There are over 6,000 square feet of gorgeous hardwood floors
in the Project House. Our floors are "engineered" wood
floors from Mannington Mills, a family-owned company that has
been manufacturing flooring for over 85 years. Nothing can add
elegance to a home's interior like beautiful natural wood floors,
and that's certainly the case with the floors we've put in the
common rooms on the ground and second floor.
If you're a regular viewer of the show, you'll know that
Michael Holigan's Your New House is a big believer in
using engineered wood. For reasons of strength, durability,
uniformity in performance, and benefit to environment, we'll
go with engineered wood products at every opportunity—and
it's no different when it comes to choosing flooring for the
Project House. Traditional solid wood flooring requires more
than twice the number of trees to produce the equivalent square
footage of engineered hardwood floors. (SOURCE: Mannington Mills)
Solid wood floors are much more expensive than engineered
wood floors, but solid wood has a tendency to warp, buckle and
gap over time. The five-ply, cross-grain construction of our
Mannington floors ensures that each ply reinforces the next. With
the strongest resins bonding all the layers together, the
combined plies result in a floor that's far stronger and more
durable than a solid piece of wood.
Species, Style, Design and Finish
There are many different kinds of American hardwoods such as
Hickory, Pecan, Maple, White Oak, Red Oak, Beech, Birch, Ash,
Walnut, Cherry and Poplar. When it comes to measuring the
"hardness", of a particular species, there is a
"pressure to mar" rating method that determines how
many pounds of pressure per square inch it takes to mar the
wood.
Using this scale, Hickory and Pecan are the hardest, at
1,820. Hard Maple is 1,450, White Oak is 1,360, Red Oak is
1,290, Cherry comes in at 950, down to Aspen, which is one of
the "softest" hardwoods at 350. (Source: USDA).
Of course, when it's time to choose what kind of floor to
put into your home, there are many factors, other than
hardness, to consider:
- Is your room small or large?
If you're flooring a small room, select a lighter color to
make the room appear larger.
- What style is your décor?
For traditional or country décor, a wide-width board
is a good choice. Narrow-width boards are good for contemporary
décor. Dark woods give a room a more formal feel, while
lighter colors blend well with casual styles. Wider boards work
well in larger rooms, while a narrow-width board will make a
smaller room look larger.
- How about accents?
If you lay your floor on a diagonal, you can focus the visual
"flow" of the room. You might consider creating a
border around the room, or using a contrasting color to create
a dramatic focal point.
The design considerations and possibilities in wood flooring
are endless, but when you choose a high-quality wood floor, as we
did in the Project House, you're making a commitment to quality
and style that will add a lasting touch of elegance to your home.
Contact Information:
Mannington Wood Floors
1-800-252-4202 |
