For home decoration, choosing wooden flooring is also a difficult problem. Wooden floorings are mostly used in bedrooms, and bedrooms are usually where we spend the longest time of the day. So when we buy wooden flooring, the first thing we think of is safety and environmental protection. Solid wood flooring with low formaldehyde is the most ideal variety, but the cost of solid wood flooring is high. If the budget is not enough, can it be replaced with other wood floors?
Of course, solid wood flooring is low in formaldehyde, and it is not completely free of formaldehyde. Although other wooden floors have a higher formaldehyde content, they all meet the national interior decoration standards and are guaranteed to be harmless to the human body before they are allowed to be used for interior decoration.
Let’s first distinguish the types of wood flooring, understand their advantages and disadvantages, and then look at how to choose wood flooring.
I. Types of Wooden Flooring
Broadly speaking, wooden flooring is divided into three types, namely Solid wood flooring, Laminate flooring, and Engineered flooring. Each type is divided into some small types according to different processes and different materials. There are also some functional wooden floors, such as sports floors and special floors for floor heating. It can be said that the wooden floor family is a big family, with various varieties and designs, and developers are also trying their best to develop new varieties to meet the needs of the majority of families.
II.Solid Wood Flooring
Solid wood flooring is a ground decoration material formed after natural wood is dried and processed, and it is a floor directly processed from solid wood. It has the texture of natural growth of wood, is a poor conductor of heat, can play the role of warm in winter and cool in summer, comfortable on the feet, safe to use, and is an ideal material for floor decoration such as bedrooms, living rooms, and study rooms. There are many species of wood used for solid wood flooring, and prices vary greatly depending on the species.
Pros and Cons of solid wood flooring
1. Natural and environmentally friendly. Solid wood flooring uses less glue, has low methanol content, and is natural and environmentally friendly. The quality of solid wood flooring is good, and it also ranks above all wood floors in terms of price.
2. Strong and wear-resistant. Most types of solid wood flooring are hard and dense, with strong anti-corrosion and anti-moth properties. Under normal use, the life span can be as long as decades or even hundreds of years.
3. It is difficult to maintain. Since the solid wood floor is a whole piece of wood, it is prone to moisture expansion, shrinkage, and cracking. Do not wash with water during use, avoid long-term sun exposure, continuous direct blowing of the air conditioner, prevent rain at the window, and avoid hard objects hitting and rubbing.
4. The selection is difficult. The names of tree species on the market are very confusing. Due to the different growth environments of the wood, the materials of the same tree species are slightly different depending on the place of origin, and the prices of raw materials are also different. When buying solid wood flooring, it is best to go to well-known companies with good brand reputations and high reputations. In addition to quality assurance, there is usually a certain warranty period for the product. For any problems such as warping, deformation, and cracking that occur during the warranty period, The manufacturer is responsible for repairing and replacing, which can save consumers from worrying about the future.
III.Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is made of cross-laminated boards of different tree species. To a certain extent, it overcomes the shortcomings of solid wood flooring, such as wet expansion and shrinkage. The dry shrinkage and wet expansion rate is small, and it has good dimensional stability. Wood grain and comfortable foot feel. The core of composite wood flooring is generally divided into solid wood composite wood flooring, multi-layer composite wood flooring, and bamboo-wood composite wood flooring.
Pros and Cons of laminate flooring
1. Simple maintenance. The surface of the laminate flooring is well-painted, has good wear resistance, and does not require much effort to maintain. The surface is strong, easy to clean, and will last forever.
2. The price is affordable. The cost advantage of laminate flooring is that the price is lower than that of solid wood flooring, and it retains some of the characteristics of solid wood flooring. It is a better variety of wood flooring, but the cost performance is not high.
3. Strong stability: Due to the excellent structural characteristics of laminate flooring, the stability of the floor is technically guaranteed. To a certain extent, it is more resistant to shrinkage and swelling than wooden floors, but it cannot be soaked in water.
4. Moderate environmental protection. Laminate flooring is made of structural boards pressed with glue, so it contains a certain amount of formaldehyde. But the glue content is much less than laminate flooring.
5. The selection is difficult. Because of its complex structure and large quality differences, the internal quality is not easy to identify. When choosing, pay attention to the fact that the fewer layers of laminate flooring, the less glue it contains, the higher the quality, the more expensive it is.
IV.Engineered Flooring
Engineered flooring is made of one or more layers of special paper impregnated with thermosetting amino resin, paved on the surface of particleboard, high-density fiberboard, and other artificial board substrates, with a balanced moisture-proof layer on the back, and a wear-resistant layer and decorative layer on the front. Molded floors. It is generally composed of four layers of materials, namely a wear-resistant layer, a decorative layer, a high-density substrate layer, and a moisture-proof layer. The core particleboard and fiberboard are products with high formaldehyde content in the board.
Pros and Cons of engineered flooring
1. The price is affordable. The cost of engineered flooring is lower than that of solid wood flooring, and it can be produced on a large scale, which is relatively cost-effective. Due to the different base materials, the price difference is obvious, and the space for customers to choose is larger, which is suitable for people from all walks of life.
2. Stable and wear-resistant. Engineered flooring is more durable than laminate flooring. Its surface hardness is very high, pollution resistance, corrosion resistance, compression resistance, and impact resistance are better than other types of wood floors.
3. Poor environmental performance. The formaldehyde content of engineered flooring is higher than that of solid wood composite flooring, and it takes a long time to ventilate after paving. Depending on the quality of laminate flooring, ventilation requirements vary. Ventilate for at least one month before moving in. The formaldehyde content in the room must be tested before check-in to ensure that the content reaches the standard before you can check in.
4. The selection is difficult. From the appearance point of view, it is very difficult to distinguish the good from the bad, so it is recommended to check sample first and choose a reliable supplier, or buy big brand products. If you smell a strong pungent smell before buying, it means that it contains a lot of formaldehyde. You need to be cautious when choosing, and it is best not to buy it.
In conclusion: No matter which wooden floor you choose, it is very difficult to choose. How buy the right product at the right price requires everyone to keep their eyes open to choose, and don’t just listen to the flickering of the merchant. It is best to buy a big brand of wood flooring, you get what you pay for, you can buy it with confidence, and use it with peace of mind. Don’t be greedy for cheap-to-buy low-priced wooden floors. The cost of wood is there, and no matter how low the price is, it is impossible to be lower than the cost price. If the price of the wooden floor is too cheap, it means that the material used to make the wooden floor is poor, and the formaldehyde content may even exceed the standard.
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