Hardwood floors selection process

It starts with design styles

STEP 1 - reviewing your design and situational factors

Hardwood flooring is a large investment, so you'll need to think a bit about your overall interior design style to ensure the right floor for your style is selected to ensure proper design harmony.  Nothing looks worse in a house that a poor flooring match, and it is an expensive mistake to remedy.   

Identifying the right flooring type for your home

STEP 2 - selecting the best hardwood flooring for your interior space

To help narrow down your flooring choice you should review several factors in a systematic comparison format to select the optimal flooring choice that suits your homes' particular functional and design needs, as well as personal tastes and cost considerations. 

You'll also have to consider situational factors in your home like sub-floors, humidity and heating levels, floor traffic expectations, and floor grade levels.  It is likely that some of your situational factors will limit the flooring choices you should be selecting for optimal performance.  It is estimated that poor situational decisions account for more than half of all flooring enjoyment problems, which could have easily been avoided with a little pre-planning.

Ease of installation, design and quality, warranty, and maintenance are all additional factors that should be reviewed. 

Finding a quality flooring brand

STEP 3 - review hardwood flooring manufactures and brands

With over a thousand manufactures and distributors of hardwood and laminate flooring in the US, it can become very confusing and difficult to separate the good from the not so good.  Based on several design, quality, and functionality criteria we have identified several of the leading national brands. 

Purchasing and installing your floor

STEP 4 - Hardwood floor installation tips

Depending on what product you select it could be a do-it-yourself installation, or may require special tools and installation methods to get the best results.  Do you order the product yourself, or will your installer have access to better wholesale pricing?  How to check your installers references and tips to help make your installation smooth and trouble-free. 

Maintaining your flooring investment

STEP 5 - Cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors

Now that you've installed the floor of your dreams you'll need to learn how to protect it, how to repair it, the best way to clean it, and how to make it last a lifetime.