A Guide to Commercial Hardwood Flooring

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Whether you're building, renovating, or
remodeling, if you've decided on restaurant
hardwood flooring, you know that this choice is
only the first of many. You'll have to decide on
the species, appearance, finishes, and styles.
Often, this process can be overwhelming. Here is
a rundown to help make these decisions a little
easier.
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Species From Cherry to Maple and from Cypress to
Walnut, there are more than 50 different species
available for commercial hardwood flooring. Each
species has its own color and grain, including
some that even have tones of purple within them.
If you want a lighter look, consider Ash White or
Bamboo. For a darker hue, think about one of the
Walnut varieties. Maple is a favorite with many
because of its uniform, elegant texture and
neutral color. Look through species galleries and
consult with a Chicago hardwood flooring company
as to which may be the best for you.
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Appearance Basically, the appearance of your
restaurant hardwood flooring has to do with its
grade and cut. Clear means that there are minimal
marks and it is uniform in appearance. Select
means the wood has natural color variations that
include knots and streaks. Common 1 and 2 choices
have even more natural characteristics these are
often chosen for character and common 2 is the
more rustic variety. You may also come across
these grades as first, second, and third. There
are also three types of cuts. Plain sawn, the
easiest and most common gives a varied grain
appearance. Quarter sawn, while more expensive,
offers greater wear resistance and a uniform
grain appearance. Rift sawn is similar to quarter
sawn, but without the ray found in quarter sawn.
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Finish Surface finishes are durable, water
resistant, and low on wood floor maintenance.
They remain on the surface of the hardwood
flooring, acting as a protective layer. Surface
finishes for commercial hardwood flooring include
water based, oil based, acid cured, and moisture
cured. Wax finishes work by soaking into the
pores of the species, forming a seal. Although a
wax finish seals your floor, the finish will show
spots from water and other spills. Acrylic
impregnated finishes are injected into the
material, and are used mainly for high traffic,
commercial areas, like restaurants. They are
really strong and really durable.
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Styles For restaurant hardwood flooring you can
choose between strip, plank, and parquet styles
for your floors. Strip is usually an inch and a
half to three inches wide, making the room look
larger. This is the traditional style, and it's
considered more formal than the others. Plank is
three to seven inches wide. It's also linear, but
creates a more casual feel because of the width.
Parquet is usually geometric, with a non-linear
look, ranging from a simple design to something
more complex. Selecting restaurant hardwood
flooring is more than just choosing a species and
calling it a day. There are many different
elements that allow consumers to get the look and
feel that works best hardwood flooring
installation adds value and beauty to any
property.
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