Hardwood
FOR YOUR HOME
Hardwood Looks
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
Hardwood floors are many things: Rich, inviting, beautiful & long-lasting. They always make an elegant statement no matter where they’re installed.
You’ll find hardwood floors with a wide range of natural variations, from boards with extreme character, graining & color variation to those that are more even & consistent with their appearance. When choosing a hardwood style for your home, consider the following important factors.
- Color: The color of hardwood can range from light to intensely dark and everything in between. Lighter floors tend to be used in contemporary designs, while dark floors are more at home in traditional spaces. That said, there’s plenty of room to flex your creativity when choosing a hardwood tone.
- Character: Naturally present in every hardwood plank is a grain pattern. More dramatic grains tend to suggest a rustic feeling. Moderate grains, meanwhile, are associated with traditional designs. In recent times, hardwood with very little visible graining has come to represent the sleek, modern look.
- Finish: There is an endless variety of finish options for hardwood at your disposal. Choose from different levels of gloss or luster, scraping, wire-brushing, etc. Our staff would be happy to show you samples!
Solid VS Engineered
HOW TO CHOOSE A HARDWOOD CONSTRUCTION
Hardwood floors are typically sorted into one of two major categories: Solid wood & engineered wood. Learn about the differences below & how to best utilize each type in your home.
Engineered Hardwood Floors
Engineered wood is also made with natural wood – but instead of a single solid piece, engineered planks consist of three to five layers of different wood materials, stacked & bonded under heat & pressure. This unique construction makes engineered wood less susceptible to changes in humidity, allowing you to install it in places solid hardwood can’t go, such as a finished basement. Engineered products can also be installed over concrete without losing structural integrity.
Solid Hardwood Floors
Solid hardwood planks are each milled from a single solid piece of hardwood. They can be cut into different thicknesses, but the standard is ¾”. Because of their thickness, solid hardwood floors can be sanded & refinished over several generations of use, meaning they have a substantially longer lifespan than other floors which may have to be replaced after too much wear & tear.
Natural wood expands & contracts with changes in your home’s relative humidity, meaning that solid hardwood floors are not suited for bathrooms or below-grade spaces that experience a lot of moisture.
