Learn about our favorite floors! |
W is for Wood -- hardwood floors that is! These are the three most common questions we are asked about wood floors:  1. What is the difference between site-finished and prefinished hardwood floors?Site-finished hardwoods are installed raw (unfinished) and then sanded, stained, and coated with polyurethane in your home. You are able to select the stain color and the gloss level of the floor. Prefinished hardwood floors are fully manufactured and finished in the factory. A prefinished floor offers a quicker and more convenient installation, but you have fewer choices in stain color, etc. Both types of wood flooring (site-finished and prefinished) are available in solid and engineered wood.  2. What is solid wood? What is engineered wood?~~Solid wood is exactly as it sounds: a solid piece of wood. Solid wood is usually ¾” thick. ~~Engineered wood is thinner and is made in plies (layers) with the actual species of wood on the top layer. The bottom layers utilize other species of wood for stability. Engineered wood was developed for glue down installation, but some can be nailed down. Engineered floors can be ¼”, 3/8” (most common), ½”, even 9/16” and ¾” thick. If the area being installed has a plywood subfloor, either type may be used. Solid wood floors can only be installed on a cement slab if special and expensive installation techniques are followed.  3. Are prefinished floors real hardwood floors? Are engineered floors real hardwood floors?Yes, both are composed of 100% hardwood. Most engineered wood floors can be sanded at least once, except veneers. All ¾” solid prefinished wood floors can be sanded numerous times.  X is for Xanadu -- a gorgeous wool carpet by Stanton. Look at the colors! It's great for rugs, staircase runners, even wall-to-wall installations. (Bet you thought we wouldn't have an X, didn't you!)  Y is for Yakima -- a nice wood color in the popular Thatcher line of LVP by Mohawk Flooring. This style is one of the few luxury vinyls made in the USA. Fun Fact: Yakima is a city in Washington state, NOT a big shaggy cow!  Z is for Zebra -- not a REAL zebra -- a faux zebra print by Karastan!This design captures nature’s true spirit of the wild and inspires adventures in decorating. And never fear, it's nylon, so it's very durable. Great for rugs and staircase runners, too.  Design Tip Welcome fall by updating your color scheme – paint, accessories like throws and pillows, area rugs, window treatments, whatever you want to replace. Use warm colors like tan, caramel, sage green, berry tones, forest or mossy green, and off whites. 
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