​Hardwood Flooring  Experts in Toronto | Parqueteam Hardwood Flooring

​Recently, a lot of our clients have been asking us about environmentally friendly hardwood floors, and how to make a purchase of hardwood flooring with the least damage caused to the environment. We say it is a great question. And our answer is simple: Use engineered hardwood floors.
 
One of the main concerns people have had with engineered hardwood floors is the claim that they are not real. Let’s get this claim straight: It is simply not true. The top layer of the engineered hardwood floors is made of real wood, (in some cases bottom too, for more expensive types), and the bottom (or middle) made of different layers of plywood.
This particular structure eliminates the full solid wood structure, which tends to waste more wood.
Also, that same-engineered hardwood floors has enough thick wood thread on top to be able to refinish it in the future.
 
So, next time you go to shop for hardwood floors, and worries about the environment, then do not hesitate to go for the engineered hardwood floors. It is durable, in some cases cheaper, looks exactly the same like solid hardwood, but better for the environment. 

After getting their new hardwood floors installed, one of the first questions that the homeowners usually will ask is how to properly maintain their hardwood floors. We admit, it’s not an easy task. Here are few tips how to properly maintain your floors so they will last decades:
 
* Any substance spilled on the hardwood floors needs to be wiped immediately in order to prevent future buckling and dryness to the spot where the spill occurred. Remember, water and hardwood floors do not work together well!
 
* The floors need to be moped or vacuumed at least ones a week or more frequent. Soft vacuum head (or soft brash attached to a vacuum head) is preferable. As for mopping, a special mop can be found in various hardware or hardwood flooring stores in Toronto. AVOID USING WATER! There are many cleaning solutions for hardwood floors!
 
* Furniture legs should be protected with the soft pads in order to prevent any scratches or severe damage due to the furniture weight or shifting.
 
* It is a good idea to use rugs in a high traffic area, around the kitchen sink or near the front door of your residence.
 
* If you decided to move your furniture, make sure you are not dragging it again the floor. The top layer could be scratch. (Lift the furniture or place soft material under the furniture in order to prevent any floor damage)
 
By following these simple steps, your hardwood floor should look brand new all the time and last for the decades it should last! Enjoy!

​It is not a secret that the cost of new hardwood flooring, specially a good quality one, could cost the consumer not a bit, and the bigger the house, the bigger is the cost. But rather than viewing it as a cost, before coming to a decision, the consumer needs to look at the benefits and the investment aspects in installing hardwood flooring.
 
Yes, hardwood flooring installation is an actual investment, not a cost. When you replace your old floors (specially if its an old carpet), your house not only will look beautiful, but as well its price in the market will go up. Hardwood flooring became over the years the more popular choice among homeowners and business owners in Toronto. Whether it is a condo apartment or a
house, hardwood floors will bring you a beautiful look, warmth, and durability, that other flooring types will not.
When installed properly, with the right quality of materials, hardwood floors will last for many years, and best part – one time investment.
 
So weather you a business owner or home owner, that is tired of the old flooring, and want to refresh the look of your place, hardwood flooring is the best option for you.

Engineered hardwood flooring falls in the middle between laminated flooring and hardwood flooring in terms of durability and cost. Although each of these flooring has its own pro's and con's, it would not hurt to gain as much knowledge of both flooring types. In terms of stability, engineered flooring beats its "competitors" in terms of stability, moisture and humidity resistance. Such advantages make engineered flooring more frequently installed in the bellow-level areas. Due to constant involvement and development of the engineered flooring structure, house owners does not have to struggle with the flooring installation in their basements and laundry rooms.
Since top parts of the engineered floors are made from solid wood, it is almost impossible to distinguish engineered floors from more expensive types of flooring such as solid hardwood flooring. In addition, during the installation process, piles are placed on each other, but in the opposite direction, which gives such great stability.
Over all, if the homeowner does not have any plywood base subfloor (concrete for example), and still wants hardwood floor instead of laminate, engineered hardwood flooring is the way to go. (It is also great for plywood subfloor)
​

We all know that downtown Toronto has many old and beautiful houses. However, an old house requires extra care and customization, specially with hardwood flooring. New  hardwood flooring is one of the first things to consider, since it is first thing a visitor will notice when entering your residence. That's why knowing about different installation options such as hardwood flooring installation, laminate flooring or engineered flooring installation is very important.
Nailing down the hardwood flooring  would probably be a great option for an older house, due to its durability, long lasting" lifetime" and sophisticated look. However, there is no limit in terms of house type or location. The cost, however, will be slightly higher; but hardwood floors would last for decades. If you have flexible budget you would like to allocate towards your hardwood floor installation, hardwood would indeed complement "rich" and sophisticated look of your house. In addition, there are variety of products currently available in the market that would allow you to take care and preserve healthy look of your hardwood floor.
Also, there are variety of wood types and textures you can pick from. You can also pick a stain (floor paint) that would create either natural look of the chosen hardwood floors or the one that will make it darker or lighter than its natural/original wood color. With the right choice of professionals, the hardwood flooring installation process will be a breeze. So all you would have to do is enjoy your new beautiful and solid hardwood floors for years ahead.

Grey and white colour tones of engineered hardwood floors are in trends today. Such colorus of the wooden flooring could complement a classic design, as well as contemporary and sophisticated modern decor. A home owner could benefit from  of pale, light colours of the engineered flooring, since it is visually enlarging living space and looks great when  exposed to natural light, such as sun blicks. Moreover, light tones of engineered hardwood floors could give a feeling of vintage, antique atmosphere within living space and highlight some characteristics of interior design. In addition, wooden floors that are painted in light tones are more practical in terms of cleaning, since the dust does not appear as visible, as it would appear on darker colours.
Wide planks of engineered hardwood floors is another trend within flooring market. Wide planks of wooden floors, especially engineered hardwood flooring  not only provide visual and aesthetic benefits to almost any living space, but also poses practical attributes to it. For instance, due to technological advances  of engineered hardwood floors, such high level of stability and durability, wide plans are actually provide more stability to the actual structure of the engineered flooring.
With the high awareness of the environmental issues, a homeowner could address such issues through buying an environmentally friendly engineering floors that are now widely available within flooring installation industry. Eco-friendly wooden floors, particularly engineered hardwood floors will be a safe and reasonable choice for any homeowner who are concerned with both, the environment and the well being of its family members. The options for hardwood engineered floors are almost limitless, it is can satisfy almost almost any personal desire in terms of design, look and technical features. ​

​Hardwood flooring installation could be viewed as an investment rather than a cost. Hardwood
Indeed it is most popular choice when it comes to flooring installation. Whether it is a condo apartment or a house, you cannot go wrong with the hardwood floors. It is well known for its durability, strength and "rich", sophisticated look. Hardwood floor lasts for decades, and by investing ones, you have a long lasting value added to your entire house.
Weather it is a house or a business venue, hardwood floors immediately increases the overall value of the entire property. After all, hardwood floor as a product is environmentally friendly and is a healthy choice for both pet owners and parents.
If you are looking for a long-term investment, hardwood flooring is the best choice. It increases the value of your residence and will pay of the money you spent.

There are few ways how a person can install his hardwood flooring. Before choosing the hardwood flooring installation method, the installer needs to check the subfloor. If subfloor is concrete for example, then a glue down or floating installation of hardwood flooring would be good. If subfloor is plywood, a nail down installation would be a good choice of method.

​The nail down installation
This type of method is used primarily when installing a solid wood floor. This option requires that your home have either plywood or wafer board/OSB on the sub-floor. The name says it all. Nailing gives you a deck-like style floor. Generally speaking, whether you opt for a glued or nailed floor is a matter of personal preference, except for the rare cases when the wood type requires nailing rather than gluing. Using nails to fasten down the flooring is advisable in the case of hardwood with thickness of about 3/4 of an inch. Getting the flooring stapled down in place is just another type of nailing. The advantage of having your floor stapled down is the process is easier and much quicker and is vastly preferred. 

It is not a secret that hardwood flooring installation could be very stressful and exhausting process, especially in a busy metropolitan such as Toronto. The good news are it does not have to be! With the right choice of professionals: a reliable company, which specializes specifically in renovation and/or installation of the hardwood floors. By doing so you can actually enjoy and control the whole process from estimation to the last polished piece of hardwood being installed.
Here are some tips on how to choose hardwood flooring in Toronto and how to make hardwood installation process stress-free:
Hardwood installation will not be stressful and time-consuming process if you dealing with professionals. Thus, it is crucial to choose a company with excellent reputation, high level of expertise and experience.
It is important to clearly identify your expectations in the beginning.
An important part of the whole hardwood floor installation process is choosing "right" material colour, texture, quality and price that is most suitable for you. Special requirements are better to discuss prior to actual installation; for example, during or after estimation. If you are time-sensitive, it is useful to clarify identify particular time slots you wish to dedicate for the installation process.
Keep in mind that there are big variety of wood types you can choose from, which is depends on your priorities and expectations.
Types of wood:
Red or White Oak: Reliable, durable and enduring.
Perhaps Oak is most appropriate choice if you are looking for long lasting floors ( more than fifty years of solid and wrecking-free hardwood floor) with high resistance to any weather-related damages such as humidity and/or constant shifts in temperature. Perfect choice if taking in consideration climate in Toronto, Cherry or Pine: Sophisticated, modern and luxury.
Cherry and Pinewood has one of the softest structure and both require a sufficient amount of care. However, it is known for its "great look" great finish and smoothness due to it beautiful red colour as well as low visibility of grains.
Choosing a reliable and accountable professionals that you can trust will make a hardwood floor installation an easy and stress-free process.