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 to buy?
Species, there’s a lot of trees out there with all different colors, looks, and textures. Make sure you consider all of your options. Think about durability and if you are installing this flooring in a high traffic or low traffic area of your home. High traffic areas need hardwood that is more durable and harder, like Hickory or Oak flooring. When you learn what species of flooring hold up better than others it becomes easier to see what type of colors and patterns your wood will have.
The durability of your floor depends heavily on the species of wood that you purchase. To compare the density of different woods, read our blog about the Janka Hardness Scale here.link
Does The Grade of Hardwood Floor Matter?
The different grades of wood flooring make a huge difference in appearance and cost. Familiarize yourself with the different grades so you can take advantage of the lower prices on grades of hardwood flooring that are not moving as quickly as others, which will result in savings for you. Read our Hardwood Grading page here.link
What wood flooring is best for pet owners?
If you own pets, a major concern becomes taking care of the floors and dealing with wear and tear. There are a few things to know and consider when comparing different hardwood types. First, harder woods like Hickory flooring don’t scratch easily. Secondly, consider flooring with a built-in texture, like a wirebrushed floor or even handscraped flooring. These wood floors feature a textured surface that will hide any potential scratches or blemishes that might develop.
Do you need professional help for installation?
Consider whether or not you need help installing your hardwood flooring. While it may seem as simple as either placing down planks to glue in place, or locking them together it is easy to mess up. With the help of a professional simple errors can be avoided like proper floor prep and precise measurements. In the long run, hiring a professional sooner could save you later if an error is made.
What width of planks do you need?
The width of your planks comes down to a preference of appearance, and what price you are comfortable paying. Then decide what style you prefer and if a certain look or color is available in a plank size that you prefer. Wide planks typically cost more than narrow ones. If you want to go really wide consider using an engineered hardwood floor.
Which is better engineered or traditional hardwood flooring?
To be perfectly honest, no one can say that engineered or solid is better than the other. What we can say is whether engineered or solid wood flooring is best for a particular application. Engineered flooring is the right choice if you are installing your wood over concrete, or in an area that is susceptible to high moisture. Another reason to buy an engineered floor is if you want a board that is wider than 5 inches. Engineered floors are designed to better handle areas with moisture, compared to a solid wood floor. Solid wood flooring has a propensity to expand when in an environment with elevated moisture levels or relative humidity. If you are able (and willing) to keep the moisture levels in your home within appropriate levels then a sold hardwood floor might be best for you.
Read our blog about Engineered vs Solid here.link
Buying Hardwood Flooring For Your Home Should Not Be Stressful
When you have questions about your hardwood flooring options we are here to help! Now that you have an idea of where to start on your home project, take a look at our flooring to start getting an idea of the colors and type of flooring you like! When it comes time to buy your hardwood floor please do not hesitate to call us and ask questions that are specific to your home, and your project. We want you to be happy when you receive your order and your new hardwood floor is installed. Satisfied customers make the best advertising!
