Natural Vs Builder Hardwood

Traditional solid sawn lumber is still a very popular choice for builders primarily due to their familiarity.

Natural vs builder hardwood. Solid hardwood flooring boards tend to be narrower than engineered hardwood flooring. The core is typically made with plywood or fiberboard material while the top layer is solid wood. Canadian plus and mixed hardwood are very similar in their flooring specs. There s also a noticeable difference in color.

Consumer reports top rated options in solid wood engineered wood laminate porcelain tile and vinyl flooring. Canadian plus and mixed may have mineral marks and small knots. Solid hardwood is available in both pre finished and unfinished boards. Similar to rustic grade it is offered in all color variations.

Not many choices for tile and only 2 grout colors white or dark gray. The grade of wood is one way to classify hardwood flooring according to the different plank textures and natural features. The builder s standard option is 12 by 12 square tile in the kitchen. This doesn t mean the quality of the hardwood isn t as high as the select grade but there are many more visual knots and variation between the planks.

Check out the best flooring from cr s tests. Knots mineral streaks shakes and checks or other character traits do not impact the quality of the planks. One side of the board has a tongue and the other has a groove. One of the advantages of solid construction is that most 3 4 thick solid wood floors have about 1 4 or 6.

Engineered hardwood flooring is made of both real and synthetic wood. Hardwood flooring consists of sawed planks from natural hardwood timbers like oak and maple and is sometimes called solid wood hardwood flooring is more expensive than engineered hardwood a k a engineered wood flooring which is constructed from thin glued together layers of derivative wood products such as osb mdf or plywood. Engineered flooring is great for those who want natural hardwood and the added benefit of higher resistance to moisture and heat fluctuations. This article has been updated since its original publication date of dec.

The hardwood option available is natural finish red oak and the builder wants 9 20 per square foot to change from tile to hardwood. The tongue interlocks with the groove to fit the boards together. Builder flooring is a mixture of 80 natural grade and 20 rustic grade. Solid hardwood floor planks are made with a tongue and groove edge locking method which makes it easy to join the planks together and make a strong joint.

The canadian plus grade is a mix of 50 select better and 50 natural. Flooring made with engineered wood can look. The choice of grade is also a matter of design preference and will depend on the look that you want your floor to.