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American Cherry Hardwood vs Brazilian Cherry Hardwood
While most homeowners have probably heard of “cherry hardwood flooring,” what they may not know is that there are two main species to choose from, and the thing they have in common the most is their name. With two wood species, named “Cherry;” You may be wondering, “How different can they be?” The answer: Completely. Genus, Species and Name We’ll start with their names – Our first species is the domestic “American Cherry,” also known as “Black cherry, “its scientific name is “Prunus serotine.” The second cherry wood is the exotic species “Brazilian cherry,” also known as “Jatoba,” whose scientific name is “Hymenaea courbaril.” Even though they are both named…
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Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba
JANKA HARDNESS – 2,600 – 2800 ORIGIN – Brazil, Mexico & Peru COMMON NAMES – Brazilian Cherry, Jatoba SCIENTIFIC NAME – Hymenaea courbaril Characteristics For a number of years, Brazilian Cherry flooring was considered one of the most high-end floors that could be installed in your home. The deep, rich red tones, natural luster and clean, delicate grain pattern made it obvious that it belonged under the category of “high end.” Although the popularity of Brazilian Cherry has declined in the more recent years, mainly due to new advances in stain colors, like all the trendy grey we’ve seen in the past few years, its high-end stature remains the same. For those who…
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Asbestos Flooring – Do you REALLY need that Abatement?
This article will explain some options on how to handle the discovery of asbestos tile in your home. Vinyl Asbestos Tile (VAT) – Where to begin? There are countless residential homes here in the northeast that were built before the 1980’s. Needless to say, most of them have asbestos tile installed somewhere inside. Often times the homeowner is unaware of the asbestos tile flooring at all. It’s usually found covered up underneath an existing floor, most often being carpet or even under a layer of plywood. Occasionally, when a home is sold to a new buyer, the existence of vinyl asbestos tile isn’t always disclosed in the proper way that…
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What is a Floating Floor?
What is a floating floor? A floating floor is a floor that is installed using an interlocking method. The floor is neither glued nor nailed to the subfloor or existing floor. “Floating floor” is a term that describes the way in which a floor is laid and is not a specific floor material in itself. You may choose to install a floating floor if there is an existing floor that you want to install on top of or if there is a concrete subfloor. We will elaborate on this topic and give you advice and key points to think about when deciding on installing a floating floor system. There are…
