Walk on wooden goodness

Wooden flooring is an aesthetic pleasure to have in your home. Here is how you can ensure you have the best below your feet.

Of course, it’s the roof over your head that is so important in every home, but just as essential is the floor under your feet. There are a range of materials you may choose from — stone, screed, tiles, and even metal in some cases. Besides these materials, you also have the ever-popular wood.

“There are basically three types of wooden flooring: hardwood, engineered wood and laminated wooden flooring,” says Anand K R, architect and partner, Motley Designs. 

“Hardwood is solid wood through and through, more expensive, but can be polished repeatedly and hence has a longer life. Engineered wood is actually a thin layer of wood on a plywood base. It’s eco-friendly because of the lesser quantity of wood used, but has a lower lifespan, as it does not take too well to multiple polishing sessions.”

Laminated wood flooring is a synthetic wood patterned covering on a plywood base (like the table tops, wardrobes) and is by far the most affordable of the three. The flip side though is that it cannot be polished at all. It is not scratch-resistant. Expensive laminates available in this range have a realistic look and can be had in several shades.

"In general, wood, as a material, is very expensive and its selection depends on your 

requirements, the depth of your pockets, and the purpose of use..."

“Ask yourself – What kind of space do I have? Is it a tiny, cosy parlour, or a large sprawling living room? Is it a study, or a bedroom? Is it a sunshine-flooded, or a dark, snug room? Is your furniture light, modern and minimalist, or heavy period pieces? All these factors have a bearing on your choice of wooden flooring – the colour, grain and texture,” says Juhi Santani, principal designer, Retale Design. 

She elaborates further, a modern space goes well with light, Scandinavian oaks, maples and beeches. This is not to say that you cannot use a warm walnut in a minimalist interior, but that a lighter wood tone goes better with white, glass and steel. 

Traditionally, period interiors used a lot of dark tropical woods, and hence the colour palette of walnut, mahogany and Sucupira come to mind – whether to match the furniture wood tones or the general warm colours on the walls and upholstery. 

However, it is not a great idea to exactly ‘match’ the furniture wood colour to that of the flooring. The wood colours tend to disappear and not stand out well. A better idea is to harmonise the two wood tones well. For example, if the furniture wood is extremely dark like walnut, one may use a medium wood tone like teak in the floor.

This also makes the space appear a tad bigger. If the space in question is tiny, one may experiment with prominent grains and visible knots in the flooring. The same interesting pattern may appear too overbearing if used across a large expanse. 

In case of a larger area, one may experiment with a combination of two colours in the floor. This, however, may turn out to be a risky, complex exercise, better undertaken by a design professional.

Anand K R says, “Selection of wood is based on an aesthetic concern – light vs dark coloured woods to match the rest of the interiors. Darker colours are more of a traditional choice, while lighter woods can be a bit more informal. Stained wood of various colours are available if you want to go funky. Wood panels with a larger breadth are preferred but can be expensive. Parquet flooring is also popular because of the smaller sizes of wood it uses and is consequently affordable.”

He goes on to say that interior wooden flooring (hardwood) is of various types and comes from all over the world. You have teakwood, ipe, Brazilian cherry, ironwood and more. 

Hardwood flooring can also be used for exterior spaces (decks or verandahs) but they have a different treatment process and installation system so that rainwater may be drained out. Wooden flooring in kitchens is used where plumbing is completely concealed unlike in India. 

In general, wood, as a material, is expensive and its selection depends on your requirements, the depth of your pockets, and the purpose of use, says Jatin Hukkeri, a principal architect based in the city. He gives you some pointers on choosing wood for your floors:

For longevity – Always use teak and its derivatives. Even a sub-species of teak works very well. For flooring, third quality of teakwood will do. For other species, never budge from first or second quality.

The age of the wood – The older the wood, the better it is. The oldest would be the best and most expensive as well. Freshly cut woods are futile. They warp with time due to shrinkage and the oil in them dries up with time. Always opt for seasoned wood no matter what the purpose of application is.

Keep the usage in mind – Choose the thickness according to the application. For exterior flooring use, 2 to 30 mm thick planks are ideal. Always ensure you have space between the planks as wood contracts and expands with temperature variations. Make sure you use seasoned wood for all purposes. 

Wooden floors may be an absolute pleasure to have if you make the right choices and put in the effort as far as maintenance goes. Always work on the advice of an interior professional when you are getting your wooden flooring done.