Choosing a Floor

First, decide which product layout style is pleasing to your eye.

Plank or strip styles give you a traditional linear look, while parquet, which is a geometric or nonlinear pattern in many styles or patterns, enables a variety of looks and styles.

Next, decide which type of wood material best suits your style.

Whichever layout you choose, there are numerous varieties of wood flooring available, with materials both traditional and exotic.  Traditional materials include: Oak, Maple, Birch, American Cherry and Ash.  From outside the states, exotic species of wood can give you fantastic coloring without stain!   Such include Brazilian Cherry, Mahogany, Australian Cypress and many others.

Choose the one your eye gravitates toward; your initial reaction will rarely disappoint in the long run.  The right wood flooring often stimulates an almost emotional reaction when you see it; this is the look to begin with. By its very nature, most types of wood floors compliment any room, though you may want to test a few samples before making your final decision.

Now, other factors you should consider:

• The Hardness (or density) of a specific wood determines the amount of severe dings and dents you'll see. Hardness of the wood species is not a factor in the wearing of the finish in pre-finished flooring; the finish of wood flooring is the same on most pre-finished products. 
• Pre-finished wood flooring offers you the ease of a quick, dustless installation. 
• There are different profiles (edges) to choose from: square, gives you a smoother, more subtle look; beveled makes the pattern and the individual board itself more prominent. It's a matter of personal taste. 
• Grade level is the level the wood flooring will be applied to: on grade, above grade or below grade. This decides whether the wood flooring you choose should be a solid or an engineered product. 
  • Solid wood flooring should be put in an environment that is moisture - controlled. Up until recently, solid strip or plank wood flooring had to have a wood sub-floor and could only be applied on or above grade with nails. Now there are systems available to attach solid wood flooring to most substrates without the use of nails.
    
    Solid wood parquet flooring can be glued on a variety of sub-floor materials. 
  • Engineered wood flooring can be used on grade, above grade or below grade. Most laminated wood flooring is dimensionally stable, meaning it can be applied in areas where solids can not due to moisture problems.
    
    Engineered wood flooring can be glued or nailed down depending upon the type of sub-floor it is being attached to.
    
    Excessive moisture conditions should be remedied before applying. All wood flooring perform best with a humidity level of approximately 45-55%. This range keeps wood flooring from expanding and contracting excessively.

 Still unsure of what type of flooring is best for you?  Visit our Glossary of wood flooring (continually updated), or email us for help.  We'll guide you through the process.