"Hardwood" Flooring

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Info about Hardwood Flooring in Thailand

For general information, there are 2 main types of hardwood flooring manufactured and available in Thailand and world-wide for that matter. There is also a third type of "hardwood" flooring, which is generally made from wood by-products and petro-chemical products. I hope this helps to make you a happier, more-informed buyer.

1. Solid wood. This can come as single boards of a single or multiple lengths, generally 10cm-15cm thickness, with tongue and groove for installation. These are the most difficult and most un-reliable for the long run because of variable moisture content at installation and quality or lack thereof of installation. Solid wood flooring of poor quality or poor installation is generally the culprit when you see uneven wood flooring with buckling or cupping. Expansion and contraction and original installation-time moisture content must be accounted for at installation by an expert installer and care must be taken to buy a product that is properly kiln-dried and acclimated to the particular environment in which it will live into the future. A good product and expert installation will result in a product without a lot of long-term issues. Care should also be taken to insure that the installer uses only zero or low emissions glue and finishes to protect you and your family from health risks.

2. Engineered hardwood flooring. This is a multi-layer, all wood product that was originally developed for two main purposes. The first was to overcome the problems associated with solid wood flooring. i.e. Expansion and contraction due to varying humidity and the resultant variable moisture content of the wood. The second was to reduce the cost by using a relatively thin top layer (3-4mm) of the expensive hardwood (Teak, Oak, Maple, Rosewood, Walnut, Merbau, Hevea, Coconut Palm, Mahogany, Cherry, etc., etc.) and some number of layers of base woods. (generally 2). The bottom layers are also real wood, but of easily re-newable species. The stability of this product is built-in by the fact that the layers are installed in perpendicular grains so that each layer as it expands and contracts cancels the effect of the other layer(s). A good Engineered Hardwood Flooring product is considered as a "Green", environmentally friendly product because it will use about 1/4 of the amount of precious hardwood of what solid flooring uses, because good products use zero or very low emissions glue and finishes, and because the other layers are made from cheaper, easily re-newable species of wood. When Engineered flooring is installed, it will look and feel identical to solid flooring and will last just a s long in your home or condo. It is much easier to install since most products have a click-locking system that insures consistent spacing and consistent expansion-contraction properties. You can't see through the surface, so anyone that looks at it in your home will not know the difference between Engineered flooring and solid. Engineered flooring can be fefinished 2-3 times in it's lifetime. If the original product is well-made and well-finished, you will get 10-20 years between refinishing needs.

3. Laminate Flooring. Laminate is often confused with Engineered Hardwood Flooring. It is "engineered" but the top layer is a petro-chemical or paper product stamped, printed, and/or embossed to look like real wood or just about anything else. It is durable and it is the least expensive. The lower layer(s) are generally made of MDF (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-density_fibreboard#Drawbacks_of_MDF for more information). It is equally easy to install as Engineered Flooring. MDF is brittle and contains potentially harmful chemicals. Generally a good choice if cost is the primary issue.

I hope this helps.

(Disclaimer: I am in the Hardwood business and have experience with all three types of "wood" flooring.)

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for the sake of completeness:

4. Ceramic floor tiles with a simulated wood pattern.

5. Bamboo flooring