Many people (and not only in Carolina) would say “yes” without really knowing what actually constitutes their hardwood floors in Charleston SC (or anywhere else for that matter). Obviously we are talking about the part of any room or inside space that we walk upon. However, the term is very specific about the type of wood.
Define Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from dicot angiosperm trees (which probably leaves most people none the wiser. These are usually broad leaved trees growing in either temperate or tropical forests. In the former, the hardwood trees are mostly deciduous whereas, in the tropics, they are mostly evergreen. Softwood, on the other hand, comes from gymnosperm trees.
So, there is an obvious botanical difference but is the term “hard” really absolute? When you consider that balsa wood is technically a hardwood (despite its well known softness) and that the wood of the softwood yew tree is actually quite hard; you cannot totally rely on the botanical terminology if you plan to use wood for an application where its physical hardness (or lack thereof) is important.
Flooring
In olden times, the ground floor of a building was often compacted dirt and the upper floors would be wooden planks. Stone replaced dirt on the ground but wooden flooring remained popular “upstairs”. This remained so until we started to use cement as a major construction material. A cement slab provides a great ground floor but is not all that attractive to look at. Cement slabs can also be used for upper floors. To make the cement more attractive to both eye and feel, it is common practice to use some sort of floor covering.
Floor Coverings
The list is long and choice is often down to individual preferences with some thought as to the function of the room that contains the floor. Tiles or stone may be great for kitchens but maybe not so comfortable for the likes of bedrooms, etc where carpeting may be the material of choice.
However, one thing that most people (in Charleston or elsewhere) do agree on is that carefully selected, quality hardwood floors for Charleston SC not only have a beauty in the eye of the beholder, but, are actually comfortable underfoot. This is why you are quite likely to find hardwood flooring in just about any room in any house.
Should you be looking for Hardwood Floors for Charleston SC, then the firm of Boone Flooring can meet all your needs – from supply through installation to the servicing and maintenance of installed hardwood floors.
