According to Realtor.com, installing new hardwood floors may increase a home’s value by as much as 2.5%,[1] though some realtors place that figure at 6 to 10% or more.[2] Luxury wood flooring may add more value, and luxury vinyl planks and tile are also highly sought after in today’s market. Many homeowners are also exploring the benefits of engineered wood floors that look identical to solid wood floors but offer better performance in certain locations.
Luxury wood flooring is a hardwood floor that is made with finer materials, greater care and a strong emphasis on design. Wide plank flooring, reclaimed flooring and distressed flooring are excellent examples of luxury wood flooring.
Explore and select from our gallery of our most popular finishes, specially categorized by the personalities and traits of the floor designs.
ExploreLuxury vinyl planks re-create the appearance of hardwood flooring with boards that are made of four layers of material. The design layer of a luxury plank can be imprinted with any image, including a realistic appearance of a hardwood floorboard. The design layer is adhered to a thick backing layer of the vinyl to give the board its rigidity. A layer of film protects the design layer by preventing tearing or ripping. While a luxury vinyl plank will look almost identical to a solid hardwood floorboard, it will feel much different to the touch and much softer underfoot. It is also important to remember that Luxury Vinyl planks usually only have 6 visuals so you will see the same plank many times on your floor. Hardwoods are completely natural, and each plank will reflect the unique nature of the original timber creating a much more natural and organic look to the floors.
Wide plank floors are made with boards that are much wider and longer than standard commercial flooring. Where the traditional commercial floorboard is no more than 3” wide, a wide plank floor will have boards that are 5” to 20” wide and up to 16’ long. These wider, longer planks showcase the natural beauty of the wood and allow the personality of the grain to be fully appreciated. Wide plank floors can be installed more quickly since there are fewer seams, and the less busy appearance of a wide plank floor will make a room seem more spacious and elegant.
While cost depends on a variety of factors, a wide plank floor is likely to be more expensive than a standard commercial floor. Wide plank floors use higher quality hardwood species and must be harvested from older, larger trees that are less common. Additionally, producing and manufacturing wide plank floors involves more labor, inevitably increasing the cost.
Engineered wood floors are made with floorboards that are constructed from multiple layers of material. A top layer called the “wear layer” is made of a hardwood veneer that is several millimeters thick. This gives an engineered floor the look and feel of solid hardwood and enables it to be refinished several times. The wear layer is adhered to 5 to 11 layers of backing material like plywood, high-density fiberboard or Baltic Birch hardwood, with the grain in each layer running in different directions. This multilayered, cross-grained construction makes an engineered floorboard extremely stable and less likely to contract or expand when exposed to higher levels of moisture and humidity. As a result, engineered floors are ideal for installation below grade, in basements, over radiant heat and on concrete slabs.
An engineered floor will scratch no more easily than a solid hardwood floor. Solid or engineered floors made of Cherry or Walnut – two very soft hardwoods – will scratch far more easily than floors made from Hickory and Maple which are among the hardest woods commonly used for flooring.
Both engineered hardwood and luxury vinyl planks are excellent alternatives to solid hardwood floors. Engineered hardwood floors are more durable and environmentally friendly, while luxury vinyl planks are more water resistant and affordable.
Reclaimed floors are made with wood that has been recycled from old buildings, factories, barns and other structures. Floorboards made with these reclaimed timbers have a rich character and a warm patina created by years of wear and exposure to weather. A reclaimed floor will have all the nail holes, saw marks, discoloration, splits, cracks and other characteristics of wood that has stood the test of time. Reclaimed floors add instant character and visual appeal to any room.
A distressed hardwood floor is made with new floorboards that are treated to look as if they are aged, worn or weathered. Distressed floorboards may have saw marks that re-create the look of boards cut at sawmills a century or more ago, or hand-scraped edges to mimic the appearance of floors that were once scraped with a knife to smooth the transition between floorboards. Craftsmen may also use wire brushes and other tools to create grooves, ridges or raised grain patterns, resembling floorboards that have been gently worn by foot traffic and time. A distressed hardwood floor makes a design visual statement, adding visual interest and a sense of history to a room.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors is a leader in high-quality wood flooring. Our solid wood or engineered wide plank floors are made from a variety of hardwoods and Pine. Our expert design consultants work closely with customers to decide on the width of each plank, grade of wood, color of stain, type of finish and choices of patterns and texturing techniques to realize the homeowner’s vision for a one-of-a-kind surface.
