Most Popular Hardwood Floor Stain Colors: Hardwood Floors in 2024

By Ted cook October 2, 2024

Hardwood Floor Stain Trends in 2024 Reports show that hardwood flooring is topping the charts as a number one choice for homebuyers. But before you press go on your new flooring, you have an important decision to make. What wood color will you choose? Nowadays there are more wood flooring stains available than ever, and it can feel daunting trying to pick an option from all the selections. If you want to make sure your new floors don’t look dated from day one, you definitely want... Read more...

Choosing Which Direction to Lay Vinyl Plank Flooring: Install Vinyl Plank Flooring Today

By Ted cook September 29, 2024

Ever stood in a room, eyes tracing the path of LVP  and felt something just click? The room looks bigger, the flow feels natural. That's because someone made an important decision - which direction to lay vinyl plank flooring. This seemingly minor choice can make or break your space's aesthetic appeal. Like selecting the perfect paint color for your walls, it sets the tone. In general, we think flooring installed toward the large sources of light in your home always give a welcoming ... Read more...

Popular Wood Stain Colors

By Ted cook September 29, 2024

When it comes to finding a favorite wood stain colors it helps to start with looking at the most popular stains. We list agreed upon staples that stay in favor with flooring installers and DIY-ers. In this blog post, we will delve into ten of our all-time favorite wood stain tints from trusted brands like Minwax and Varathane. Also, different types of waterproof wood species interact with various stains differently. We'll explore factors affecting the final appearance and showcase examples of ... Read more...

How Long Does It Take To Refinish Hardwood Floors: Refinishing Guide

By Ted cook September 29, 2024

The amount of time needed, from start to end, to refinish hardwood floors is a  common question homeowners tend to ask their friends, the Reddit community, or flooring professionals before buying new floors. Floor refinishing can vary in duration, but a standard 3-4 days is the typical timeframe for a 1,000 square foot job. The time that is actually needed  depends on some factors like your home layout,  as we will explore in this blog post.

We'll cover the distinctions between oil- and water-based polyurethane finishes. Also how floor size and humidity change drying times. Finally, the sanding processes, wood species, and polyurethane curing periods slow things down as well. At the end of this article, you will know how much time is needed for floor refinishing on your wood floor project. A free consultation from a local flooring contractor can give you a pretty good estimate if you want to take the guesswork out of it. We want you be safe and keep your home healthy if you plan to DIY and sand your floors on your own. I wish a few customers did more research about this topic before they refinished their hardwood floors and a year later found they needed to replace it.

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Does Flooring Go Under Cabinets?

By Ted cook September 29, 2024

Imagine embarking on a kitchen renovation and reaching the critical decision point of "Flooring Installations or Cabinet installations." The order in which you install your flooring and cabinets can significantly impact the finish of your renovation.

Installing cabinets before you install hardwood is a controversial topic. This blog post aims to guide you through this crucial step. We'll delve into the importance of considering material type when determining installation order and discuss nailing down wood flooring versus floating floor installations.

We'll explore the benefits of installing hardwood floors before cabinets. Additionally, we'll cover floating floor installations and cabinet considerations such as allowing expansion space and techniques for accommodating movement while maintaining the stability of your cabinets.

Finally, we will examine customizing a kitchen layout with pre-installed flooring and offer tips for optimizing cabinet placement in this setup. It's important to get adequate support under appliances and heavy furniture if you're not careful. Weighing the pros and cons of each approach is essential; therefore, we will also discuss advantages and disadvantages along with factors to consider when making your decision regarding Flooring Installation Cabinets.

Dive into this comprehensive guide to master every aspect of your kitchen renovation journey!

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5 Interesting Facts About Flooring to Know Before You Buy Carpet Or Other Floors

By Ted cook September 26, 2024

Deciding what type of flooring you want for your home is much easier when you know what you’re looking for. Our at least having some solid facts about their features so a salesperson can't pull a fast on on you! If you’re considering purchasing hardwood flooring, it’s important to know the factors that should play into your decision. Finding flooring facts should not be such a difficult chore. People all over the world need to know more about floor coverings. To help you out, we’ve put... Read more...

Maple vs Hickory Flooring: Hardwood Plank Floors For Looks Or Durability?

By Ted cook September 26, 2024

Ready for a head to head comparison of maple wood and hickory wood flooring? The differences between Maple and Hickory are hard to visually recognize on small room scene photos. The differences are quite apparent and make a great deal of sense when you're up close and personal to them.  Both species, in most grades, have fairly straight grain lines. Unlike the Oak species there will not be a great deal of color variation along the grain in the higher grades. BTW…in most of our ... Read more...

Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood? Wood Refinishing Guide

By Ted cook September 25, 2024

Ever gaze at your engineered hardwood floors, noticing the once-lustrous shine has faded into a dull echo of its former glory? Maybe you've thought, "Can you refinish engineered hardwood?" And if so, how does one navigate this tricky task without turning those beloved planks into sawdust? If an engineered hardwood veneer layer, also known as a wear layer, is less than 1/8 of an inch thick or thinner than 3 millimeters then it is too thin to safely refinish it without compromising the floor's integrity.

If you'd like to know more about why this is, please read more in our guide below. We'll delve deep into this quest for a flooring refresh and renewal of engineered wood flooring. First let's begin with an understanding of what makes engineered wood floors tick to weigh whether a refinish is a DIY job or a gig for professionals. You’ll also get insight on changing the hardwood floor stain, enhancing natural wood species colors, and maintaining that lustrous look post-refinishing. Yes you can refinish engineered waterproof hardwood flooring but it's very risky to refinish engineered hardwood. Sanding engineered flooring to complete a floor restoration is a tall order if you don't know how to refinish or have experience with refinishing engineered flooring. Let's dig into the details then shall we?

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Laminate vs LVP: Choose The Ideal Floor Today

By Ted cook September 23, 2024

Ever found yourself standing in the flooring aisle, surrounded by samples of laminate vs lvp, wondering which to choose? It's like attempting to pick a favorite offspring - each has its own special allure. Laminate floors charm with their real wood mimicry. They are robust and economical but throw some water at them, and they crumble faster than your resolve on a diet. Luxury vinyl plank floors or LVPs fight back with versatility. They stand tall against moisture, even emulating stone! But get ready for an echo every time you walk across the room... In this post-war battlefield of flooring options, I've walked barefooted over both laminate and luxury vinyl plank (LVP). I'll guide you through everything from construction to maintenance so that no homeowner is left second-guessing their choice again!

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How To Test Moisture Content In Wood Flooring: Are The Moisture Levels Of Your Wood Floors Too High?

By Contributor September 23, 2024

Understanding The Effects Of Moisture On Hardwood Flooring Is Important Here at ReallyCheapFloors.com, we are often asked about moisture levels, and acclimating wood floors. In case you are unfamiliar with the term, “acclimating” refers to the process of bringing your new wood flooring into your home and letting them sit in the house for a while before installing them. When you receive a box of wood flooring, the manufacturer’s instructions often mention acclimating. While acclimating is... Read more...

How To Buy Hardwood Flooring: Read Wood Blogs And Ask Questions

By Contributor September 23, 2024

Learn About Floors Before You Shop For Your Floor Hardwood flooring projects can seem incredibly overwhelming. Between costs, colors, finishes, and even width size there are plenty of decisions to be made. However, this process doesn’t have to seem scary. Instead, it should be fun! We’ve listed several questions you need to answer at the start of your remodel process that will make your fine hardwood flooring installation go much more smoothly. Which wood species is the right one for you ... Read more...

How To Choose Quality Hardwood Flooring: Choosing The Right Wood Floor

By Contributor September 23, 2024

What Constitutes The Best Hardwood Flooring?   I have been in the flooring business for over 45 years and I am still not sure that I can answer that question. Between different types of construction, finishes, grades, species, prices and even methods of installation that I don't think anyone can tell you what the best hardwood floor is. But I will tell you what I can do: I can tell you enough about the different aspect of hardwood flooring so that you can take that new knowledge, apply it... Read more...