We had grand plans for this house. And we’re not even finished yet. But when we first laid eyes on our new home, it was easy for our vision to be blinded by a little bit of the neglected and a little bit of the dated. I guess you could say our house was well lived in. But while I had visions of a sweet elderly couple handing down their family home they’d owned for decades that they built on their own, all so they could retire in a small community just south of Tahiti, our home had been through a lot of owners. That means a little more wear and tear on our {new owner} receiving end.
There were tired old spots on the walls with warped areas, entirely. Paneling from 1970 something with worn carpet, and linoleum throughout. Which was all fine because we found it all pretty charming. It was just time for a little bit of a face lift. And by little, we meant huge.
So our vision included something fresh. Something classic. We knew that with some love throughout, we could make this place the perfect {however unexpected} home for our family. Planked ceilings with fun light fixtures and simplified settings. Remove a few walls and raise the ceiling to give it height and space… and tada. Cue commercial break…. we would have a new home.
If only it were that simple. It took a bit more time than that.
But one of the things we knew we definitely wanted, was hardwoods throughout.
It was our weapon for a classic feel to preserve our small house with a great story. It was like giving it a new lease on life.
And we knew we wanted to make all 1700 square feet of it {before the garage is finished, and down the road… an addition} feel larger than life. So our number one material that would be the key to make that happen? The flooring. After removing the main level of existing interior walls, and adding height to the ceiling, we knew flooring was the way to go with adding more space… to our space.
So we decided we wanted hardwoods. But what kind of hardwoods?
Cue me, pouring tirelessly over all the samples. Studying all our options.
There are pros and cons to every choice you make for your home, and the possibilities are endless.
There are the traditional floors finished on site… all the way to linoleum and even tile that looks like hardwoods. You’ve seen them all in advertisements and home magazines. On home improvement shows and websites. There’s something about when you’re trying to make such a big choice… you see hardwood everywhere. Suddenly you’re hitting pause on that show you were Netflix binging while your husband asks what on earth you’re doing. All the while you’re squinting like a crazy person while you try to figure out what flooring they have installed in their kitchen.
There’s an entire world out there of flooring options. But what we decided to go with, after weighing all the pros and cons, was what made the most sense for us: Solid, pre-finished hardwood flooring. We fell in love with Pergo’s Flint Maple floors from their American Era collection, sold exclusively at Lowe’s. Not only did we adore the look, but the benefits as well.
Everyone has their own opinion on what you should choose for your home, and why.
We say it’s different for every person based on their lifestyle, budget, location of the installation, and needs. There are a bazillion different combinations out there that could work for a bazillion different reasons.
Here’s why we personally chose Pergo pre finished hardwood flooring:
• Solid hardwood is hardwood, through and through.
Not to be confused with engineered, because at first, I was.
Engineered hardwoods can also come in pre-finished planks to be installed in your home, pre finished. Engineered floors are made with layers. They’re available in beautiful options, and may be the right fit for your home, budget and what you’re looking for.
The main difference between engineered vs. true solid hardwoods is that the engineered planks are made of multiple layers of wood veneers with the top layer being the decorative layer that you see in your home – solid floors are one single piece of wood from top to bottom. Engineered floors are also a great option for the home because they are more dimensionally stable than solid floors and a bit more durable, and we had those in out last house.
• The main difference between finished on site hardwoods and pre finished, is the process.
While finished on site is just what they are… installed and then finished in your home, prefinished are finished in the factory. This means that instead of the usual on-site sanding, staining, and 2-3 coats of finish, these puppies receive up to seven coats of finish and are then cured under a UV light, which gives a much stronger, more durable finish. This means easy installation, less mess and no waiting for your family to move in while the finish dries.
Also, while I must confess I adore the smell of paint fumes and poly and all things sawdust because they smell like progress and my childhood when my parents remodeled our home… and I guess I’m weird like that… no smells comes with more side benefits: It means there are no harmful fumes for your family.
• They {prefinished floors} are very durable – even more so than finished on site hardwoods.
We considered tile. We considered linoleum. We considered all of our options.
But for our family… with three active kiddos who are only getting bigger, and two large breed dogs, this made the most sense for us, personally. We ordered samples and played with them. We placed them on the floor and sprinkled dog hair on top to see how visible it would be. We took different objects and scratched them. We played with them to make sure it was in fact, what we wanted in our home for the long haul. There’s a big difference between those finished, magazine worthy shots… and clomping around, playing with legos, dropped toys and spilled juice… real life.
They resist scratches and dents and all the things that come with hardwoods, but they’re a little bit more durable. They’re still hardwoods so it’s like having your cake and eating it, too. There’s just something about walking around barefoot on hardwoods that we love, and we knew it was what we wanted. So once you decide which kind of flooring you want, it’s all about the type beyond that. And prefinished floors are something to consider. We’ve now moved in and settled in with the whole lot of us, as well as had a few sub contractors stomping around in their shoes to put in those finishing touches, and we’re really pleased with their durability.
They’ve held up very well and we couldn’t be happier. Even Rigby and Fitz are smitten.
• They last and last.
5 times the durables
Pergo® Flint Maple American Era™ is gorgeous solid hardwood that lasts—up to 5 times more durable than ordinary hardwood floors! Floors stay newer longer; resist stains, scuffs and micro-scratches. Even nail polish, permanent marker, glue and paint will not penetrate the surface. Pergo American Era gives you both, design and durability.
• Lifetime Warranty
Pergo Floors are more than beautiful, they’re also made to last. In addition to featuring a superior finish that prevents wear, Pergo floors are backed by some of the best warranties in the industry. The lifetime residential warranty guarantees the floor will be free from manufacturer defects, it also guarantees the integrity of the finish, structure, and protection from moisture damage for as long as the original owner owns the product. Attached is the full warranty document.
Basically, we’ll be long gone before these floors need to be ripped out. I have to say, it’s kind of comforting to know my floors will outlive me. To know that we chose a quality product that we can count on for years to come… No, really. Our grandchildren may be ripping out these floors before they sell the house and move to Tahiti.
We love the huge difference a great, dependable product has made in our home.
These are just a few of the reasons we decided to go with our beautiful Pergo flooring. We couldn’t be happier with the way they turned out… and think they added some incredible, timeless character to our home.
We hope this helps shed some light on the small differences between some of your home options, if you’re in the middle of a new build or overhaul. We know the choices can be daunting, and everyone’s will be different based on what’s right for them. This is why we chose our floors, and we’re thrilled to have something so durable with classic character.
Have an inspired day!
:: This post was brought to you in partnership Pergo. All opinions are 100% ours. Please read our full disclosure pertaining to partnerships here ::
do you know how they would hold up to moisture? and by that, i mean installing them close to an outside door that may have snow/rain tracked in, in the winter (Midwest girl here). Of course I’d have a rug at the entrance but snow can still stick to boots! :o)