Tag: Buying Hardwood Flooring

Benefits of Wood Flooring, Compared to Other Types of Flooring

Benefits of Wood Flooring, Compared to Other Types of FlooringAre you planning major renovations like the guy in the image? Perhaps replacing warn carpet. Many people consider hardwood flooring as an alternative. If you are unaware of the benefits of wood flooring, you have come to the right post. This post lists all of the major benefits that consumers enjoy when they install wood floors. Don’t forget that it is a personal choice. Some of the benefits will be more important for some people compared to others. Review our list and make your decision based on what is a high priority for you. Take into account personal likes and dislikes. Are you selling? Do you have allergies, etc.?

Benefits of Wood Flooring, Compared to Other Types of Flooring

Last, For Decades – wood floors can last a very long time. They can even be re-sanded and stained to make them look new again. Carpets may need to be replaced due to wear and tear, stains, etc every five years or so.

Easy to Clean – use a light brush or vacuum to keep it clean. Once and a while wash the floors with a damp mop. Carpeting must be cleaned with a carpet cleaning machine.

More Hygienic – dust, skin particles, and even food find their way deep into the pile of carpets. All of this material is easily vacuumed with hardwood floors. Combine with a central vacuum that exhausts outside and you have a super clean home.

Eliminate Odors – carpets retain odors from pets and decomposing food particles. Hardwood floors are easier to keep clean and can be washed easily to get rid of odors.

Underfloor Heating – wood is a great medium to use for underfloor heating as is tile. Carpets are not recommended over underfloor heating.

Lower Long Term Costs – hardwood floors last longer as a rule and can be sanded and refinished. Soiled and worn carpets must be replaced at significant costs.

Timeless Appeal

Hardwood floors are always in – In addition they can be enhanced by adding area rugs and complimenting furniture

Available for all Budgets – Hardwood floors are now massed produced and come pre-finished. They are designed to fit all budgets.

Warmth and Feel – Wood floors are just cozier and feel warmer compared to tile floors

Sell Your Home Quickly – Your home’s value will not only increase, but it will also sell more quickly than a home with carpet.

There are many benefits to hardwood flooring. For many people, it comes down to their budget. Don’t forget to take into account the long term cost benefits of installing a hardwood floor.


Get A Good Deal On A New Hardwood Floor

Good Deal On A New Hardwood FloorMost people would like to get the best deal they can on anything they purchase. That includes hardwood floors.  When we wanted to put a new hardwood floor in our house , we did not take the first offer that came along. We wanted to get a good deal on a new hardwood floor. We spent a lot of time getting to know the various kinds of wood. Also what we wanted to install in our home. We also discuss warranties and installers.

How many installations they had completed, when would the start and when would they finish. We wanted to make sure that once they started the job, they stayed until the hardwood flooring job was completed.

Once we knew exactly what we wanted, the next step was to find the deals that were available for both the hardwood as well as the installation. While it takes more time, look at it this way. The money you save is after tax dollars that you are paying yourself. The money you save can be used for something else that you really want to get as well. In addition and even more important, making sure that you hire a great hardwood floor installer is vitally important. A good deal is not a good deal when the floor is not installed properly. Some consumers will try to do their own installation work. For information on general do it yourself issues, consider reading more about, Do It Yourself Projects.

Good Deal On A New Hardwood Floor – Contractor Sales

We started looking  for ‘contractor sales’ at places like Home Depot and Lowe’s. This is a great little tip that we’re able to come up with through a little research. The real question is whether these are really ‘contractor’ sales. Or whether they are closer to ‘extra inventory’ sales events which are used to get people into the stores to buy other products.

Guess what? Who cares? Discount sales are your friends no matter how they are labeled. The larger the discount you can get on your new hardwood floors, the better. Use these sales to your advantage and call the stores directly to find out when they are being held. Or just check often with one of the guys working the floor.

If you do take advantage of one of these sales and it is the end of the inventory, make sure you buy enough to do your complete floor to avoid not being able to buy that last piece to finish the floor or to buy flooring with a slightly different stain. Ask for quotes that are written down and if another store has the same flooring you are looking at let them know you have a quote and even show them your quote. They know at that point if they want to obtain your business, they have to give you a better price or lose the deal.

Look for Online discounts

Read up on “discount hardwood floors” on the web.  There are literally a ton of different data options available for people who are looking for discount hardwood floors. Personally I like to talk to a real person when I am making these kinds of decisions, however the web can really help to educate you so that you know all of the right questions to ask.

One thing to remember when you are negotiating a combined price for the floor and installation, is to go with a fixed price so that there are no surprises once the work is completed.

In fact, just because something is discount doesn’t necessarily mean that it is of substandard quality. It just means that you are getting a better deal due to extra inventory, the store trying to drive sales or discounts the store received from the supplier who is trying to drive sales up. Discount is your friend when shopping for anything including different parts of your house.

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Buying Hardwood Flooring

Buying Hardwood FlooringAre interested in installing hardwood flooring in your home? It is a good idea that you  search many different suppliers, comparing quality and pricing. You can find everything you need with one hardwood floor provider. However you are taking a chance on paying too much. Some of the larger stores will have the largest inventories of hardwood flooring with great prices and quality. They have many different types of flooring available. They are often backed with a satisfaction guarantee. If you are not in a huge hurry, sometimes you can pick up sales. Sales can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on quality and the size of the floor you are covering.

Buying Hardwood Flooring – Varieties of Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors come in many different forms and varieties, each with their own benefits. Wood flooring may be unfinished or pre-finished. Most people settle for pre-finished flooring these days. The width of the floor boards can vary with strip, plank or parquet flooring. Also, there are a large number of wood species that can be used. Each kind of wood comes with its own characteristics and grades. We chose our flooring based on what we liked in terms of color, texture and the overall look that the floor would contribute to our home. To some extent we matched it to our existing decor as well. We did not want have to change many things in their home.

The variation in flooring doesn’t end there as there are various cuts, finishes and recycled or reclaimed woods. There is a lot to consider when finding ideal flooring. However if you shop around you can usually find something that meets your requirements and will not break the bank.

Alternatives to Hardwood Flooring

As an alternative to hardwood flooring, laminate flooring should be looked at. Laminate flooring is not true hardwood but is made from a dense fiberboard covered in a patterned paper layer under high pressure. You can tell the difference between laminate flooring and true hardwood flooring. The knots and grain patterns of the wood will be repetitive and this surface does not age in the same way as real wood. The advantages of laminate are essentially in cost and durability. Laminate is resistant to denting and stands up to high traffic areas.

It is important to note that you generally cannot refinish laminate flooring in the same manner that you would refinish hardwood flooring.

New Style Hardwood Floors

A relatively new style of floor you can find with many suppliers of  hardwood floors is bamboo flooring. Bamboo is extremely strong, durable, dimensionally stable and environmentally friendly. It can be re-grown quickly with little fertilizer. You will find low prices on all of these flooring types at Lumber Liquidators hardwood floor.

Many flooring companies will provide samples that you can take home and visualize what your new floor will look like. Sometimes even with a sample it is still really difficult to get a good idea of what the floor will look like once it is installed. In some cases the hardwood flooring store may be able to arrange for you to see another customers home with the same flooring. Many customers are more than happy to show off their homes when they have just acquired a new hardwood floor. If you are fortunate enough to be able to take advantage of an offer like this, always be very complimentary. Thank the owners for their time and allowing you to take a look inside their home. They are going out of their way to let you view the final results so it is the time to show your appreciation.

One of the important things to do as well is to talk to your friends and colleagues who may be able to give you tips on buying hardwood flooring, pricing and installation. Readers are welcome to leave their comments about their experience with hardwood flooring to help our readers.

For more details about hardwood floor selection, click here.

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