Choosing hardwood flooring

 
 
 
 

Showcase your home with hardwood flooring

 
No one can ever dispute the beautiful warmth and charm of wood flooring. It not only up-levels the look of your home but is versatile enough to work with any decor and adds value to your property. However, there are certain decisions you'll need to make in choosing hardwood flooring, so here are some things to think of before you start shopping for hardwood in Dunedin, FL.
 

Style is about more than choosing a color

 
Does a particular hardwood grain pattern appeal to you? Logs are cut in three different ways, each affecting the arrangement of the wood fibers; they can be straight, flat, or wavy. The three are plain-sawn, with patterns that billow and provide little waves called cathedrals. Rift-sawn features long, straight grains, and quarter-sawn boards are a mixture of plain and rift-sawn.

There are hundreds of species from which to choose, with some being harder than others. First, decide if you want a domestic (harvested within North America) or an exotic (harvested in locations like Brazil, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and Africa) species because they have different looks. Domestics are warmer and more traditional, while exotics are darker, dramatic, and, some say, more contemporary.

Some wood flooring takes stains better than others, so be sure to tell one of our hardwood experts if you plan to color-tint. Generally, the more porous the wood, the better it will take, such as oak, cedar, ash, hickory, and chestnut. Brazilian cherry also accepts it well and, when stained, has a gorgeous blazing red color. While you're at it, also think about whether you want factory, pre-finished floors, or on-site finishing.
 
 
 
 

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Wide, narrow, or mixed-width?

 
Wider planks are trending, are traditional, and tend to display knots and swirls a little better. These are often seen in historical homes since the wide board first became popular in the mid-1800s. They can, however, make a small room look smaller, so you may prefer to go with a narrow one. A good alternative is the mixed-width plank with a design that can give you that antique feeling without sacrificing space.

As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into choosing hardwood flooring. At Frontier Hardwood Flooring, we specialize in all things wood and we’ll guide you to finding the just-right one for you. Our showroom in Dunedin, FL, so visit us, especially if you live in and around Dunedin, FL, Clearwater, FL, Largo, FL, Palm Harbor, FL, Tarpon Springs, FL, Belleair, FL, Safety Harbor, FL, Seminole, FL, St. Petersburg, FL and Reddington Shores, FL. You’ll also walk out with a free wood flooring quote.