Solid Wood Floors

Carpet colors and vinyl patterns may come and go, but one flooring material that never falls from grace is wood. Tough, durable, natural, warm: wood is perhaps the most practical of all flooring materials.

There are three main types of wood flooring: strip, plank and parquet. Strip flooring, the standard for homes built during most of the 20th century, is made from 1 1/2-inch or 2 1/4-inch-wide by 3/4-inch thick strips of hardwood that are laid parallel. They have interlocking tongue-and-groove edges. Planks are wider-from 3 to 8 inches wide-and may be laid in random lengths or with real or simulated pegs at the ends. Parquet flooring is made from small pieces that are laid in intricate, geometric patterns such as herringbone and basket weave.

Though softwoods such as pine and Douglas fir are used for older floors or new ones where a distressed look is wanted, because they dent and mar easily most wood flooring is made from durable hardwoods such as oak, maple, ash and a few exotic woods such as walnut, teak and cherry.

Solid wood strip flooring is blind-nailed through the interlocking tongues. Wider planks are also screwed and plugged at the ends of each piece (ends are staggered).


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/ Wood floors / / Vinyl floors / / Tile & stone floors / / Carpeting /
/ Carpet cuts & loops / / Stairs / / Stair shapes /

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