Question: "Why do I keep hearing 'solid hardwood' flooring...
...all the time? I thought that all wood flooring was solid. And I also hear 3/4" inch mentioned a lot. What is that? Is that width or what?"
Answer: Solid hardwood flooring has its own conventions and nomenclature that, somehow or another, have become stuck in place over the years:
So, yes, you will often find bamboo in the same category because it has the same dimensions as solid hardwood and is installed in the same way.
- "Solid Hardwood": Let's say your're dealing with oak. This means that from top to bottom, from side to side, the floorboard is all oak. No laminations. Contrast this with engineered wood floor, which is a sandwich, or with laminate flooring which isn't even real wood. Solid hardwood flooring is also supposed to convey some type of honesty, I suppose. As if solid hardwood is the ultimate flooring choice (not necessarily: engineered wood flooring excels in many ways).
- 3/4" or Three-Quarter Inch Flooring: Another industry term. This refers to the thickness of the flooring. Three-quarter inch thick flooring is substantial stuff. One good thing about thick flooring like this is that it can provide some extra solidity for your floors. Also, 3/4" flooring can be sanded several times. Don't confuse this with 3 1/4" flooring: this refers to a popular width of floorboards.
Bamboo as Hardwood Flooring?
Is bamboo flooring considered "hardwood flooring?" Bamboo is a grass, so it is not even wood. But in the solid hardwood flooring category, you find a lot of soft woods lumped in there (pine, etc.).So, yes, you will often find bamboo in the same category because it has the same dimensions as solid hardwood and is installed in the same way.
