Home > Brief Definition Of Flooring Terms >

Brief Definition Of Flooring Terms

You may find that you encounter some wood flooring terms that you are not familiar with on this website, or alternatively you may not know the difference between some of the different types of wood flooring. The quick guide below will help you to distinguish between them.

Laminate Wood Flooring

Laminate wood flooring is composed of 4 layers to help you to achieve the look you want. The bottom layer is a stabilising one, followed by HDF core to ensure longevity with a paper photographic image and finally laminate to help you to achieve the aesthetic value you want. You can choose form a number of looks depending on your wants and needs.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is literally what it says it is – 100% wood. The thickness of the planks can be between 10mm and 22mm and the planks themselves can be made of any number of woods, from oak solid wood flooring to beech, ash, cherry and maple. Installation options of this flooring include glue down and nail down.

Structured Flooring Or Engineered Wood Flooring

Structured flooring or engineered wood flooring is composed of 3 layers, all of which are laid on top of one another to prevent expansion and contraction that could lead to damage in the future. The bottom and middles layers are spruce with the top layer being real hardwood of between 1.5mm and 6mm thick. The overall thickness is between 10mm and 22mm, with installation being performed by glue being layer between the tongue and groove.

Veneer Flooring

This wood flooring is very similar to laminate wood flooring in that is has a stabilising layer and a HDF core, but the top layer is extremely thin wood at around 0.7 mm thick. It cannot be sanded down at all.

Plank Flooring

Plank wood flooring is literally a single board that is in one whole piece. It is more expensive than 2 Strip or 3 Strip wood flooring but can be obtained in engineered wood flooring, laminate wood flooring or solid wood flooring.

Two Strip Flooring

As Plank Flooring but features 2 strips per board instead of one.

Three Strip Flooring

As Plank and 2 Strip flooring but features 3 strips per board and is a lot cheaper as the wood strips are much smaller and easier to obtain.

Oiled Flooring

This is when wood flooring is finished with special oil. 3 to 4 coats are usually applied to afford the wood flooring a degree of protection and a lovely rich finish.

Lacquered Flooring

This wood flooring is finished with a lacquer rather than oil. Again, 3 to 4 coats are applied to add protection and give it a gorgeous sheen.

Unfinished Flooring

Wood flooring that is left unfinished will not have any finishing oil or lacquer applied to it. Instead, it is left in its natural state so that you could finish it yourself after installation.

Brinell Hardness Test

This is a test of hardness to ensure that the wood is in perfect condition. A 10mm steel ball is pressed against the hardwood flooring to check the hardness of the wood.