TYPES OF WOOD FLOORING TO CONSIDER:

 

SOLID UNFINISHED HARDWOOD

     There are many different types of hardwood flooring available, each with a wide variety of features and characteristics to compliment any style.  Here at Luciano’s Hardwood Flooring we understand that choosing your floor covering is a matter of functionality and taste.

 

     Hardwood flooring comes in a wide rage of colors, species, widths, finishes and patterns.  Trust in a good wood floor specialist to help you choose the best floor for you.  Let's weigh the pros and cons of each...

 

 

PREFINISHED VS. SOLID HARDWOOD FLOORING

 

     It's a big decision to install new wood flooring in your home and we know it can be confusing as well.  One of the biggest questions we get is if our clients should install prefinished wood flooring OR solid unfinished hardwood flooring (which is installed, sanded (with our dustless system) and finished with your choice of color stain and finish) on site.

 

 

PREFINISHED vs. UNFINISHED FLOORING

 

      Depending on the floor size, installation is much faster with prefinished hardwood flooring.  There is no sanding or finishes involved.  Because the prefinished floor has already been coated at the factory and doesn't have the be sanded or finished on site, it is more convenient to install.  Also due to the multiple layers of finish applied at the factory, prefinished hardwood flooring has a durable wear and the finish is usually under warranty by the manufacturer.

 

     Now the down side... prefinished wood can become a dirt trap mess.  It is very hard to clean between the cracks, since the cracks are not sealed at the job site.  (Solid hardwood flooring is sanded and SEALED onsite).  When refinishing prefinished floors it is necessary to remove more wood to get the floor level, so in effect you lose more wood floor life in the very first refinish than with solid hardwood flooring.

 

     Prefinished floors are convenient to install, but most have a beveled edge on the wood strips, which some people just don't like.  If you wish to have the appearance of a perfectly FLAT floor, solid unfinished hardwood flooring is the way to go.  AND if your prefinished floor gets damaged, it means ripping out the whole section of flooring and completely replacing it, whereas solid unfinished hardwood flooring can be easily repaired (in most cases) with a quick sanding and applying new finish.  Another thing to consider is from time to time manufacturers also discontinue or eliminate the availability of certain types of prefinished products, thus making it impossible to get new prefinished flooring for repair work.

 

 

MORE THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING YOUR FLOOR:

 

Where will the flooring be installed?

 

ENTRY WAY OR FOYER - Foyers tend to be more formal.  By adding a one-of-a-kind design such as a border, inlay or medallion has become a new flooring trend.

 

KITCHENS AND FAMILY ROOMS - By being the highest traffic areas in your home we highly recommend hardwood flooring in these rooms.  The ease of care and floor of traffic make these rooms a popular choice for hardwood flooring.  We recommend kitchen floors to be lightly sanded and recoated as needed, usually every 6-18 months in these high-traffic zones.

 

DINING ROOMS AND FORMAL LIVING AREAS -  This is the area where we do most of the design work with borders or inlays - turning blocks or corner accents to make your floor unique and add that special ambiance to your room.  Design can be made to compliment your furniture and decor.  The trend has been to do a darker colors in these areas.  But keep in mind, the darker the floor, the smaller the space will appear.

 

BATHROOMS - Due to continued moisture exposure, we do not recommend you put solid hardwood flooring in a bathroom that receives daily use.  A guest bathroom, however, that does not get used on a day to day basis would be a perfect choice.  NOTE: always use carpets or mats and wipe any water up immediately!

SOLID PREFINISHED HARDWOOD

ENGINEERED HARDWOOD

LAMINATE

DID YOU KNOW...  We replace our sanding equipment twice as often as most of our competitors, thereby insuring that our crews are using the most advanced and reliable machines available.  By maintaining our vans with the best equipment and craftsmen, we are confident that your floors will look their best!   We offer a knowledgeable sales staff, exact pricing instead of rough estimates, devoted staff and crew, countless references to choose from all backed by a dependable family flooring contractor!