Massive floorboard: the pros and cons

Currently, the market of finishing materials is so rich that you can choose the right products for every taste, wallet and style of your home. However, the priority for many years are products made from natural materials. Today we will talk about high-quality and beautiful solid wood flooring.

What it is?

Before embarking on a close acquaintance with this finishing material, you should understand what a massive board is. This material is a quality floor covering made of natural wood. A characteristic feature of solid wood is the presence of a tongue-and-groove locking system, with the help of which the boards can be firmly and securely connected to each other.

The standard size of these floor coverings is 90 mm wide and 900 mm long.Today, many manufacturers offer a choice of buyers more wear-resistant fabric, processed in the manufacturing process of special protective compounds (oils, varnishes and other coatings). These finishing materials serve for a long time and do not lose their attractive appearance over the years.

Advantages and disadvantages

Massive flooring boards have always been very popular due to their presentable and aesthetic appearance, as well as a variety of pleasant performance characteristics.

Let's take a closer look at what the pros and cons of these finishing materials:

  • The significant advantages of solid wood can be attributed to its environmental friendliness. Today, not every finishing material can boast of this characteristic, since many of them contain chemical compounds harmful to human health.
  • In addition, this flooring boasts good strength and durability. If you properly exploit this natural finishing material and treat it with care, then it will easily serve for many decades (up to 50 years or more).A massive board can be ground and ground many times, if necessary.

This suggests that such material for the floor is easy to restore, which can not be done in relation to the laminate or floorboard.

  • Many buyers stop the choice on the natural board, because the process of its installation is very simple and does not take much time.
  • Also this flooring boasts excellent heat and sound insulation properties. The massive board itself is warm, if you feel it. These characteristics can not boast ceramic tile or good old laminate.
  • It is impossible not to pay attention to the beautiful appearance of such finishing materials. With their help, you can transform the interior and give it a special charm.

Despite such a rich list of advantages, the massive board has a number of drawbacks, which you should be aware of if you want to get such finishing material:

  • Many buyers refuse to purchase solid wood, as it is quite expensive. Especially it concerns the products made from exotic and valuable breeds of a tree. In matters of price, massive coatings are much inferior to parquet or inexpensive laminate.
  • Despite the fact that the installation of solid wood is not considered too time consuming, it is still necessary to purchase special (not cheap) tools and consumables for it. As a rule, plywood is laid under such a coating and is complemented with a special sound and heat insulation layer.
  • The massive board does not like temperature differences and high humidity in the dwelling. Being in such conditions will lead to the deformation of the coating and the loss of its attractiveness. In these matters, of course, parquet and laminate are ahead of the massive board.
  • Many consumers are repelled by the fact that a massive board requires special and regular care, which can not be neglected. It will have to periodically handle a special varnish, antiseptic compounds and oils. This is necessary so that the base does not crack, does not crack and has at least a minimum percentage of water resistance.
  • This floor finish can not be installed on the system "warm floor". This results from the fact that the massive board is not calculated on temperature differences.
  • Designers claim that the appearance of such a finishing material, of course, is good and elegant, but it does not give much scope in design solutions.

Kinds

Currently, manufacturers produce only 4 types of solid wood flooring. Consider them in detail:

Radial

Such board turns out as a result of a cut high-quality and strong wood. As a rule, in the manufacture of such coatings used massive and durable oak.

Select

This kind of floor board is obtained by cutting near the annual rings of the tree. Otherwise, this work is called a tangential cut. High-quality materials are available for customers and are distinguished by their “calm” color with low-key and smooth outlines of annual rings.

Natur

In the cut of such material, the structure and shade of natural wood is preserved to the maximum (hence the name of the board). On the surface of these coatings you can see the traces of the knots and natural color drops.

Rustik

This type of solid wood has perfect geometry and rich colors. As a rule, on such coatings there are also rough traces of knots and even cracks.

Materials

The following types of wood are used in the production of modern solid wood:

Oak

Solid boards of this valuable wood are the most durable, reliable and durable. As a rule, they have an impressive weight and serve for a very long time.

Of course, such a floor is much more expensive than other options made from less presentable breeds.

Bambu

Such massive boards produced by both domestic and foreign manufacturers. Today they are very popular because they serve for a long time, they look harmonious and do not cause allergic reactions.

Beech

With oak boards for strength can compete coating of 14 mm beech. This breed of tree is reliable and differs in a unique expensive shade.

Birch tree

A massive birch board is cheaper than, for example, oak or beech wood. However, this does not at all indicate its dubious quality. A more democratic price is easily explained by the fact that birch does not belong to valuable tree species, and its extraction in our country is not difficult.

Ash

A solid ash board can boast an attractive appearance and a pleasant shade. This breed is also often found in our country, so the cost of such flooring is most often affordable.

Solid maple

This type of wood is used in the production of both domestic and imported products. As a rule, maple floor coverings are quite durable and emit a unique natural scent.

Colors

A luxurious massive board can have different colors.

Consider the most popular and popular options that easily fit into many styles of interior:

  • A classic is an airy whiteboard. It can be called universal, because it looks great in a variety of ensembles. It can either overlap with the rest of the palettes in the room, or sharply contrast with their background, attracting more attention.
  • Beautiful appearance have a coating of light oak. With the help of such boards, you can freshen up the interior and make it more “easy-going”. Such warm finishing materials can be used in the rooms located on the north side in order to soften them a little and make them more hospitable.
  • Luxurious views can boast lacquered solid chocolate shade boards. Such finishing materials look organic not only in the living room or in the hall, but also in the bedroom.Rough knots and cracks due to the dark shade are rarely seen on the surface of such coatings, so they can be used even in rich and fancy ensembles.
  • The massive boards of a red shade look bright and interesting. They are recommended to be used for finishing rooms with furniture, walls and ceilings of a more relaxed scale, otherwise the ensemble may turn out to be too saturated.
  • The trend of the last seasons are asphalt flooring. They can be both dark and slightly lightened. They can be laid out in rooms of different styles, however, it is not recommended to refer to similar floor coverings if the rest of the interior is made in similar depressive palettes.

How to choose?

Choosing high-quality and durable natural wood flooring, you should rely on the following important parameters:

  • First, consider the interior, which will be a natural floor covering, because it will have a significant impact on the choice of color and pattern of solid wood.

For example, in unnecessarily bright and rich ensembles it is not recommended to install coatings of the same saturated colors so that the image of the room does not become too colorful.

  • Decide on the price.Selecting such flooring, you must be prepared for the fact that they will cost you quite expensive. The most affordable options are birch or pine.
  • Choose a quality manufacturer. This issue is one of the most important in the choice of solid floor boards. Do not contact the little-known brands that offer too cheap canvases, since they can only be given out for natural, and in fact be of poor quality (particle).

An important role in extending the life of a solid wood board is played by varnish, with which you will process it, therefore, the choice of these tools should also be treated responsibly. And it does not matter at all what exactly the flooring is made of, whether it is a luxurious oak, cheap birch, or expensive beech - any kind of wood will require treatment with special varnishes.

There are only 3 main types of such tools:

  • Lacquer coating. Such tools are recommended to choose if you want to give the solid board additional strength and durability. In case of partial damage to the surface of the board, it is necessary to carefully remove the varnish using sanding, and then apply it again.
  • Butter. Oil formulations do not provide the same reliable protection as lacquers; however, with their help, restoration work on damaged areas is slightly easier. Apply the oil should be at least once a year (and better - once a quarter).
  • Oil and wax. This mixture is useful for creating a reliable protective film massive boards. Such tools are considered traditional, because people turned to waxing hundreds of years ago.

How to care?

Natural wood looks unmatched, but is a rather capricious and demanding material that cannot be ignored.

To make your floor look aesthetically pleasing and last longer, you must adhere to the following rules for storing and using solid wood:

  • Try to maintain a constant level of humidity in the room with this finish (50-60%). This is necessary so that the boards do not dry out and not swell.
  • As for the optimum air temperature, for solid wood they are 18-25 degrees. It is necessary to protect such floor coverings from sudden temperature changes, otherwise they will lose their positive qualities and presentation.
  • From time to time, the protective layer on such natural materials will have to be updated with the means listed above. The heavily worn coating can be sanded each time and coated again with protective compounds.
  • For the care of wooden floors, it is recommended to buy specialized tools and not to turn to classical aggressive household chemicals.
  • Do not move heavy items on the massive board and furniture. It is not necessary to put structures with sharp or scratching feet on such surfaces, as this may damage the board.

To avoid these problems, you should put soft rugs or special adhesive pads under the furniture and décor so as not to scratch the floor.

  • To remove debris from the surface of a natural board, you should use a regular vacuum cleaner. Such a floor covering can be wiped with a slightly damp soft cloth, however, contact of natural wood with plenty of water should be avoided.

Operating reviews

Consumers leave a lot of feedback beautiful but capricious solid wood. First of all, they celebrate its beautiful appearance.Many people turned to such flooring to radically change their home and they succeeded.

However, many owners point out that in matters of care and maintenance a massive board is far from the most practical material. Some buyers were greatly distressed when noticeable scratches appeared on the boards in places where furniture had previously stood, which did not seem so heavy.

In addition, the conditions for such coatings in the home should be truly ideal, otherwise the natural wood begins to crack and dim, despite regular maintenance.

By the way, the constant care also “strains” many owners of massive boards. They often have to be coated with special protective agents, which are not always cheap and are not found everywhere. Moreover, spreading the entire surface of the floor often takes a very long time.

But, despite all the claims, people still talk about the incomparability of the wooden floor, as it is environmentally friendly and gives off pleasant natural flavors.

Examples of use in the interior

A rough massive brown board with noticeable dark knots and a woody structure will beLook great in a simple and uncluttered interior with light monochromatic walls and inexpensive woven furniture in neutral tones.

On the background of a massive board it is possible to have pretentious furnishings (for example, a snow-white carved piano) and pompous wall decoration with stucco and gold splashes.

A dark chocolate board will look spectacular in an ensemble with light walls and upholstered furniture made of leather and black-and-beige fabric.

About why you should choose a massive board - the next video.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

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