A Guide to Shopping for Hardwood Flooring

If you’ve recently decided to put hardwood flooring in your home, congrats! You’ve made a great choice! Nothing gives you a return on your investment like a hardwood floor. An extremely long-lasting and natural product, chances are you won’t need to replace it in your lifetime. However because it is such a long-lasting product, you want to make sure you choose the right wood floor for your home. There are numerous factors to take into consideration when shopping for hardwood, including species, finish, color, and style. Feeling overwhelmed? No need to worry, you have come to the right place! Here we are going to break down everything you need to know about hardwood flooring before you shop.

SOLID VS. ENGINEERED

When choosing hardwood flooring for your home, it’s important to understand the difference between solid and engineered hardwood. Depending on which area of your home it’s being installed, one might be more appropriate than the other.

Solid hardwood flooring, typically milled from 3/4″ lumber, is more likely to expand and contract with humidity changes than an engineered wood floor. For this reason, solid hardwood might not be ideal in high moisture rooms such as kitchens or bathrooms – and definitely not in basements! However solid hardwood offers the benefit of being able to be sanded and refinished over and over again.

Engineered hardwood flooring is manufactured with several layers of wood glued together under heat and pressure. Because the wood grain on each layer is turned, it expands and contracts less than solid hardwood floors, making it a better option for wider plank floors. And because it can withstand moisture, it can be installed in all areas of the home.

SPECIES

There are dozens of species of hardwood out there, all with their own unique look. Knowing which species is right for your home depends on your lifestyle, budget and personal style.

First you’ll want to consider the hardness of each species, which is determined by the Janka scale. Harder wood species are more resistant to dents and dings, making them better for busy homes. Oak, maple, and hickory are the most common species used for flooring because of their hardness. The Janka scale values give a good sense of general hardness, but there are other factors that contribute to a species’ durability, including finish and how the wood is cut.

You’ll also want to consider how much character you want in your wood, as different species offer varying amounts of visible grain, knots, and other characteristics.

Your budget will also be a determining factor in the species you choose, as exotic species tend to be more expensive.

FINISH METHOD

Wood floors can either be finished on-site or pre-finished at the factory. Though pros and cons to both methods, we highly recommend pre-finished floors for a number of reasons, including:

1) Less Installation Time: Site-finished floors require days of sanding, sealing, staining, curing, and so on. Pre-finished floors can be installed in a fraction of the time and with less down time, ultimately saving time and money.

2) More Durability: With 5-7 coats plus aluminum oxide, factory finishes are undoubtedly superior. More durable and less likely to yellow, pre-finished floors often come with a lifetime warranty. Most site-finished floors have only 2-3 coats of a standard polyurethane and offer virtually no warranty.

3) Less Mess/No Fumes: The sanding and finishing process of installing site-finished floors can create dust and chemical smells in your home. With pre-finished floors, all of that is taking place in the factory, so that by the time it gets to your home there is no dust or smell to worry about.

COLOR AND SHEEN

The color and sheen of your hardwood are completely a matter of personal preference, but there are some factors to consider when making your selection. A lighter colored stain will make a room appear more open and airy, while darker stains can make a room feel more cozy, as well as stately and refined. If you have pets, however, you might want to stay away from dark colors since scratches and dents will likely be more visible.

The sheen you choose for your wood floors is also up to your personal preference. There are varying levels of sheen between high gloss and matte. A high gloss finish will offer the most shine and reflect the most light. A matte finish will offer the least shine, reflect the least light and provide a more natural look. Keep in mind that the less sheen, the less you will notice small scratches and other normal wear.

Still have questions? Ready to pick out your new floor? Visit our showroom today and speak with one of our experts!