Hardwood floors are very competitively price and represent an excellent value when compared to other flooring options. Hardwood floors never have to be replaced and will enhance or even increase the value of your home should you decide to sell. When compared to other flooring products, hardwood floors provide long-lasting value, as Real Wood Floors are "Beauty that last a lifetime".

• Always set a budget, remembering, if the price sounds to good to be true, it's most likely of lesser quality
• Choose a wood floor according to the rooms use
• Choose a style/design to match and/or compliment the rooms decor;
• Choose a wood floor product with proper finish that can handle the traffic for that specific area room;
• Always use a professional wood floor contractor as there are many technical concerns that can adversely affect or compromise the product.

Yes! According to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) & Residential real estate agents, say homes with wood floors hold their value better, sell faster, and fetch higher prices, according to a recent nationwide survey commissioned by the trade organization.

 By a three-to-one margin, real estate agents said that a house with wood floors would sell faster than a carpeted house. Some 58 percent said a house with wood floors would bring a higher price.

Hardwood floors are very competitively price and represent an excellent value when compared to other flooring options. Hardwood floors never have to be replaced and will enhance or even increase the value of your home should you decide to sell. 

When compared to other flooring products, hardwood floors provide long-lasting value, as Real Wood Floors are "Beauty that last a lifetime".

There are several species, colors and grain variations to consider. Other than the walls, the floor represents the largest expanse of color or pattern in a room. Your floor should complement the fabrics, furnishings and accessories already present in the space, as well as enhancing the unique personality of the room as a whole. The most popular color: red oak natural, maple natural running second, but with today's eclectic decoration styles, anything goes. Darker colors - Formal or traditional interiors, 

Lighter colors - country, casual and contemporary settings. There are many choices when selecting the right floor for the rooms in your home. There are several many species, colors and grain variations to consider.

Species:

• What type of wood do you want? It's important, for example oak floors could mean ten (10) or so different products, of 3 different grades. Is domestic or exotic species desired? Some species can be used over radiant heat, many cannot; some can handle humidity better than others.

Grade:

• Different species have different standards, some none at all. The higher the grade the "clearer" or more top of the line the product is. 

Cut:

• The angle in relation the grain as the log goes through the saw, 3 cuts are standard, plain, quartered, or rift sawn: The harder cut quarter sawn has closer pours, thus making moisture less of an intruder

Dimensions:

• What is the thickness and width of the floor you have chosen? What are the lengths? This is important if adjoining floor covering at doorways are not properly adjusted for. Sometimes the pattern of the product you have chosen may not be right for your installation. Always know or have specified the lengths, widths and thickness of the wood floor choice you made.

Pattern:

• The most common is with strip or plank, the direction may depend on the subfloor joist (nail down), and parquet comes in many patterns and/or designs from simple to intricate cuts and designs. Make sure this is spelled out in your contract, as to what direction the floor will be laid.

Color:

• Always request a sample prefinished or unfinished (including final finish type). Every manufacturer has their specific trademark color. Today the naturals (oak and maple) are the most popular. Remember, there will always be some color variation between boards, as each piece may very well be from a different tree.

Engineered products, available in Planks, Strips are manufactured of hardwood using a cross-directional laminated construction (3 to 5 layers), with a top layer of premium hardwood. 

This construction counteracts the natural tendency of wood to expand and contract with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity, making engineered products inherently dimensionally stable. Solid products, available in Planks, Strips or Parquet, are manufactured from a solid piece of wood.

More and more of hardwood flooring sold today is prefinished or factory finished with many coats of UV-cured polyurethane or aluminum oxide are applied. These prefinished wood floors are tough and durable, many with 10 coats of finish.

 Installing a prefinished wood floor eliminates the time, the dust and the odors associated with the on-site sanding and finishing of an unfinished wood floor product. A prefinished floor can be installed in a day. An unfinished flooring installation may require twice as much time for the same area, not including the sanding and finishing time.

Engineered hardwood floors--in planks, strips are the best floors to use with radiant heating systems. These floors are manufactured of hardwood using a three-ply or five-ply laminated construction, making them inherently dimensionally stable. 

This means they are less susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity. Of the engineered flooring options, with a floating installation as the best choice, because it can be "floated" over the subfloor, without the use of nails or adhesives for a permanent installation.

 It is important to note that when installing any hardwood floor over a radiant heating system, the maximum temperature of the subfloor should never exceed 80º (F). For the correct water temperature inside the heating pipes.

 Oak is an ideal species for in-floor radiant systems. We also recommend ash and merbau. We do not recommend that you use maple or pecan for an in-floor radiant heat system. If you have a question about your species choices see Radiant Heat & Wood Floors.

The finish and color will be affected by this. Darker colors tend to show traffic quicker, where as natural wood colors of oak and maple do not. High traffic areas need special attention when it comes to recoating. Screening (light sanding) should be a part of the preventative maintenance program for your wood floors in these areas. 

Application of 1 or 2 coats as needed (every 6-18 months) is a good sound way to protect your investment. Make sure the finish being applied is compatible with what is there and is of the shine that will work well in that area. 

Satin or low shine urethanes tend to show less traffic patterns than do the higher gloss finishes. Walk-off mats are strongly suggested for these areas, for example, working areas of a kitchen, entryways or doorways from the outside.