Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring continues to be a popular choice among homeowners. Its timeless style and value-adding characteristics make it hard to compete with. Natural wood is also hypoallergenic, durable, and long-lasting. Carpet One Floor & Home in Wilmington, North Carolina, is your local source for all things flooring, including natural hardwood. Our flooring professionals can provide you with expert advice when it comes to choosing the best wood floor for your home.

Hardwood Styles

With so many types of hardwood to choose from, how do you know which one is right for you? When it comes to picking out a hardwood floor, you can’t go wrong with any of your choices, and our design experts are here to help you find the style, color, and texture that fits your home’s décor best. We offer an array of wood species, including oak, maple, hickory, ash, birch, and mahogany. We even have exotics like cork and bamboo. Additionally, you’ll find unfinished and prefinished hardwood planks. From smooth-grained light wood floors to darker, weathered textures, there’s a look for every design vision.

Solid vs Engineered Hardwood

Solid hardwood is, just as its name describes, one solid piece of wood from top to bottom. Thickness typically varies, but on average is about ¾” thick. It can even be sanded and refinished, but the amount of time depends on the bevel and where the tongue of the plank is on the edge. Since solid wood is more susceptible to warping from moisture and heavy foot traffic, we recommend it for dry rooms that are on or above ground level. Despite its limitations, solid hardwood floors are usually designed to last for the life of your home if properly cared for, making them a great investment for the right space. Crafted from natural wood, but with the innovation of a modern design, engineered hardwood is a good choice if you are concerned about humidity and foot traffic. Engineered planks have a layered composition, in which 3 to 7 pieces of composite wood are laminated together in a cross-grain direction. Placing the pieces so that the wood grains run in opposite directions gives the planks more dimensional stability, so that they are less likely to expand and shrink in changing conditions. This is why engineered and solid wood floors look identical from above. Engineered hardwood is favored by many since it tends to be more affordable, can be installed in finished basements, and can better withstand heavy traffic and seasonal weather changes. The only drawback to engineered hardwood is that you may not be able to refinish it more than once or twice.

How Does Humidity Affect Hardwood?

The relative humidity level in your home will ebb and flow as the seasons change. The level of water vapor in your interior climate, your home’s relative humidity affects your floors over time. Homes with higher than ideal humidity levels will result in swollen or warped planks, while lower than ideal humidity levels will result in shrinking boards. Neither of these scenarios will bode well for your hardwood floors over time. Maintaining your home’s relative humidity at a level of 42 percent can easily be achieved with the help of either a humidistat or hydrometer. Other helpful tools for healthy hardwood floors include insulated window coverings, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners.

Where Can Hardwood Be Installed?

Hardwood flooring is known to be durable, but it does have its limitations when it comes to where it can be installed. For the most part, solid wood floors can be installed in on or above-grade rooms like bedrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms. Engineered hardwood planks are better suited for areas that see a lot of activity like hallways, entryways, and children’s playrooms. They can also be installed in finished basements. Additionally, we have a waterproof hardwood collection called Hydrotek™, which can be used in kitchens and bathrooms without a problem.

Our Hardwood Selection

At Carpet One Floor & Home in Wilmington, we offer quality hardwood brands, which include Shaw, Armstrong, Rustic River, Invincible, Hydrotek, and Voyager. We take pride in providing performance-driven floors that are also affordable and easy to care for. As your neighborhood flooring store, we are members of the Carpet One cooperative, which gives us stronger buying power with suppliers. We can negotiate better prices for our products, so you get the same deals you find in big box stores, but with the personalized service of a locally owned business. Visit us today to view our flooring samples and learn more.