Ask The Flooring Expert

Question: One of the choices for my home flooring is Brazilian cherry.  Would it serve my purpose and would it be good? Are there other species like it that can be used for the same purpose?

Answer: Brazilian cherry flooring is one of the most popular specimens of hard wood flooring.  It is variously known as Surinam cherry, Cayenne cherry and Eugenia uniflora. The plant comes from the family of the Myrtaceae and is native to the tropical American areas.  In Brazil this particular type of cherry is known as the Pitanga.  The plant is large shrub or very small trees with conical forms.  Brazilian cherry plant can grow to the height of eight meters.  With glossy green leaves that could be up to four centimeters long and all its newest leaves are copper colored. The plant produces fragrant flowers white in color and reddish fruits up to around two centimeters in diameter. It emits flavor like that of the recently mowed grass. Brazil is the largest producer of the plant.

Brazilian cherry and Santos Mahogany provides two forms of exotic solid wood flooring.  They are very popular with the home makers. In fact premium exotic surface could be created with such materials. You can therefore use the pre-finished or unfinished materials for the unfinished Brazilian cherry flooring. Both give you good appearance and natural warmth pleasing the visitors to your home. The deep red color of Brazilian cherry itself is one of the exotic which would be immediately appreciated by visitors to your house. Of course you can also try other similar specimens like the Santos Mahogany, Brazilian Teak or Cumaru as it is called and Braizilian Walnut or Ipe for your ground structure. However when it comes to the real life color tone, Brazilian cherry is one of the best options you have.

Among the other popular species is the Brazilian Koa also known as the Tigerwood, Bolivian Rosewood popularly known as Tiete, Patagonian Rosewood called the Curupay, Kempas, and Amendoim. One good thing about Brazilian cherry known as Guapinol locally is certified by the National Wood Flooring Association. Because of its beauty and high value Brazilian cherry flooring is very popular. The source is one of the large canopy trees that grow even up to 150 feet in natural rainforest. The diameter is around 60 to 80 feet and this is one reason that the planks that are brought out from trunk of the tree are quite solid and strong.  In addition the procurer gets gums and medicinal objects from the tree as well. That is why the Brazilian cherry is one of the highly exploited resources in the world of wood furniture and objects. In result they are quickly turning into a rare wood species.

Since Brazilian cherry fixes nitrogen and does not emit any harmful toxic or gaseous elements the effect on the environment is quite friendly.  Several advantages are derived including the beauty, excellence, durability, and resilience with it but the fact remains that they are becoming scarce day by day.  So one downside of going for the Brazilian cherry flooring is that in future when some replacement might be required, the material may not be readily available since it would be available only in the reserved and protected forests and not outside. Of course once properly installed, you may not have such problems during the next 40-50 years.

Question: Is there any flooring akin to wood flooring yet less expensive and less vulnerable to moisture affects? How do I maintain and protect the environmental balance at my home and which of the flooring would be suitable for the purpose? Is bamboo flooring suitable for the purpose?

Answer: One of the reasons for the popularity of the bamboo flooring among the home makers all around is its environment friendly characteristics. It is less likely that bamboo will warp since it grows mostly in the tropical regions. Therefore it is more resistant to moisture affects and thus will not rot easily.
Unlike other wood materials they are not unsuitable for the bathrooms and kitchens. At the same time bathroom is also resistive to spills. They are also resistive to stains. All these features are highly satisfying and elegant too.

In addition bamboo flooring also provides you with environmental benefits. These are the days when there is overgrowing concerns for depletion of natural resources like the hardwood forests. In case of bamboo there is no such problem because bamboo is highly renewable resource and can be utilized without any fear of damages to the ecological balance or depletion of natural resources. Thus bamboo flooring does not pose any threat to the environmental balance.

Compared to hardwoods bamboo grows very fast. Normally the bamboo plant reaches maturity when it goes over the height of 50 feet and they become ready for harvest in five years. In fact bamboo is a form of grass and can be harvested repeatedly from the same plant. On the other hand once you cut down a hardwood tree with seasoned wood, it takes no less than three decades to replenish them and allow the re-growth of the tree depending on the specific species of plant you have felled.  There is no such problem with the bamboo flooring.

Bamboo is a suitable alternative to traditional hard wood because it is attractive, strong and resilient and at the same time dimensionally very stable. Moreover unlike the hardwood it is moisture and stain resistant. The material is also highly environment friendly since it does not emit any harmful gaseous elements. The best advantage of bamboo flooring is that it is comparatively inexpensive and the installation is pretty easy and convenient. They can be nailed, stapled, glued or floated. This means you can install them according to your own convenience and befitting the location and environment in which you are going to install them. All these attributes have contributed largely to the huge popularity of bamboo as the construction material.

After investing your valuable time and money in deciding the particular variation of bamboo for best décor and development of your home, your next move will obviously be purchasing the particular specimen that you have decided as best suited for your purpose. If the bamboo flooring is properly put in place then it could be a thing of beauty and joy for ever. However you should be careful about a few aspects like the proper maintenance of the materials. It is necessary that you protect your investment and at the same time take all steps to keep the flooring as good and looking as great as ever.

Question: I wish to use colored carpets in my bedroom for flooring. Will they be good?

Answer: When it is your bedroom flooring that you are thinking of, you have to give adequate importance to the color combinations and matching with the environments. Many people take intensive care in decorating their bedroom but in the process often forget the most important part of it which is the floor itself. Sometimes people use carpets and when they use the wall to wall carpets for the purpose they think that they are stuck up with the color that is provided. However the notion is highly misconceived. In fact it is possible striking out several color combination even with the wall to wall carpet for adequately decorating your bedroom.

Bedroom is the most important part of your home since it is attached to your privacy and you can make your room look up with the simply laying the appropriate rug or carpet in it. The only thing you require taking care of is that it matches the environment perfectly and creates natural warmth and beauty for your home. Oriental rugs could be excellent material when it comes to bedroom flooring. They can really add warmth and charm to any bedroom. They also fit in to the style with romantic, Victorian, Moroccan, Tuscan, or shabby chick models. However the oriental model stands out among the crowd being exceptional in many respects.

You have a host of designs and colors to choose from when you decide to go for the oriental rugs. They also are available in multiple sizes befitting your exact requirements. The best part of it is that you can at any time add a splash of color to any part of the rug thus considerably enhancing the color tone and elegance of the bedroom. Oriental rugs for bedroom flooring are available in the market quite easily or you can procure them by placing direct orders to manufacturer, even overseas, thanks to Internet.

As far as price is concerned the oriental rugs come in extremely competitive prices. You can have them much cheaper in comparison to other forms of carpets and rugs and they are certainly inexpensive in comparison to wood or ceramic tiles. However you may go for little more expensive brands since they give you better quality, duration, and color tones. Quality of oriental rugs is thus mostly relative to their prices. Yet the most expensive ones are also less expensive than the hardwood or such other flooring and oriental rugs thus form one of the best options for exotic decoration of your bedroom flooring without spending much.

You have to however, take care of one important aspect while selecting oriental rugs for your bedroom flooring. Remember, the best oriental rugs are always hand tied. Each piece of wool is always tied backing by hand. They are works of art and they are not fragile. They are so durable that they can still be in good shape after hundred years of use and look as good as they were when originally procured. And also remember not to look for anything else but only 100% wool products when you select your oriental rug from the stores or online.