Find great deals on flooring at Shopzilla.com!

ads from Shopzilla

Wood Floors In My Home

The richness of wood floors can be used in almost any room and with so many choices the only limitation is your own imagination. There are some factors and choices you must make before installing wood floors in your home.

Your first decision is to determine which rooms you want to install wood floors in. The most common are living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, dens, great rooms and entry ways but with today’s durable products even kitchens, bathrooms and basements can have hardwood flooring without the fear they will be ruined by leaks or small floods.

Next is choosing a type of product, which is either a solid wood or a laminate or engineered product, usually a factory-pressed wood. Engineered wood comes pre-finished allowing for easy installation (perfect for the do-it-your-selfer), and can be used on concrete slabs. Solid wood offers the flexibility for choosing colors and finishes but is recommended for above grade installations. Solid woods come pre-finished or they can be finished on-site, which can be time consuming and messy but allows for more customization. A popular trend these days is a more rustic and natural look that can be attained with a hand-scraped hardwood floor product offered by several manufacturers.

There are many accent and decorative pieces that can make your wood floors unique or tie different rooms together with patterned designs. There are also many trims and moldings that can complement other architectural elements, such as stairs, shelving and fireplaces.

Like the rest of your home, proper maintenance is required to keep up the rich appearance of your wood floors. Even the best wood product will show changes in color from exposure to sunlight and heavy traffic but with following manufacturers instructions your hardwood floors should offer distinctive timeless beauty to your home for years to come.