Wood Floors - Ocotillo Flooring Services
Affordable Wood Flooring in Arizona
Affordable Wood Flooring in Arizona
Ocotillo Flooring Services has been serving the valley and northern Arizona for over a decade! Our hand-picked team of flooring professionals will help ensure you find the flooring that’s right for your home, and our installation team will exceed your expectations the first time. Call Ocotillo Flooring Services today for the best value in wood flooring!
Wood Flooring Overview and Options
Wood is one of the more versatile flooring choices. It can exude a streamlined, polished elegance or offer a honeyed vibe to the family cabin. And it is the ultimate environmentally-friendly flooring choice. But as with all wood floors, you need to choose the type of wood that is best for your needs.
There are different types of wood flooring. Solid wood is just what it says—a plank of solid wood. It can be used in any room that is located above ground. Engineered wood floors are also real wood, but the planks are made using layers. The layers may be made of the same type of wood, but the interior layers could be a different type of wood than the outer layer. Engineered wood flooring can be used above or below ground level, such as in a basement.
You have a variety of finishes to choose from. Generally speaking, a satin gloss finish is the shiniest, semi-gloss finishes are a little less shiny, and satin or matte finishes are more flat, meaning they reflect the least light. The rule of thumb is that the less shiny a floor, the fewer scratches or other marks will be noticeable. Conversely, marks on a satin-gloss finish will be more visible. All the finishes offer your wood flooring the same amount of protection, but how easy it is to see any imperfections changes depending on the finish.
Wood Flooring Installation
The installation method depends on the type of wood flooring you choose. Solid wood planks need to be installed with nails on a wooden subfloor. Engineered planks can be either nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor; they can also be glued to a wood or concrete subfloor. These make engineered wood floors ideal for slab and basement installations, but they can be used in any room, either above or below grade. While this type of flooring can be sanded and refinished, it cannot be done as often as solid wood flooring.
All hardwood floors will fade as they age; however, exposure to direct sunlight will speed the process along. You can slow the process by installing window treatments that block the rays.
Since wood is a natural product, it expands and contracts depending on how much moisture it's exposed to and the temperature. This constant expanding and contracting can cause hairline cracks or variations in height or width. Controlling the humidity and temperature can maintain the quality of your wood floor. So if you live in a humid or wet climate, install insulation that can control the moisture level inside the house. If you reside in a dry climate, consider using a whole-house humidifier to minimize the effects of the weather.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood flooring is a bit of a misnomer, as the word “engineered” brings to mind laminates and other unnatural products. “Engineered” in this context means layers of wood as the base and core of these planks, which are then topped with a hardwood surface layer.
Variances in thicknesses account for differences in pricing, but basic construction remains constant. Between three and 12 layers, arranged in a cross-grain pattern for strength, are glued and pressed together. The edges form a tongue-and-groove locking system. The top hardwood layer is then glued and pressed into place. The result is a wooden plank better suited to a humid environment, with greater stability and a much smaller environmental cost than that of hardwood flooring.
Benefits of Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood planks withstand differences in temperature and humidity better than hardwood planks do, making them ideal for use in basements and other moisture-prone areas. They also hold up well when installed over radiant heating systems, whereas hardwood flooring is more likely to dry, shrink, crack, cup, or buckle in the same conditions. It can also be glued directly over a dry concrete slab, or stapled to a wood subfloor.
Costs and Class
A number of factors dictate the cost of engineered wood flooring, as well as its class designation. A thicker surface layer, also called the wear layer, indicates higher quality, as does a greater number of core layers.
3-Ply Construction
A 3-ply engineered wood plank costs between $3 and $5 per square foot. The wear layer measures between 1 and 2 millimeters and has five finish coats. The overall thickness is 1/4 inch. Typically, the hardwood layer comes in only the most common hardwood tree types, such as ash and oak, with fewer staining options. The warranty averages between 10 and 15 years.
5-Ply Construction
A 5-ply engineered wood plank costs between $6 and $9 per square foot. These feature a surface hardwood layer measuring between 2 and 3 millimeters and an overall thickness of 1/4 inch. The surface receives seven finish coats, with more hardwood species available. In addition to all stain choices being available, homeowners may choose effects such as distressing. The warranty averages between 15 and 25 years.
7-Ply or Higher Construction
A 7-ply or higher engineered wood plank costs between $10 and $14 per square foot. The hardwood wear layer measures 3 millimeters or higher and includes nine finish coats. Overall plank thickness measures between 5/8 and 3/4 of an inch. This class includes the widest variety of hardwood tree species, as well as reclaimed wood, and more surface effects. Warranty lasts 25 years or more.
Maintaining Engineered Wood Flooring
Maintaining and cleaning wood flooring is a breeze as long as you do it regularly. Use a soft bristle broom or a dry, microfiber mop daily to remove dust, dirt, and other debris. Once a week, set the vacuum on the bare floor and run it over the wood planks to pick up any dust gathered between the boards. About once a month, use the wood cleaner recommended by the manufacturer.
Do not use any cleaners meant for tile or laminate flooring. Do not use a wet mop. You may use a slightly damp cloth to wipe away spills, however. Remember to clean up any spills as soon as they happen, as standing liquid irreversibly damages wood. Do not use detergents, steel wool, or wax-based cleansers.
Placing rugs in high-traffic areas protects your wood floors from scrapes, scratches, and dents. Place furniture on rugs and use felt protectors on the legs of chairs, tables, and sofas.
Parquet Wood Flooring
Comprised of small strips or blocks of wood laid out in a geometric pattern, parquet wood flooring originated in France in the 1600s. Its design gives the floors an almost mosaic-like appearance. Today, the comparative subtlety of herringbone and chevron patterns is the most popular decorative choice. However, many homeowners prefer the old geometric style of squares, lozenges, and triangles, or even larger visual features such as sun or star effects.
The wood in parquet flooring is either solid or engineered. Engineering involves layering different wood types and applying a top layer of hardwood. Whichever type you choose, the appearance is the same.
Style Choices, Types, and Costs
Your first consideration when choosing parquet wood flooring is which type of wood to use. The most common choices are cherry, maple, oak, and walnut. However, many homeowners prefer the look of more expensive options, such as teak and mahogany.
Engineered Parquet Flooring
If you choose engineered parquet flooring, your wood choice forms the hardwood veneer covering the layers of wood used to create the parquet strips and blocks. Each “tile” includes three or four layers of wood to create a plank thickness of 14 millimeters. Then, a 4-millimeter hardwood veneer goes over the top. These engineered tiles tend to withstand weather variances better than traditional parquet tiles do, at a lower price.
Costs for engineered parquet tiles vary widely, due to the wide variances in styles. However, the more common geometric pattern tiles range from $2 to $11 per square foot. The cost to hire a contractor for installation in a room of 120 square feet averages between $2,000 and $2,500, depending on your location and the cost of materials. Unless you already own the proper installation tools, doing it yourself may cost substantially more.
Hardwood Parquet Flooring
The hardwood strips used to make parquet tiles measure between 18 and 20 millimeters thick. Boards fit together with a tongue-and-groove design. Harder woods withstand regular wear and tear better than softer woods do, acquiring fewer scratches and dents. However, with proper maintenance, your hardwood parquet floor will last many decades.
Natural wood parquet tiles in standard geometric patterns cost between $5 and $15 per square foot. Price depends largely on the type of wood used, but taking the average tile cost of $10 per square foot, professional installation of a 120-square-foot room averages $3,000, depending on where you live.
Do not install wood flooring in moisture-prone areas such as basements or bathrooms, as humidity causes the wood to swell. As it dries, the wood then contracts, causing premature damage.
Maintaining Parquet Wood Flooring
Wood floor maintenance is a breeze if you remember two things: do not use a wet mop or a steam mop, and do not use cleaning products designed for vinyl or tile. Both practices damage your beautiful wood flooring. Cleaning up after a spill requires no more than a slightly damp cloth.
For day-to-day cleaning, a soft bristle broom or dry microfiber mop works well. Weekly use of the vacuum on the bare floor setting helps remove dust from between boards. Finally, perform a deeper clean with a monthly application of a cleaner designed for your wood type.
For extra shine, use either a buffer or light wax, only applying the wax to light traffic areas every other time you apply it. Area rugs and felt protectors applied to your furniture’s legs protect the wood from scratches and dents. During dry winter weather, plug in a humidifier to minimize gapping.
If a scratch occurs, lightly sand the scratch and seal it with a liberal application of floor wax.
Plank Wood Flooring
When a person hears the phrase “hardwood floors,” plank wood flooring is what typically comes to mind. These solid, wooden planks traditionally went over the floor joist. Some folks stick to tradition when installing them today, but most prefer to place a layer of insulation first, to help reduce energy costs and retain heat.
Most wood planks are very thick in order to stand up to a lifetime of people walking across them, and they offer a great deal of flexibility in design. Homeowners may choose to leave them untreated, or they may apply a stain or even paint. For the best results, hire a contractor to install plank wood flooring.
Styles and Costs
Customers have a variety of wood choices for plank flooring. We look at ash, bamboo, maple, oak, and pine.
Ash: $10 to $20 per square foot
This extremely hard wood makes floors that some homeowners consider too light in color, although its sturdy nature makes it a popular choice. Color and grain pattern are the main indicators of cost. The wood holds stains well, providing a bit more flexibility for those put off by the light, natural color of ash.
Install this super-hard wood in high-traffic areas, such as the bathroom, entryway, hallways, kitchen, and living areas.
Bamboo: $8 to $15 per square foot
Bamboo plank flooring is a unique combination of natural and manufactured. To make bamboo planks, manufacturers soak individual bamboo strands in a binder and then use high pressure to form them into a plank of solid bamboo. The result is as durable and long-lasting as oak, but from a sustainable source.
The heaviest influences on bamboo’s price are the binder and topcoat used during its manufacture. Cheaper bamboo flooring is much more susceptible to scratches and dents; prodigious use of area rugs is highly recommended, especially if you install it in high-traffic areas, or you have large dogs.
Maple: $7 to $16 per square foot
This hard, dent-resistant wood has a close, subtle grain that makes it a popular choice for homeowners looking for a lighter-colored plank floor. Clearer grains come at a higher price, with streaks and knots lowering the price of maple planks.
Maple does not hold darker stains well, but most buyers prefer a lighter stain for maple anyway. Its hardness makes it a great choice for high-traffic areas and in homes with dogs.
Oak: $8 to $20 per square foot
The most commonly used material is red oak. Don’t let the name fool you; red oak is not red. Its popularity as a flooring material stems not from color, but from durability. The hardness of red oak means its surface holds up well against common abuses, absorbing fewer dents and scratches.
Grain pattern consistency and quality have the greatest influence on the price of oak, with more consistent grain patterns costing more. “Subtle” is not a word often used to describe the grain pattern of oak, making it unappealing for some homeowners.
Install oak in entryways, hallways, kitchens, and living rooms.
Pine: $5 to $20 per square foot
Technically a soft wood, the many types of pine offer a great deal of variance in hardness. In other words, check which kind of pine tree donated the planks for your plank wood floor; some pines dent and scratch easily under regular wear, such as pet paws.
Pine’s lower cost makes it a popular choice, despite its softness. You may install pine in your high-traffic areas, including the entryway, kitchen, hallways, and living room. Place area rugs under furniture and in high-traffic areas of a room to lower the risk of denting.
Maintaining Wood Floors
Plank wood flooring offers homeowners easy maintenance. A soft-bristle broom or dry microfiber mop works great for everyday cleaning. Once a week, run the vacuum over your wood floor, using the bare floor setting. This picks up dust from between the boards. About once a month, apply the wood flooring cleaner your contractor recommended.
Clean spills immediately, using a slightly damp cloth. Do not use products intended to clean tile or vinyl on your wood floors, as these tend to dull the wood’s appearance. In addition, wet mops and steam mops may damage the wood. Apply wax sparingly, or use a buffer. If you do use wax, apply it in light-traffic areas every other time you wax.
Protect your wood floors with some basic precautions. Rugs in high-traffic areas and under furniture prevent dents and scratches. Apply felt protectors to furniture legs to prevent scratching. Replace these protectors as they wear out.
Do not slide heavy furniture across the floor; that is bad for both the floor and the furniture, as you scratch one and damage the legs of the other. A humidifier helps minimize gapping during the dry winter months.
Every four or five years, apply a maintenance coat. You can wait decades before sanding and refinishing your wood floor.
Wood Laminate Flooring
Wood laminate flooring offers homeowners the look and even the feel of real hardwood flooring at a much lower price. Pick your favorite tree, and a laminate version of its wood likely exists. In the past, laminates were quite obviously not real wood. Today, the many styles and options of wood laminate are nearly impossible to tell from the real thing.
In addition to its lower cost, many people like the versatility and durability of laminate flooring, which stands up to large dogs and heavy furniture better than softer wood flooring options do. Even hardwood flooring is susceptible to dents and scratches without proper care.
The Construction of Wood Laminate
Wood laminate consists of four layers:
- The bottom layer, comprised of melamine. It provides stability.
- The core layer of high-density fiberboard gives the flooring extra strength and greater stability.
- The visual layer is essentially a photograph, rendered in high detail, of the buyer’s chosen wood product. This gives the laminate the appearance of real wood.
- The top finishing layer protects the flooring from regular wear and tear, staining, fading, and surface damage such as scratching.
Heat and pressure fuse each layer together, creating a strong, durable flooring option. Pieces lock together via a tongue-and-groove connecting system.
Before Installation
To minimize shrinkage, allow laminate flooring to sit, unopened, for two to three days in the room intended for installation. Next, clean the installation surface, sweeping it free of debris.
Laminate installation requires an underlayment between the flooring and the subfloor. Some laminates include the underlayment, but not all. This protective layer offers a number of benefits, such as absorbing imperfections in the subfloor, softening impact, and reducing noise. Some underlayment options also include a moisture barrier, ideal for moisture-prone areas such as basements, bathrooms, and kitchens.
If there is no moisture barrier, create your own using a plastic lining. Before laying down the underlayment, cover the floor with the plastic lining, overlapping if necessary and taping edges together. Cover the entire floor, leaving no gaps or spaces, and run it up the walls but not above the baseboard.
If the home’s current, non-carpeted flooring is level, it makes an acceptable surface for wood laminate flooring.
Maintaining Wood Laminate Flooring
This flooring is easy to care for and resists stains and fading, but it is not indestructible. It will scratch, so take care, because scratches and chips are irreparable. Buy extra laminate pieces and save them so you can replace damaged pieces.
You never need to polish or wax laminate flooring, and mopping is discouraged. Sweeping and dusting with a dry microfiber mop keeps it clean. Running the vacuum on the bare floor setting sucks up dust from between the planks. Wipe up spills right away, and your wood laminate flooring lasts for years.
Schedule Your Installation Today
To learn more, or if you are ready to get started, contact us today. Our experts work with you to find exactly the right style for your needs.