Ten Things You May Not Know About Selecting Hardwood Flooring

1) Red Oak is not the only choice

If you want your home to look like everyone else's, this is a great choice. If you want your home to be unique try hickory, cherry, walnut, white oak, maple or many others. Go to flooring retailers or search the Internet and see what is available. If you really want red oak try using wider widths or character grade for variety and uniqueness.

2) 2 1/4 inch is not the only size available

If all you ask your builder for is a hardwood floor ? you are going to get a 2 1/4 inch red oak floor. Why? It is the most common, most produced, most stocked, cheapest option available. You can buy sizes in 3" through 12". You can put down a single width for a uniform look or multiple widths for a more random look. Typical random flooring patterns are 3"-4"-5", 3"-5", 4"-5"-6". Have fun! Make your home unique! The wider the floor the more seasonal separations between the flooring planks can occur.

3) Import Species don't support jobs in the United States

While there are vast amounts of imported species available, there are fantastic, interesting species of flooring available right here in the United States. Not all countries have managed forests and renewable resources. This is an important time to support our own economy.

4) All flooring is not select (clear) grade

The most common floors are select grade. These floors contain none of woods naturally occurring character marks. Look around your flooring showroom, almost every display is showing clear flooring. There are warm and inviting options. Look at a character grade or other grades. Make sure to see a photo of what the floor looks like, not just one piece.

5) Prefinished flooring is convenient

Have you ever been forced to leave your home for three days while the flooring contractor sands, stains and recoats your floor? If not ask a friend who has had it done. A professional flooring contractor will leave your home spotless, others can leave dust on all your furniture. Today's factory finished flooring can be installed today and entertained on tonight with very little mess. With prefinished flooring each plank is allowed to move independently with humidity changes in your home. This makes those seasonal separations (cracks) in your floor less noticeable.

6) Colors can be cool ? but mother nature is hard to beat

Some species of flooring are so beautiful in their natural color, they do not require any added color. Look up hickory, cherry or walnut flooring on the Internet and you will see what I mean.

7) Prefinish warranties are a gimmick

50 year warranty ? WOW! Lifetime warranty ? fantastic! Oh really? These are wear-through warranties only. Your floor will loose its "sheen" or luster and require refinishing long before you ever wear through the finish. The best way to make a floor last is to vacuum it often to keep away abrasive material that might scratch your floor. Remember a lower sheen floor shows less wear.

8) Not all flooring is smooth ? texture is popular

Hardwood flooring does not have to be smooth. Many companies are offering hand scraped, distressed and reclaimed flooring. These floors have a classic look and add great value to upscale homes. They do not show much wear or scratches since they have a great deal of character interest to draw attention to different parts of the floor. These floors will be a guaranteed conversation piece with your friends and neighbors and are often the focal point at luxury home tours.

9) In a basement use engineered flooring

Most people use engineered flooring to glue down to concrete or in higher moisture areas. This flooring has a thin layer of hardwood with a cross banded plywood base. This makes the flooring more stable and does not require nailing like a solid hardwood floor.

10) Laminate flooring is not Hardwood flooring

A great steak does not taste the same as a picture of a great steak. If you want the beauty and warmth of hardwood flooring in your home ? buy the real thing, not a cheap imitation.

About The Author

Doug Bolton is the owner of Homerwood Hardwood Floors located in the heart of the Pennsylvania hardwoood region - Titusville PA. You can learn more by visiting their website at http://www.homerwood.com



Making Space for Sacred Space

When you read a great inspirational book, prayer, or article,... Read More

Help With Buying A New Ceiling Fan

When you are choosing a new ceiling fan there are... Read More

Change The Style Of Your Interior With A Minimum Of Costs

The style of your interior depends for a great part... Read More

Lighting and your Kitchen - How to Design a Lighting Plan that Cooks!

Your kitchen, more than any other room in your home,... Read More

Types Of Bedsteads

Selection of bedstead is also an important thing as selection... Read More

Sofa slipcovers - Give your home an instant makeover!

Sofa slipcovers are designed to be easy to fit over... Read More

Seeing the Light

Lighting"Light has illuminated the path of humanity" ? While Einstein... Read More

Five Easy Ways to Give Your Kitchen Designer Wow!

A beautiful kitchen is the heart of any home (even... Read More

Home Inspection: A Doctor Visit for Your Home

Has your house had a check up yet?Home inspection is... Read More

Remodeling Your Kitchen Cabinets

While remodeling your kitchen, install only the essential cabinets, so... Read More

So You?ve Put an Offer on a Home. What?s Next?

You've finally found the home of your dreams, 3 bedrooms,... Read More

Clearing the Air on What to Look for in an Air Purifier

If you are dedicated to improving the indoor air quality... Read More

Fire Hazard Alert - Is Your Dryer Ready to Ignite

In recent years there has been many stories about dryers... Read More

Lighting and Your Emotions (Part One)

Do you feel unhappy in your home and you don't... Read More

There Is Always Something To Improve Or Innovate For Comfort

In this fast moving world of the 21st century, we... Read More

Feng Shui Your Home, Work and Life For Balance and Harmony

Feng Shui describes the communication that takes place every day... Read More

Complete Home Rehab In 10 Days

This report is about taking a house and restoring it... Read More

Small Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

Any remodeling idea for a small kitchen must address the... Read More

Color Help: Color Imagery for Happy Homes

Color researchers have estimated that up to 70% of our... Read More

How to Finance a New Extension?

Want to improve the look of your property? Want to... Read More

Swim Spas Make a Big Splash with Baby Boomers

If you are an aging baby boomer like I am,... Read More

Using Colors in Your Room

Colors play an important part in your Home Decor process.... Read More

Easy To Follow Tips For Keeping Energy Costs Down

When it comes to cooling our homes and businesses, the... Read More

Pergo Flooring Is Perfect For The Home or Office

Pergo flooring was invented more than 75 years ago, and... Read More

Selecting a Laminate Floor to Suite Your Needs

The traditional look of hardwood flooring is timeless; its beauty... Read More

If you'd like to keep up-to-date,
please complete the form below and we'll put you on the mailing list
to receive our twice-yearly newsletter for supporters

* Your email address:
* choes your language:
 

العاب منتديات هيدى الزاوية الحمراء

Pharaohs products    egypt products    Egypt shopping   Shopping in Egypt   sho  Egypt Bazaar Pharaohs Shoping Center   Egypt  Pharaohs