Solid Hardwood Floors

• Natural hardwood floors add an extra spark to a room. With proper maintenance, they produce a shimmering shine and can last for decades. Popular wood for floors include pine, oak, cherry and bamboo, which can be purchased stained or unstained. Hardwood floors are made from trees and milled in widths from 2 1/4 to 12 inches and thicknesses from 7/16 to 3/4 inch. The floors are secured by nails, which are hammered into a subfloor.
  
  Solid hardwood floors are affected by humidity, which can cause expansion or rotting of the wood. Installers top hardwood floors with three to 10 coats of finish, depending on the type of flooring. The finish is designed to protect against damage from scratches and moisture, which can lead to mold. Installers recommend never cleaning hardwood floors with a wet mop because the water can dull the finish and damage the floor. Wood floors require a coat of wax or polish to protect the finish. Dragging furniture or other items across the floor can damage the finish, and direct sunlight can cause wood floors to fade.
  
  As for benefits, wood floors have a natural shine and are eco-friendly. In fact, wood recycled from other sources sometimes is used again to make wood floors. Wood also does not gather dust as other flooring surfaces might.
  
  

Engineered Wood Floors

• Engineered floors provide greater resistance to such elements as humidity and moisture. They come in three subtypes: hardwood, acrylic-impregnated and laminate. Engineered hardwood is connected by glue, staples or nails to wood subfloors or concrete slabs. Planks tend to be 3/8 or 9/16 inch. Widths vary from 2 1/4 to 7 inches.
  
  Acrylic-impregnated wood floors feature hardwood that has an acrylic material pumped into the wood's pores to make the wood extremely hard and more resistant to scratching and moisture.
  
  Laminate floors are made of resin, wood fiber and paper pressed together under extreme pressure and "float" on top of the subfloor. Laminate flooring comes in three varieties based on how they are installed. One type is installed with a special glue applied to the tongue and groove of a plank. Another type features planks that snap into place, locking together, and require no glue. The third type features planks glued at the factory. To activate the glue, you need to moisten the tongue of the planks.
  
  Laminate floors offer some key benefits. They are durable, protect against scratching and are more versatile because the flooring can be applied over most surfaces. Laminate is easy to install, and the damage from moisture, humidity and sunlight is less than it is on hardwood. Laminate floors also do not require polishing or waxing.
  
  Laminate, though, has some drawbacks. It produces more noise when people walk across it, and the planks are difficult to repair.
  
  

Which Is Best

• When it comes to choosing wood flooring in Florida, environment is the No. 1 issue. Floors are affected by gritty sand, plentiful sunlight and lots of moisture and humidity. In fact, a 2003 "U.S. Today" article said Florida is one of the most humid states in the continental United States. In addition, sunlight fades the deep, rich colors of hardwood floors, and sand tracked inside scratches the finish on them. Many homes also have swimming pools, bringing more moisture inside.
  
  It is Florida's elevation, though, that causes the most concern. The Floor Facts website recommends not installing true hardwood floors in below-grade areas that are susceptible to flooding. Because most of Florida is flat and near sea level, it falls within that category. The state's tropical weather brings massive amounts of rain, which can cause mold and damage wood floors even when it is not in direct contact with the wood.
  
  Given such drawbacks, most Floridians opt for laminate flooring. It is less susceptible to damage from moisture, humidity, sand and sunlight. Some homeowners, though, still prefer hardwood. If that is the case, opt for an acrylic-impregnated wood or another type of engineered hardwood floor. They offer superior resistance to moisture. If you do choose hardwood, be sure to use a floor coating that protects against moisture.