People often have to brace themselves as they begin the overwhelming process of shopping for the perfect hardwood floors for their home, yet they start to breathe easy once they have that ideal sample clasped tightly in their hands. But, what exactly are you going to do with that wood? Its clear that youve thought about the wood species and stain, as those factors most obviously affect the look and feel of the room, but have you thought about the board width or installation pattern or decorative touches?
Dont panic. Keep clasping your sample of hardwood and read about your options. Youll realize that you know what you want better than you thought.
Board width:
Board width can be divided into two categories, strip and plank. Strip is less than 3 wide and plank is greater than 3 wide, usually getting as wide as 7 and sometimes even wider.
Strip flooring can be used to create almost any look by putting together the right combination of species, stain, installation pattern and furnishing. Strip flooring creates a running, linear effect that, much like a mirror or light paint colors, gives the illusion of a larger space. This makes it particularly...