All wood flooring upgrades the look of your home, but choosing one is not just a matter of selecting a color. Although there are hundreds of species to choose from, you also need to think about hardness levels, grain patterns, stains, and finishes. Below are a few questions to ask yourself when shopping for wood floors at our hardwood flooring company.
Solid wood is known for its classic beauty, but it can be more sensitive to moisture. Engineered wood flooring has become a popular choice because it offers both beauty and practicality. On the surface, solid hardwood and engineered wood can look very similar. With engineered flooring, you can still choose oak, maple, hickory, or another species you prefer.
The difference is in the construction. Engineered wood is built to provide more stability, giving it a better ability to handle moisture and changing conditions inside the home.
Hardwood is harvested either within North America or from areas such as Brazil, Africa, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. Domestic hardwoods tend to offer a warmer, more traditional look, while exotic hardwoods are often darker, more dramatic, and very hard.
Logs are cut in three different ways, and each method creates a unique grain pattern. Plain-sawn wood is the most traditional option, featuring flowing grain patterns with distinctive arches known as cathedrals. Rift-sawn planks offer a cleaner appearance with long, straight grain lines and no cathedral patterns. Quarter-sawn boards provide a blend of plain-sawn and rift-sawn characteristics, featuring linear grain patterns with occasional irregular figuring throughout the boards.
Wide-plank flooring is currently a popular choice because it creates a more traditional appearance and highlights natural features such as knots and grain variations. However, wider planks can make smaller rooms feel more compact. For a balanced look, many homeowners choose mixed-width installations that combine planks of varying sizes to add visual interest and character.
One of the first decisions to make is whether you prefer factory-finished (pre-finished) or site-finished hardwood flooring. Pre-finished flooring allows you to see the final appearance before installation and eliminates the mess, dust, and odors associated with finishing on-site. Site-finished flooring provides more flexibility, offering a wider range of colors and sheen levels so you can achieve a more customized look.
You should also consider the type of finish that best fits your needs. Common options include water-based finishes, oil-based finishes, and polyurethane finishes, each offering different appearances, durability levels, and maintenance requirements.
With more than 25 years of experience, American Dream Flooring & Tile is your trusted source for hardwood flooring, design consultations, kitchen and bathroom remodeling, and free project estimates throughout North Carolina and South Carolina. If you live or work in Apex, Cary, Garner, Wake Forest, Fuquay-Varina, Clayton, Knightdale, Holly Springs, or Morrisville, visit our Raleigh showroom to explore your flooring options and speak with our team.
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