Remember that time I was a total hardwood snob?
It’s funny how your last experience with something can twist your viewpoint on it for a very long time. When we moved into our home eight years ago, it had carpet in the main living areas, and tile in the kitchen/bathrooms. So we decided to stay with it because we wanted “real” hardwoods, and would never settle for fake again. Ever. Read: We couldn’t afford the ‘fancy kind’. You see, our first home before this one, had an installation of the dark, high gloss, super cheap variety. It easily chipped, showed every. Single. Speck and dog hair, and smudge.
Oooohhhh the smudges. I stressed over it constantly, trying to keep it clean. So we swore hardwoods off until we could afford the real, hand stained deal. At least that’s what we said, anyway. I remember getting a few quotes throughout the years on the real stuff, and it was something completely outrageous. Think over 10,000 dollars outrageous. And we had other things to spend money on. You know, like, food to feed our children… and stuff.
So when we found that little wet spot on our carpet last January, which just so happened to spread from the walls into both rooms {Beercanmoldpocalypse ’14} from a long time leak of the shower, we knew it was time to reevaluate. The demo team left a big awkward gap of carpet cut out of our bedroom, and at that point, we were left with a choice: We could install more carpet, which would back right up to our living room and look super awkward (because 8 year old carpet and brand new carpet would never look right side by side) and got a big NO from us.
So with a little insurance money + a little savings, it was time to investigate the possibility of a revamp, with an upgrade.
When we started to look, something happened: We realized how much the options with hardwood floors had changed over the years. And with it? The look, the pricing, and the availability. Eight years ago, it felt as though we either went for high gloss, or the real with a 10,000 dollar price gap… or option C: none at all. We also knew we had the option of doing cheaper hardwoods and finishing it ourselves but with our lifestyle, and in this home, we just weren’t up for it. Young kids + crazy dog = no go.
Choosing this flooring was an experience in itself, and today we thought we’d share a few tips and tricks for the best options in your home.
1. Shop around.
• Whether you want to buy from them or not, visit every possible store in your area. Speak to each person in charge of the hardwood flooring section. You’ll be surprised by the brief education you’ll receive on everything about each brand, style, and price range.
• When you go in to look, be sure you roughly know your square footage of the area you wish to install, so they should be able to give you a quick, off the cuff estimate. They will come to your home {or should, anyway} to tell you how much you will officially need. This helped to know we ordered enough.
• Compare prices on the same options in each store, and ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. Take note of brand names to see where you can also source them from. You can also get online when you’re home, and investigate from there, too. You’ll discover quickly, who you want to work with, based on their knowledge and willingness to help.
For instance, we discovered rather quickly that we needed to spend a little more to get quality in better flooring, and that this wasn’t a decision to be made rashly. If we were going to do it, we wanted to do it right.
2. Bring home samples.
• This may seem like common sense, but sometimes the samples will look completely different in your home in comparison to the showroom. One sample we were seriously considering in the showroom wasn’t even the same as the sample when we brought it home. The finish was actually super cheap in ‘real life’ when we compared it to the sample they gave us. It suddenly had a high gloss, and when we saw how easily it dented (just by carrying it from store to home and traveling in our car) we knew it was definitely a no-go.
• Look at them in all different possible areas, in all different lighting. You’ll be surprised how different wood will look from one room to the next.
• Also, ask for the samples that you can ‘check out’. They should have that option in a serious flooring store, and the larger the sample the better. There will be variances in your wood and you’ll want to see all that before you make the commitment.
• Be sure to place the sample beside any flooring that will remain in your home, so you can see the transitional effect it will have throughout. As a rule of thumb, uniform flooring in a large area will make your home seem much larger, so we loved the idea of doing as much as we possibly could. While we would love to replace the tile in our kitchen, and also the carpet in our homeschool room, that would have been double the price and it just wasn’t in the cards for us right now. Also, we actually originally wanted the lighter wood options, but realized that right beside the existing tile, it really brought out a {ghastly} pink undertone in our tile, so it was a no go. Darker it was. In the end, we liked it better.
3. Consider your lifestyle.
• We had a list of concerns going into this big commitment, and so we went with what seemed like a nice, middle-of-the-road approach. One big question to consider when trying to decide your budget: Is this your forever home? That will make a difference too, and the answer for us is probably not.
• Either way, we didn’t go super high end, but we didn’t go cheap, either. We wanted something realistic that hid those scuff marks, scratches and every day life, easily. {And for the love, no more smudge marks.} In the end, I didn’t want to have to work harder for my hardwoods. They should work for me.
• It was hard not to freak out over the options. I fell in love with all things Acacia wood, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame in every single store, as it reminded me of wood from Kona in Hawaii and my lifelong love affair with it since we visited about eight years ago. But it wasn’t in our price range {coming in with quotes at almost double the price} and we were trying to stay cool.
It’s easy to lose your head with all the great variety they have out there. Shopping for hardwoods kinda feels like this: {refresh if it’s not loading}
I’m basically Augustus Gloop.
• In the end, we went with middle of the road, and we’re so glad we did. We kind of fell in love with this unexpected find. Our wood {for what it’s worth, we totally pulled up our receipt + a box we still have} = Crescent Hardwood Collection in Birch Royal – Bourbon. We’ve been very happy with it over all – our one complaint would be that it is slippery, but we think that’s just because we have adjusted to having hardwoods after years of carpet. The other day, I busted into a run to get to the computer to answer something {Yes, I was a little excited} lost my footing, tripped over the rug, and busted on the floor. It was amazing. I may or may not have laughed and cried at the same time while Jamin just laughed. I have a nice bruise adorning my left knee now.
4. Don’t forget the extras
• This will depend on your sub flooring, the region where you live, and what type of wood you decide to go with. But remember the extra costs with things like glue, t-molding, moisture barriers, cork, extra concrete to level out your floor, etc. All of this will vary by things like where you’re located and what you purchase. This is where that knowledgeable salesperson that you trust comes in. They’ll be able to recommend the best approach to take with what flooring you decide to go with, and you won’t feel like they sold you unnecessary extras just to score a commission.
• On installation: consider if you’re ready to tackle it, or if you want someone else to do so. Where we purchased our wood offered to install it for a fair price, but we found a better one by asking around. Installation in itself wasn’t a big deal, but we weren’t willing to tackle it with three kids when we found some great, experienced people to knock it out for us while I got the kids out of the house for a few days. Sometimes, for the sake of your sanity {and the fact that it will feel like a small move because of the overhaul that it requires} when you’ve been waiting for months, a little extra is money well spent.
5. Take your time. We waited for eight years before doing anything about the carpet in our house, and it took a bit of flooding to get us there. But we definitely don’t regret it at all. It gave us time to establish our style, decide what we wanted, and have the funds to make it happen. Even when we decided what we were doing, we took our time in making the decision on what to install, and how.
It’s a big commitment, and not something you want to regret later.
Enjoy the process… it’s an education of sorts, and you’ll be astounded by what you learn.
Do you guys have any of your fave tips for choosing hardwoods for your home? We’d love for you to share your own experiences, or if you have any questions, let us know!
Tania // Run To Radiance says
Love your hardwoods! It took me 7 months to pick ours out. It was probably one of the most stressful parts of our remodel…maybe even more stressful than not having a kitchen for 6 months? You have great tips, I totally agree about bringing the samples home to look at in your own environment. We have dogs that shed in clumps (gross, I know) so we threw a clump of fur on there to see which one hid it best. We ended up with something totally different than what I originally thought I wanted…but it’s probably the most common compliment we get on our house since they are unique.
ashley @ the handmade home says
AHHH! Such a great tip, Tania! I threw dog hair on ours, too! It was my main stressor because she sheds so much, we even have her shaved at the groomer regularly. It’s so true though! Thank you for adding this!
Layla says
Augustus Gloop analogy = perfection!!! Love these tips- perfect timing 😀
Jenna says
I love what you guys had to say about getting over yourself- I can completely relate. It took us a while because of some huge issues in our last house and we were burned a little when it came to hardwoods. Your advice is dead on!