How to Buy Prefinished Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring

If you're considering having a prefinished hardwood floor installed in your home, you may find yourself overwhelmed when it comes to choosing the flooring itself. Hardwood flooring is available in dozens of choices, with a wide variety of colors and patterns as well as variations in thickness and finish. To buy prefinished hardwood floors that you will be happy with for the next few decades, it helps to have a battle plan in order to make an informed choice.

Instructions

1. Visit a flooring showroom that has a wide variety of flooring samples as well as a knowledgeable staff.

2. Ask to see samples of the types of hardwood that are available for the flooring substrate where you plan to install your floor. This will narrow your choices to the appropriate products for your needs; for example, a living room over a crawl space or basement will have many more types of suitable flooring than a den that is located in the basement of a home.

3. Examine the warranty information on each product line and compare what each manufacturer offers on each product, and then narrow your field further by eliminating those manufacturers who offer a substandard guarantee.

4. Choose a finish color that is close to the shade you have in mind. For example, if you want a lighter color on your floor you might narrow your selections to maple and light oak flooring.

5. Inquire what appropriate products are available in the finish colors you have chosen. For example, if you have decided on an engineered hardwood floor in maple or light oak, you may narrow your product lines to three by matching the color to the brand.

6. Request samples of the floorings that you have narrowed down on your list. Typically, there will be three to five products that fit your needs; by taking a sample home you will be able to visualize the flooring in its future natural light as opposed to the fluorescent lighting of a store showroom.

7. Place each flooring sample in the room where it will be installed, laying it against a finished wall or cabinets, if possible. This will allow you to make your final choice with confidence, and without the pressure that may be present in a sales showroom.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider whether the shades you have chosen are carried in stock or are special-order products. Typically, a special order product will cost much more than an in-stock item, and if cost or delivery time is a concern this may further narrow your choices.

• Before your first visit to a flooring store, write a list of questions or concerns that you may have about your future flooring purchase.

• If you are having your flooring installed professionally, ask the store clerk for references from satisfied customers before you contract the job.

References

• Hardwood Installer: Flooring Types

Resources

• Find any Floor: Buying Guide