Hardwood Floors December 2017/January 2018

Install Confidence (Continued)

Photo courtesy of Emily Morrow Finkell

a consumer hires a professional designer and/ or a professional installer, their chances of loving the outcome are much greater. Most professionals have typically worked with their tried and true products and brands, knowing that their reputation and livelihood is at stake with word-of-mouth and social media being one of the primary platforms on which they showcase their work. Knowing the right type of ooring for the right areas in the home is so critical, once again proving the value of working with a professional designer and installer. ere are some necessary things consumers should consider when choosing hardwood ooring for their home. For example, I’d suggest sticking with porcelain tile or vinyl ooring for the full bathrooms where showers and bathtubs create a constantly moist environment. Powder room type bathrooms, on the other hand, are beautiful when hardwood ooring is used and especially so if there’s a harmonious and continuous ow of the same hardwood ooring going throughout an open oor plan. Many times, I am asked if hardwood ooring is okay for kitchens to which I always answer, “Yes, absolutely.” In fact, hardwood ooring is my

Why is this information relevant? I’d like to think we have an opportunity to bring our professional groups together to be er connect designers to a higher level of skilled installers, a be er variety of hardwood products, and more importantly, a more in-depth knowledge of what to look for in quality and premium hardwood ooring. Today’s ooring options, especially hardwood ooring, are durable beyond what one would expect if they based their judgment on ooring of 20 years ago. We have technology built into each layer of hardwood from the face, to the core, to the back. Advanced aluminum oxide nishes not only resist surface scratches and daily wear, but also popular hardwood species like white oak have become even harder and more stable when pressed and cross-plied with similarly hard species. Many imported hardwood products are o en imposters to European oaks, having genteel sounding names romanced with rich storylines. But when the rubber hits the road, or the can of soup hits the oor, the truth comes out, and the shortcuts can be seen and felt, leaving many homeowners disappointed in their ooring choice, perhaps disillusioned in hardwood unnecessarily. When

According to the NWFA Education & Research Foundation 2017 Consumer Study, 39% of consumers rely on contractors as a resource to determine the best type of flooring for their home.

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