When they went in search of wood flooring for the main-level living areas of their Markham home, Howard Nasgaard and his wife, Kerri-Ann Green, knew the exact shade they wanted.
"We were looking for something with a hint of a gold hue," he relates. "When we had the opportunity to see a section of natural walnut solid-hardwood flooring, it was gorgeous."
For this couple and countless others, wood is the ultimate in flooring. Once only solid hardwood was available, but today there is the option of engineered flooring — hardwood glued onto a less valuable type of wood. But both are available in many colours and tones that are given depth by grain patterns that can range from pronounced to subtle. And the natural material is soft enough to be easy on the body.
A third option is laminate flooring, which is made by putting a digital image of wood — coated by layers of plastic — over a core of particle board.
It offers the look of wood and a tough finish, and comes in many colours and grain patterns.
All three products have their champions.
Mr. Nasgaard, a 52-year-old software developer, and Ms. Green, a manager at the Ontario Science Centre who is 49, are careful, detail-minded consumers. They made it their business to thoroughly research wood flooring options.
"We chose solid wood rather than engineered wood because we'd heard of floors where the veneer separated from the backing, and we actually saw an example of that in a flooring showroom," Mr. Nasgaard says.
"And we were concerned that the engineered flooring details like the bevelled edges didn't have the look we wanted. Frankly we thought the engineered wood might look like laminate."
They did feel a tinge of guilt at their choice, however. "Ecologically, engineered wood probably is better," Mr. Nasgaard admits. "The 'good' wood is used only for the top layer of veneer and a lesser material is used for the backing."
Eco-friendly options
The prospect of cutting down a stand of trees for a floor that may ultimately be tossed in the trash is a bit of a bump in the road for consumers who are busy recycling envelopes and trotting their newspapers to the blue box. Happily, there are some new developments in the eco-friendly flooring department.
How about the wood from an old barn? Or maybe from logs found at the bottom of Georgian Bay? Carolyn Moss, a principal of Moss Sund Inc., a Toronto-based architecture and design firm that specializes in sustainability, is very excited about using these reclaimed materials to create beautiful, solid hardwood floors.
Her company recently installed an ash floor made from the wood taken from deconstructed barns by West Lincoln Barnboard and Beams Ltd., she notes.
"The other type of wood is logs that were dropped during shipping in places like the Ottawa River. The wood looks especially beautiful and will last longer than regular wood because being underwater preserves it. Apparently, there are millions of logs available from this source [generally]."
Engineered wood
Toronto interior designer Nathalie Thorel, who also has worked in Paris, is solidly in favour of the engineered flooring.
"Wood is a living material and it will expand and contract and show cracks," she explains. "It also squeaks. Engineered wood is very stable and it's eco-friendly. People who want their floors to look perfect will prefer it — it won't move because of changes in heat and humidity in the summer or winter. It tends to be a bit more expensive, but I think it's worth it.
She admits, however, that customers who want a more authentic look may prefer solid hardwood.
