Hardwood flooring selection guide

Selecting the right hardwood flooring isn't just a matter of choosing a color, and you'll be making more decisions than you ever thought possible. Any flooring is a significant home investment, and it's also an expression of your style. That means you want to get it right the first time around, so here are some things you'll need to decide from Ted's Floor & Decor, your hardwood flooring company.

Do you want engineered or solid wood flooring?

The two versions look similar on the surface and have a gorgeous natural look with undertones, knots, raised grains, and swirls. They both can be refinished and add value to a property. Engineered flooring construction is different underneath, though; there are three or more layers of genuine wood combined with resin and placed in a crosswise position. The result is a stable floor that can handle water better and is installed in higher-than-normal moisture areas where solid hardwood flooring isn't recommended.

Choose your wood

You will have hundreds of species from which to select. Consider the overall style of your home and any extra durability needs; not all hardwoods have the same level of hardness. Do you want a domestic (harvested within North America) species or an exotic (harvested from locales like Brazil, Indonesia, Africa, Southeast Asia) wood? Domestics tend to be warmer and more traditional, while exotics are darker, contemporary, and consistently very hard.

Consider grain pattern

Logs are cut in three ways. Plain-sawn is the most traditional with billowing patterns called cathedrals. Rift-sawn grains are long and straight, with no cathedrals. Quarter-sawn is a mix of plain and rift-sawn.

Do you want factory or on-site finishing?

On-site has a greater variety of colors, so many think it offers more control over sheen with increased customization. On the other hand with factory, or pre-finished, you'll know what you're getting and can start coordinating immediately. While you're at it, decide if you want an oil or polyurethane.

Hardwood flooring and refinishing expert Ted’s Floor & Decor is the area’s go-to source for all-things-flooring, kitchen & bath remodeling, and more. Our showroom is in Sachse, TX, and we work with residential and commercial flooring projects in  Garland, Wylie, Murphy, and Plano. Visit us today for your free wood flooring quote.