Category Archives: Floors

Why Choose Prefinished Hardwood Flooring?

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Both prefinished and site-finished flooring add value to your home. Below, we take a closer look at prefinished flooring and the many benefits they provide their owners.

Ease of Installation and Maintenance
Installing prefinished hardwood flooring is fast and simple. Already surfaced and coated in a factory setting, it doesn’t have to be sanded and finished in your home or office, which is handy if your project is on a tight schedule. As a result, installation costs are also cheaper.

Enhanced Durability
Prefinished flooring has many coatings and strengtheners put on it using a UV-curing technology that falls within firmly controlled factory settings. This makes the floors long-lasting, especially since oftentimes, the finishing comes under manufacturer’s warranty. Factory-applied surface finishes also tend to be free of swirl marks, brush hair, etc., and these uniformly applied durable finishes don’t carry an odor. In addition, prefinished wood floors are a lot easier to look after when they do require upkeep. Routine cleanup is just a matter of mopping or sweeping once a week.

Elimination of Toxicity
Prefinished wood flooring is a hypoallergenic flooring option. Installation of this kind usually means less noise and mess, as well as zero toxins and nasty smells that are inevitable when conventional floors are installed. This can be a key advantage for heavily trafficked areas or families with children, pets or people with asthma and other allergies.

Scratch-resistant Quality
Prefinished flooring is very scratch-resistant and durable. As a result of highly accurate manufacturing techniques, combined with computer-operated application of urethane surface finishes, this kind of flooring is up to 10 times more scratch- and abrasion-resistant than unfinished wood flooring.

Variety
Hardwood flooring comes in a variety of colors, designs and types of wood. It doesn’t matter how diverse or particular your preferences are, there’s always an option available for your home or office with prefinished hardwood floors.

Punch of Style
The look of hardwood floors adds character to your home or office space, while making it appear spacious and lighter. Hardwood floors bring the beauty, warmth and value of real wood to your home or office, and they never go out of fashion and style.

A DIY flooring project could take several weeks or months, but a professional wood flooring company can do everything from preparing the underlay to polishing off the floor and clearing up the mess in half the time. They have all the professional tools and knowledge of the best techniques to use. They can also help you pick out the right type of wood for your space.

Putting Money on the Floor

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Flooring is often the last thing on homeowners’ minds when they move in or are upgrading. Their eyes are drawn upward toward furniture, linens, appliances, and fixtures. However, the flooring is the first thing you should consider when moving into or improving your home. The flooring is the foundation – a sturdy, durable floor with a long life will make you feel secure and save you money. Many homeowners get overwhelmed with the amount of flooring price options available. Today, we’ll look at what to consider when getting a flooring quote and how to find the flooring that’s right for you.

Choose the Right Flooring

For most of us, a floor is a floor, until we start thinking seriously about it. The floor you need depends on your lifestyle. A single woman with a full-time job can probably do fine with a plush white carpet. However, if she has pets, she might want to reconsider and choose a berber carpet or hardwood floors. A family with small children might do well with hardwood floors and area rugs. However, those children might like to run around in socks or barefoot and could easily slip or fall. Children also don’t like sitting on hard floors, which is a downside during the times they need to sit still. If you’re not sure what flooring will fit your lifestyle or have several different options, ask an expert at your local flooring store.

Set Your Own Budget First

Flooring experts want to sell their product, but they also like serving customers who think ahead and set their own budgets. Before going in, measure all the rooms that need new flooring and write the measurements down. If you’re only flooring part of a space and don’t know how much you’ll need, make an educated estimate. Compare prices on different flooring types, such as cherry vs. cypress wood or shag vs. berber carpet. Set aside 10-15% of your budget for unforeseen developments, such as discontinued options, a conflict with the contractor, or do-it-yourself injuries. Approach your flooring expert with your budget and ask to see all options fitting it, starting at the low end.

Consider Your Work Ethic

A floor option always looks pretty in a sample, safely tucked away on a store shelf. However, you shouldn’t buy a floor style based on looks any more than you’d adopt a pet without considering it’s behavior and needs. The nicest-looking floors can have the biggest problems, so consider how much work you can and will put in. If you’re not willing to give your kitchen a good mop or scrub now and then, go with ceramic tiles over wood. If you want to floor your bathroom yourself, don’t choose marble or limestone, as these require professionals.

Grade Your Flooring

You can’t give flooring a grade like the ones your teacher gave to your term papers, but you can and should ask your flooring expert about different grades of wood, tile, and other materials. Depending on your taste, you’ll need different grades. If you want a rough-hewn, homey atmosphere in wood-floored rooms, look for wood of slightly lower grades with irregularities and “character.” If you want your home to look like a showroom, be prepared to shell out the big bucks for uniform wood, limestone, and plush carpet.