How do I choose the right board width for my flooring?
Also, set a budget and refer to professional decorating tips to help guide you in selecting a board width to accommodate your flooring needs. The typical board width used in strip flooring is less than 3 inches. Older homes frequently have original wood-strip floors because that was the only available flooring option.
How wide should hardwood floors be?
Many clients tend to prefer something up to 12” wide, both for aesthetics and for the simple fact that hardwood floors wider than this are exceedingly rare. Wider boards are much more common with Eastern White Pine flooring, commonly used for historic renovation, restoration, or reproduction projects.
What is the standard width of wood strip flooring?
The typical board width used in strip flooring is less than 3 inches. Older homes frequently have original wood-strip floors because that was the only available flooring option. Narrow floor boards in newer homes tend to create a contemporary, linear effect.
How long should my floorboards be?
Remember, if you go wide, you’ll want to make sure you request long lengths in your floorboards too. Request an average length of 7’ for most hardwoods and 11′ for wider floors including Pine; these proportions will help visually enhance the appearance of your wide planks, and make them an impressive feature of your living area.
How wide are planks of wood?
around 5 inches wideStandard Planks Manufacturers often refer to boards around 5 inches wide as being the standard plank size for hardwood flooring these days. This width is popular for achieving various looks in most room sizes, especially the rustic or farmhouse décor styles.
How thick are wooden floorboards?
Solid wood flooring comes in a variety of thicknesses: typically 1/2″, 5/8″ and 3/4″. There is very little difference in cost between 1/2″ thick and 3/4″ thick because you start with the same raw material when you make the flooring.
How wide are wooden floorboards?
Solid hardwood flooring can usually be found in widths ranging from 60mm to 300mm. Engineered hardwood flooring can be found with slightly wider planks (between 100mm and 400mm) as it is a more dimensionally stable product.
What size is considered wide plank?
Wide Plank Dimensionally speaking, wide planks are boards with a width anywhere between 5-14 inches. In general, the most commonly used wide plank products width range between 5-8 inches. Wide planks also tend to have longer lengths as they are sourced from longer trees.
How thick is a floor mm?
Laminate flooring thickness ranges from 6mm to 12mm. The thicker the board, the more it will cost you. This doesn't mean though that it will be of better quality. The quality usually depends on the amount of wear layer that is sprayed over the photographic layer and the materials used for its manufacturing.
How thick are oak floorboards?
Structural boards are typically 18mm/20mm in thickness and can be laid directly onto wooden joists or battens. This thickness of board can equally be laid over a wooden subfloor, a plyboard subfloor or - for boardw no wider than 120mm - glued to the subfloor.
How thick are floorboards UK?
All the figures are based on normal domestic floor loadings where the floor construction is typically 18-25mm floor boards/sheets with up to 12.5mm thick plasterboard and skim underneath.
How wide should floor planks be?
Traditional flooring typically uses 2 ¼ inch to 3 inch wide planks. This style works well with most décor and has clean, consistent lines. It's versatile and has general overall appeal. But over the years, as trends have changed, many have come to prefer wider plank flooring.
Do wide floorboards make a room look bigger?
If you have a small room, wide boards will give and impression of greater volume to your room, particularly if they are light coloured.
Are wider floor boards better?
Wide planks are easy on the eyes and can even change the size or shape of a room. In general, smaller rooms can feel cramped and unwelcoming. Bring out the best in them by using wide boards to create the illusion of more space.
Which is better wide or narrow wood flooring?
In addition, because there are more boards in the floor, narrow plank floors tend to be easier to maintain. Wide plank floors need more space to expand and contract with humidity, narrow plank floors need less. This means they won't shift as much with changes in humidity and will be less likely to buckle or warp.
Are wide wood planks more expensive?
In most cases, the wider planks tend to cost more than narrower planks. The main reason for this is because the wider planks are made from older growth trees which are more valuable. The wider planks means each tree produces fewer planks.
What is standard subfloor thickness?
Subfloor sheets for both OSB and plywood come in 4 by 8 or 4 by 12 sheets. Thicknesses for products used for subfloors are generally 23/32 inch (just under 3/4 inch), but thicker sheets are available where building codes call for them.
How thick is tongue-and-groove flooring?
Solid-Wood Tongue-and-Groove Flooring Each piece is a strip of solid wood that is typically 5/8 or 3/4 inch thick.
Is 12mm engineered flooring good?
Choose engineered wood floors that have good quality thickness to ensure they last. Within the industry, 10mm/12mm-20mm thicknesses are pretty standard for engineered floors, but it's the construction of the floor that you want to look into to make sure that every layer is made from good quality material.
What is the thinnest wood flooring?
The thinnest engineered hardwood flooring has a 3/8-inch thickness, and installation requires nailing it into place. If you compare 3/8-inch vs. 1/2-inch engineered hardwood flooring, you will find that the 1/2-inch variety can be glued.
What is parquet flooring?
Parquet wood floors can give your home a custom, elegant look. Flooring blocks are often created in 1- or 2-foot squares from assorted strips of wood in various widths. Each block is typically held together with a removable paper facing or a linen mesh backing. Parquet flooring offers a variety of geometric design options -- such as standard, herringbone, block, baroque and Marie Antoinette patterns. Solid parquet is constructed from completely solid wood while veneer parquet is make from partial solid wood.
How wide is a plank?
Plank. Plank wood flooring is constructed from floor boards that typically range from 3 to 8 inches wide. The broad width of boards used in plank flooring makes it ideal for use in a rustic, traditional or country decorating style.
Why do older homes have wood flooring?
Older homes frequently have original wood-strip floors because that was the only available flooring option. Narrow floor boards in newer homes tend to create a contemporary, linear effect. The elongated appearance can also help a smaller room appear more spacious and open.
Can you use wood planks in a small room?
Wooden planks that are inundated with knot holes and have been hand scraped convey a more rustic, weathered appearance. Avoid plank flooring in a small room; the wide boards can make the space appear to be even smaller. You can help a large, open room feel cozier by installing broad, plank floors.
Who is Mary Cockrill?
Cockrill has been a top design consultant for a renowned home store and is the owner of Starwood Home & Gifts, LLC, an interior design, decorating and home staging business.
Small rooms
All in all, people usually assume that in small interiors narrow board are a must. Yet, that’s not true. If you’re decorating a small room and want to make it look larger, you might try choosing a narrow board, but, on the other hand, a broad board can look very stylish, not only in large, but also in small interiors.
Large rooms
The same principle applies to large interiors. It is a common belief that flooring in large interiors should have wide boards. Yet, that’s not a principle. Think of many castles and stately homes, which have really large interiors – very often you may encounter really narrow wooden floorboards there, which look stunning.
What is random width flooring?
Random width flooring refers to hardwood floors made with planks cut at varying widths. While standard commercial flooring is made with floorboards that are all cut to the same width – usually 2 ¼" to 3" – random width flooring mixes the widths of planks to create more visual variety and an authentic vintage look.
What is birch wood?
Birch is a favorite of Carlisle craftsman and is renowned for its intriguing hues that range from rich reddish-brown in the heartwood to blonde outer edges and warm amber as well. Birch offers varying grain patterns that run from subtle swirls to flame-like effects, adding personality to a floor without feeling overly rustic.
What is the width of Carlisle plank flooring?
At Carlisle, we offer a variety of hardwood flooring. Depending on the species, you can order wide plank floors from Carlisle in widths between 4″ and 20″.
What is the difference between random width and same width?
Aside from the obvious difference between same width and random width flooring – the width of each plank – there are differences in feeling and appearance . Floors with boards cut at a standard width provide a more formal and even appearance. Random width flooring offers a more visually interesting surface while harkening back to the early American floors which were created with boards cut at multiple widths.
What is a diagonal hardwood floor?
Diagonal hardwood flooring is an increasingly popular option that provides visual appeal and makes smaller rooms seem larger. Mixed hardwood flooring uses different types of wood floors in adjacent rooms to create more visual variety. You can also create contrasting hardwood floors by positioning dark and light hardwood floors in adjacent rooms or even by alternating light and dark floorboards within the same room. Wide plank floors can also be installed in patterns like Herringbone or Chevron, bringing a greater sense of luxury and visual interest to any room.
What makes Carlisle the most trusted source for random width flooring in America?
For more than 50 years, our artisan craftsmen have used time-honored techniques and the finest raw materials available to continually produce one-of-a-kind masterpieces. Embracing the highest levels of craftsmanship and providing extraordinary customer service, we obsess over every detail of your floor to ensure it meets your highest expectations and our exacting standards.
What is walnut wood?
Walnut is renowned for its rich mocha-chocolate hues with surprising auburn undertones. Walnut features lighter-colored sapwood and darker heartwood with complex grain patterns that make it one of the most attractive woods available.
Why did we stop seeing wide floorboards as the 19th century progressed?
One reason we stopped seeing wide floorboards as the 19th century progressed was simply because material was becoming harder to find.
What is Olde New England salvage?
Companies like Olde New England Salvage exist for the purpose of preserving, restoring, and perpetuating antique building materials. "We’ve done everything from replace a single board to move an entire room’s flooring from one house to the next," says owner Glenn Pianka. "We’re trying to provide materials to restore either original houses or add them into new construction as a special and functional feature."
When did wide plank flooring disappear?
More interesting is that this type of flooring—wide-plank boards—disappear from pervasive use in the second half of the 19th century. By the 1870s and 1880s, planks of about three and four-inch width (something more akin to what we’re accustomed to in modern homes) became the new standard, and wider floors got left behind. Why? Look to American history.
What is period dramas?
Welcome back to Period Dramas, a weekly column that alternates between rounding up historic homes on the market and answering questions we’ve always had about older structures.
Is wide plank flooring a status symbol?
Interestingly enough, now, wide-plank floors are seen as a bit of a status symbol and a direct-line connection with America’s heritage. Ironically, a lot of the wood that makes up flooring today is ill-suited for wide planks. "Wood is farmed today to grow really fast," says Wilson. "That fast growth results in large spaces between the rings of the tree, which creates very unstable wood that differs greatly from the tight rings of naturally growing older trees. Many people turn to reclaimed wood for just this reason."
Did all 18th century houses have wide plank floors?
Now, we’ll be honest and say that not all 18th-and-19th century houses had wide-plank floors. This is definitely not a hard-and-fast rule, but more a general observation. With the absence of industrialized tools, though, cutting down trunks into narrow strips of wood was much more labor intensive—and therefore more expensive. Examples of more intricate flooring tend to exist only in grander properties.
Can you sand reclaimed wood floors?
If you’re lucky enough to snag a bundle of reclaimed wood—or if your house naturally has wide-plank floors—there’s one tip that was widely recommended to us. "We’ve come across floors have have been sanded so profusely that they’re too thin to be used anymore," says Pianka. "Definitely avoid over-sanding your floors."
Have Questions About Your Hardwood Flooring Project?
Picking the right width of your hardwood flooring is one of the essential design choices in your home. Take into account your décor, the shape and dimensions of the room, and the room’s use. The material, color, texture, and plank width are mostly based on what appeals to you and any budget considerations. Classic or contemporary, the width of your hardwoods should match your style and the unique characteristics of your home.
What to consider when choosing hardwood flooring?
Keeping in mind any budget concerns may help you determine the right width for your hardwoods. Larger planks are crafted from bigger logs and are often more costly. If you are planning on installing flooring in a kitchen or bathroom, your overall options will be limited to flooring that will maintain its integrity in that space.
How wide is a classic hardwood floor?
Classic hardwood flooring styles are generally 2 to 3 inches wide. The narrower sized planks are a timeless design feature that works in both traditional and modern homes. Narrow planks are also great for achieving patterned designs such as herringbone, chevron, or block parquet. In small or narrow rooms, the right pattern style can make the room feel larger. Accenting with gorgeous borders or medallions is another way our craftsmen at Artisan Hardwood Flooring can add exciting details to narrow hardwoods floors.
What is random width flooring?
This varying sized flooring delivers an authentic look by integrating the natural variety of the tree widths. Because manufacturers don’t have to sort or trim these planks as much, random width flooring can also be less expensive. The versatility of this hardwood flooring option creates a stunning design scheme that adds warmth and character to any space.
