Talk to me about hardwood floors

Comments (6)

magcailains
11 years ago
It's unfortunate that you can't run it through the kitchen now especially if you want to go with dark flooring. Depending on the amount of light you get in 5 years time when you install it in the kitchen it is likely you will notice that the existing flooring will be lighter than the new, provided you are able to find something that closely matches what you initially purchased for the dining room. After having dark floors I opted for lighter floors on my previous house for several reasons. We renovated the entire house over a period of years but I initially purchased all the flooring needed for the entire house at one time and stored it unopened laying flat on pallets in a cool dark place and it was fine even 6 years later. So if you are just planning on adding it in your kitchen at a later date I would consider biting the bullet now and at least purchasing enough to do your kitchen at that later date. If these two rooms are open to each other trying to get flooring up to 5 years from now in a matching stain as well as plank width could be a big problem. When we finally got around to adding it into each room over the years the existing was lighter than the newly laid flooring but because it was light to begin with it was far less noticeable than it had been when we'd used dark flooring in a previous house. We also noticed how much brighter the rooms were with the lighter rather than the dark flooring. Any scratches from dogs nails, furniture etc. were also far less noticeable on the light versus the dark. And as for dirt, dust and dog hair it was also far less noticeable on the light versus the dark. We also liked the contrast of the lighter floors with the dark wood elements such as dining table and chairs and kitchen cabinets etc.. We have recently moved and are in the midst yet again of a whole house reno and after having lived with both dark and light stained wood floors we have opted once again to use light colored floors that we have purchased but will be getting laid over a period of years as it worked out so well the last time. Whatever color of flooring you opt for I do hope you can buy for both rooms now as you will not regret your decision later when you do your kitchen.

Best of luck to you with your reno project.
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shelleyuk
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks both. I would love to do the kitchen now but unfortunately budget doesn't allow it. When we redo the kitchen we want to extend the room outwards and we don't even know yet whether we will get planning permission for it since we live in a conservation area where every single tree or bush whether they be 200ft or 2ft tall has a tree preservation order on it. Even if we don't get the permission and have to stick with the room we have we are likely to change the layout.

Fortunately the rooms are not open plan. We have a dining room leading onto a kitchen which then leads onto a den/TV room. We have double doorways leading into the rooms but they are not open plan.

In terms of ease of matching I will definitely look at Oak. Is there a standard width I should be looking at? And I'm seeing a lot of lacquered wood advertised, should I avoid this?
PRO
Through the Woods Fine Wood Floors, Inc.
11 years ago
I have been a wood flooring professional for over 30 years, so my response might be more detailed than you want! I'll break it down into several issues and you can choose which bits might help you the most.

Color: If you have children, a medium stain/wood might serve you better because dark floors show dust and dirt.

Wear: A wood that has a stain on it that is much diferent from the wood's own natural color, will show scratches more than a wood with no stain. A matte or semi-gloss finish will show fewer scratches and wear.

Composition: What is your subfloor and where are you located? Both these factors will help determine the material to use.
Solid- This flooring is made from pieces of wood that are one solid piece from top to bottom. So, if you want oak, the wood is all oak. It can come from the mill already stained and finished (prefinished), or it can be finished at the jobsite after being installed and sanded.
Engineered- Engineered hardwood flooring is constructed of two components, a ‘core layer’ on the bottom, topped by the ‘face veneer’. The veneer, or wear layer can be of differing thicknesses. The thicker the wear layer, the more times the product can be sanded.
The core layer is constructed of multiple layers of wood which can be of the same or of a different species, glued together in a cross-hatch configuration. This cross graining provides greater dimensional stability, minimizing the expansion and contraction that natural wood exhibits when exposed to varying moisture levels and temperatures. It can come from the mill already stained and finished, or it can be finished at the jobsite after being installed and sanded.

If you are going to install one area now and another later, you might want to choose an unfinished product that can be sanded and finished at the jobsite. You also want to ensure that you keep a record of the materials used on the first section so that you can match the second section after the color has changed. They will both end up the same (or at least very similar) color after a few years, but they will both change over time.

The other way that you can ensure that they match is to purchase enough prefinished (which has the stain and finish applied at the factory/mill) material for both areas at the same time. For the best match, mix the wood from all the boxes for the first floor, then repackage the rest. Store it in a dry place until you are ready to install it in the other area.

Purchase products and hire a professional that are members of the National Wood Flooring Association. They set the standards for and provide education for our trade. They offer certifications in installation and in sand and finish which oprovide homeowners further assurance of skill and competence.
shelleyuk
Original Author
11 years ago
We are in the UK (so cold and wet) and hardwood floors aren't quite as common as in the US (although they are becoming more and more popular) There is a lot of laminate about and stripped pine floorboards but also a lot of carpet. Most people have tile in the kitchen.

Our floors are concrete, is that a problem? This is our forever house and so we want an option that will last but will also give us the ability to refinish over the years if necessary.
PRO
Through the Woods Fine Wood Floors, Inc.
11 years ago
No, concrete is not a problem, but I would suggest engineered wood under these conditions. It will provide greater stability. Enjoy your new wood floors!

United Kingdom

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Talk to me about hardwood floors

Ironwood Builders

Comments (6)

magcailains

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Talk to me about hardwood floors

Ironwood Builders

Comments (6)

magcailains

Related Discussions

shelleyukOriginal Author

Through the Woods Fine Wood Floors, Inc.

shelleyukOriginal Author

Through the Woods Fine Wood Floors, Inc.

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

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shelleyuk
Original Author

shelleyuk
Original Author