Hardwood floors are beautiful and popular because the variation and character of the trees comes through in the grain. It is said that the highest praise is imitation, and hardwoods are imitated today in countless products from laminate to luxury vinyl. They are a great option if you want to save some money and time on the installation. But sometimes only the unique look and feel of hardwood can satisfy the most demanding homeowner.

The Janka hardness test is the standard way to rate the strength of hardwood but for this article let’s look at other ways to evaluate hardwood. (You can read our post on the Janka hardness test here) Here’s 5 things to do help decide which hardwood is best for your floor.

First, go to the flooring store and see the wood in person.

The depth of a wood grain must be seen live, preferably in different lighting and room surroundings to reveal its beauty. At Saddleback Carpet & Flooring we encourage our customers to take home samples and live with the wood long enough to experience the many ways it can be transformed by light and surrounding colors.

Second, test the floor with your feet.

Does it feel right? What happens if you drop something on it? Does it feel durable enough to stand up to the kind of traffic your room gets every day? Consult with your salesperson if the wood is water resistant, many wood products are these days because of improvements in manufacturing.

Third, decide which color works best for your space.

When you have the samples in your space ask yourself does the wood draw your attention and make you feel good? The human eye is amazing in the way it recognizes patterns and you might find it calming to examine the way the grains wrap around areas and straighten in other places. The eye also recognizes repetition. One appealing thing about natural wood is that it contains enough repetition to enable us to recognize the species while displaying an endless variety of grain patterns. Manufactured wood grain products cannot achieve this kind of variety because they are a reproduction of wood grain, and depending on the size of the floor, will have to repeat at some point.

Fourth, consider the current trends in style.

Does the species of wood, width of the plank, and color fit in with what designers are recommending? Or, on the other hand, do you want a floor that reminds you of a special place in your memory?

The benefit of having Saddleback Carpet & Flooring help you with the installation is that we come out and measure your site for free. The visit includes a product consultation where we listen to your needs and provide options that meet your expectations. For instance, we know how to work with an existing product. In some cases we can match old products, or find ways to make a new product transition look good. A successful installation depends on several things one of the most important is the condition of the subfloor that the new product will cover. One of the typical things we check for is how much moisture is present in the subfloor. We then let you know in advance what needs to be done to assure that the installation will last for many years. Please contact us to get started.