Hardwood Flooring Guide

Before choosing what type of hardwood you want for your house, you must know what subfloor you have and the moisture level.

There are three primary subfloors:

• Basement or concrete below ground level

• Concrete at ground level

• Plywood subfloor at or above ground level

There are four types of hardwood floors:

• 3/4-inch Solid

• 5/16-inch Solid

• Engineered

• Locking

 

3/4-inch Solid

• 3/4-inch-thick solid piece of hardwood floor
• can only install them over a plywood subfloor at or above ground level

5/16-inch Solid

Engineered Hardwood

• designed for installation over concrete and to help mitigate potential moisture issues.
• you can install engineered anywhere in the home, including the basement. 
• more environmentally friendly and less expensive than solid floors

Locking Hardwood

• A locking, or floating, floor is an engineered floor, but with the added advantage of a locking tongue-and-groove system 
• It's the perfect do-it-yourself flooring solution because nails, staples, and glue are not required.