Where to start?

SOLID v. ENGINEERED. First, perhaps the most important decision is WHERE in your house do you plan on installing the hardwood floor? Solid Hardwood must only be installed on a plywood subfloor at or above ground level. If you are looking to install a hardwood floor directly to a cement slab, below ground level, or in a humid location, you should consider an Engineered Hardwood floor. An important note is that engineered floors can also be installed on plywood, or above ground, however we recommend installing a solid hardwood floor whenever possible.

What is engineered hardwood flooring? To understand this product, it is important to understand about hardwood in general. Solid Hardwood, as you may already understand, must be nailed directly into a wood subfloor, such as plywood or 2"x6" lumber over joists. Nowadays, many homes lie over a cement slab. In order to install a solid hardwood floor on a cement slab, it is necessary to seal the slab and install a plywood subfloor onto the slab (by hammering nails through the wood into the cement). Not only is this expensive and time consuming, but also adds the thickness of the floor, raising it 1/2" or 3/4" higher than the rest of the house, not even counting the thickness of the hardwood which will be installed shortly thereafter.

Wood Manufacturers have created a product which eliminates the need to lay a plywood subfloor. Called Engineered Flooring, the product is made of multiple layers of a plywood base, with a hardwood veneer top layer. The wood veneer and all the layers of plywood base are glued and dried under extreme pressure to ensure a strong bond. This product, a hybrid of plywood and hardwood, can now be glued directly to the cement slab. There is no need to install a plywood subfloor, saving time and money!

PLANK v. STRIP. Ok, now that you have selected between solid and engineered hardwood, you should choose the width of the strips/planks you are looking for. Wood greater than 2-1/4" wide is typically referred to as Plank flooring, whereas wood equal to or less than 2-1/4" wide is typically referred to as Strip flooring. Most homes have 2" or 2-1/4" strip flooring, although plank flooring was a popular choice in the 60s and 70s, and continues its resurgence today!

SPECIES. The next step is to pick a species of wood. Do you prefer the traditional elegance of oak? Is the natural blonde color of maple appealing to you? There are dozens of hardwood and softwood flooring options out there, even though 99% of all homes have oak flooring. Picking out a species also involves considering which species is more dense (able to resist denting), which accepts a stain better (if you plan of applying a stain), and which is easier to sand and maintain. A sales representative can assist you with this daunting task.

THICKNESS. Now that we picked a construction type, width and species, it is important to consider the last major factor: thickness. A Solid Hardwood floor is usually available in multiple thicknesses, manufactured to help match new floors to existing floors and provide a variety of flooring options for those looking for even more choices! Although it wouldn't seem so, thinner wood tends to cost more than thicker wood! This is due to the excess waste associated with milling thin wood (the thinner pieces result in more waste, which must be figured into the cost of the product). Wood is normally available in 1/4", 3/8" (for engineered floors), 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", and 3/4" wood. A thicker solid hardwood floor usually translates to a longer life, since the thicker floors can be sanded more times than a thinner floor.

           Sand/Refinish

Many people have beautiful hardwood hidden underneath their carpets, and even more people have exposed hardwood that is dulled and unattractive. For those with existing hardwood, sanding and refinishing the floors is a great way to revitalize an old floor.

Hardwood can be sanded down to the raw wood (removing 1/32" to 1/16" of the top layer of your hardwood floor) and refinished with sealing coats of polyurethane. The sanding brings out the original beauty in the wood, while the polyurethane seals and protects the floor, providing a long lasting finish.

Sanding and refinishing a floor is the best way to revitalize a floor, mainly because it is not very expensive, and the results turn out beyond expectation! Some people opt to stain their floors a darker color, such as mahogany. The staining process is done before the polyurethane, and usually lasts until the floors are sanded again.

Unlike most flooring products, hardwood is very durable, and carries a long life. However, sanding the floors is not an infinite process, and it is possible to "run out" of sandings. This is normally evident when you can see the installer's nails appearing between the boards of the floor. This is a good sign your floors cannot be sanded again.