Hardwood
Benefits of Hardwood
Rich and inviting, hardwood makes a distinctive statement. Because of a great range of natural variations—from boards that have extreme character, graining, and color variation to those that are evenly colored and consistent—lustrous hardwood can create a uniquely beautiful floor.
Beautiful and long-lasting, hardwood floors make an elegant choice for nearly any room in your home. When choosing hardwood, the color, character, and construction type are the important factors to consider.
Color: The color of hardwood floors ranges from quite light to intensely dark—and everything in between. While, as a rule, lighter floors work well in contemporary settings and darker floors are elegantly at home in more traditional rooms, choosing is essentially a matter of preference.
Character: Naturally present in hardwood, grain variations help determine a wood’s “personality.” Dramatic grain suggests a rustic feeling. Historically, moderate grain variations are associated with the traditional. And hardwood with very little graining has a sleek, contemporary look.
Construction: There are two basic choices—solid or engineered. Solid planks are created from a single piece of wood and make a handsome floor that lasts for years. Engineered planks are made from several layers of wood (with a core of plywood or HDF) and are designed to withstand higher levels of humidity. This means they can go in some rooms solid floors can’t.
Note that there are many differences in finishes—gloss or luster level, scraping degree and technique, wire-brushing, etc. Ask our sales staff to show you samples!
Care and Maintenance of Hardwood
- Use a damp cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, tar, or cigarette marks, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe with a damp cloth. Always avoid allowing liquids to stand on your floor.
- Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
- Occasionally wipe the floor with a damp mop or cloth.
Things to avoid:
- Don't use oil based, wax, polish, or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners.
- Don't use steel wool or scouring powder.
- Don't wash or wet-mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
- Don't use any type of buffing machine.
Installation of Hardwood
We help you every step of the way after you’ve selected your new floor: professional on-site measurement, removal of old flooring and skilled installation. We do it all expertly, so your floor will look amazing and give lasting satisfaction.
To ensure problem-free installation here’s a checklist of things to do before the installer arrives.
- Make sure you know who’s removing your existing flooring. If you wish, the installer will do it. If not, you should make arrangements to have it removed.
- Who’s moving the furniture? Decide in advance if you want to take on the responsibility or if you want the installer to handle it. Either way, be sure to remove all fragile items from the room.
- In general, your hardwood should run parallel to windows or, in narrow rooms, to the longest wall. Added stability is achieved by installing hardwood perpendicular to floor joists.
- Measure door clearances before you have your hardwood installed. If the new floor is thicker than your existing floor, door bottoms may rub. Plan in advance to have someone shave or saw the correct amount off the bottom of each door so it does not drag.
- Paint first. If you’re planning to paint, wallpaper, or do any other remodeling in the room, it’s best to do it before your hardwood is installed. Keep extra paint to touch up any post-installation nicks.