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What to consider when shopping for hardwood flooring
Shopping for hardwood flooring means you’ll have a lot of decisions to make. Of course, one of them will be your choice of species. While you have a wide assortment of domestic and exotic species from which to choose, the most popular ones are red and white oak; maple; walnut cherry; and hickory.
If you’re looking for hardwood flooring in Vernon Hills, IL, consider us your "go-to." We have a staff of highly skilled professionals, all of which we've hand-picked as the best in the industry. Whether you're looking for customizing or design, we can do it for you!
If you’re looking for hardwood flooring in Vernon Hills, IL, consider us your "go-to." We have a staff of highly skilled professionals, all of which we've hand-picked as the best in the industry. Whether you're looking for customizing or design, we can do it for you!
Decide on the type of wood flooring you want
There’s solid and engineered hardwood. Both will give you the exquisite undertones, quirky knots, and interesting raised grains. Both will also add value to your home and can be refinished.
The difference is in the construction. Solid is one slab throughout the thickness. Engineered is layered, with a slab on top and three or more layers underneath that have a little resin added to the authentic wood. Then those layers are placed crosswise, giving it stability and a better ability to handle water.
As a result, it won't shrink and contract to adjust to the weather. No acclimation is needed. It also has a little more versatility in installation and can go going into some higher-than-normal moisture places. That includes below-grade levels, such as the basement, where solid is not recommended.
The difference is in the construction. Solid is one slab throughout the thickness. Engineered is layered, with a slab on top and three or more layers underneath that have a little resin added to the authentic wood. Then those layers are placed crosswise, giving it stability and a better ability to handle water.
As a result, it won't shrink and contract to adjust to the weather. No acclimation is needed. It also has a little more versatility in installation and can go going into some higher-than-normal moisture places. That includes below-grade levels, such as the basement, where solid is not recommended.
Decide on thickness
Important to both solid and engineered, this determines how often a floor can be sanded and refinished. The ideal thickness for solid is ¾-inch. Engineered has a range, from ⅝ to ½-inch and thicker s better. Solid can be refinished up to six times; engineered up to five.
More decorative decisions
Wide planks are currently trending. They are traditional and show the knots and grains. Narrow planks have a more airy, contemporary feeling.
As for color choices, the trend right now is for lighter floors, such as blond, birch yellow, honey, gray and light hickory. Natural white oak is highly popular. That is because it can easily be textured, big this year, to look distressed: hand scraping; Footworn, and Timeworn.
To learn more about hardwood flooring, be sure to visit the Wholesale Carpet Designs showroom in Vernon Hills, IL. We service Vernon Hills, IL, Libertyville, IL, Buffalo Grove, IL, Deerfield, IL, Highland Park, IL, Lake Forest, IL, Lincolnshire, IL, Long Grove, IL, Mundelein, IL, and Riverwoods, IL. Ask about our estimates.
As for color choices, the trend right now is for lighter floors, such as blond, birch yellow, honey, gray and light hickory. Natural white oak is highly popular. That is because it can easily be textured, big this year, to look distressed: hand scraping; Footworn, and Timeworn.
To learn more about hardwood flooring, be sure to visit the Wholesale Carpet Designs showroom in Vernon Hills, IL. We service Vernon Hills, IL, Libertyville, IL, Buffalo Grove, IL, Deerfield, IL, Highland Park, IL, Lake Forest, IL, Lincolnshire, IL, Long Grove, IL, Mundelein, IL, and Riverwoods, IL. Ask about our estimates.
