If you are planning to install wood floors in your home, before you do there are certain things that you need to know about choosing the best option. It may be tempting to select the wood floors in Manhattan that match the current décor of the room or select it by the size of the planks but to ensure that you get the best results. You are better off to understand wood floor characteristics and how the floors react under various conditions before you make the choice.
A very important characteristic of wood flooring which is not an issue with other types of floors is the dimensional stability; this is in reference to the way the wood reacts to humidity. Every wood, it does not matter which, expands and contracts as the humidity changes, however, there are certain woods that are far more stable and expand and contract much less than others.
If the rooms humidity level will be kept stable through the use of air conditioners and humidifiers then it is possible to use a wood which is less stable than Mahogany for example. In a room which does have stable humidity then maple or birch are good choices. If the wood floors in Manhattan are going to be installed on top of a concrete sub base the wood should be somewhat stronger; cherry, walnut or ash are good choices.
The dimensional stability of the wood is very important to understand but also extremely important is the traffic pattern the floor will be subjected to. In areas where it is expected that the traffic will be high then select the hardest possible wood for the job, conversely, areas where there is less traffic expected can use softer woods. This is where it gets a little tricky, select three or four woods that meet both the traffic and dimensional stability criteria and then make your choice based on your decorating needs. A couple of the hardest woods are redwood and mahogany.
The hardest wood floors in Manhattan do not necessarily have the greatest dimensional stability; you must weigh the options carefully. Santos mahogany is a very stable wood and flexes with humidity but as it is quite soft it will mar with heavy traffic. This type of wood is best suited in areas such as the bedroom or living room, not a high traffic area such as the hallway or just inside the door where it can be easily dented.
If you are planning on installing wood floors in Manhattan then you are invited to visit the showroom of New York Wood Flooring where you will find knowledgeable flooring professionals and a wide variety of wood flooring options.