Having new hardwood floors installed in your home, office or business space has many great advantages. Along with the beauty, style, warmth and character, hardwood also brings value to your space. It is a well known fact that properties that have wood floors, as opposed to wall to wall carpet, sell faster and for higher prices. Wood flooring is considered an upgrade to the basic vinyl or carpet floor covering that builders install in new homes. Whether you choose a solid floor or an engineered floor, factory prefinished or site-sanded and finished flooring, you will know that when selling time comes, your investment will return in the form of a higher selling price and/or a faster sale.

Hardwood floors can be installed in most areas of your home. Be it the main level, upstairs or basement, there are several choices for each situation. There are limitations when it comes to the location of the area to be installed. Wood floors are not recommended in areas that are prone to water spills, water accumulation, condensation or extreme levels of moisture( Full bathrooms, laundry rooms, areas without a controlled climate).

In order for hardwood floors to be installed, the existing types of flooring need to be removed.(carpet, tiles, old wood floors). Wood flooring needs a flat, sound surface as a sub-floor, otherwise it will fail and the manufacturer’s warranty is voided.

Depending on the type of flooring that you choose, the processes needed may vary. With prefinished floors, sub-floor preparation and installations are the only steps required. Unfinished floors, on the other hand, also need to be sanded, stained and finished with a minimum of 2 coats of water-based or oil-based finish. In this case, prefinished floors have the advantage of a much shorter down-time, most jobs(under 600 square feet) being completed in one day. Imagine leaving for work in the morning and returning in the evening to find your carpet replaced by brand new flooring. Most prefinished floors present a rounded edge on each board(called bevel), so that when your floors are installed, the joints between each two adjacent boards will give the floor a puzzle-like appearance. Unfinished floors, on the other hand, will have flat, smooth aspect. Any imperfections that you might have in the sub-floor will be more noticeable on your prefinished floors than on unfinished ones, as some level issues can be corrected by sanding.

Mixing clays and other materials with a finely ground sand produces the ingredients from which Porcelain tiles are made. These tiles are also fired at extreme temperatures and when the sand melts one sees the glass-like quality of each tile. While these tiles are more durable in many ways than ceramic tiles, they do chip and are not recommended for high traffic areas. When the tiles are installed special equipment must be used to cut the tiles so that do not chip and become damaged.

Agglomerate tiles are made using a combination of polyester resin with marble or granite chips. This tile looks like marble or granite when it is done. It is extremely strong, has the classic look of natural stone, and is resistant to wear. Many businesses use these tiles in foyers and other areas where an elegant tile is desired. This is also a popular tile for counter-tops and bathrooms.

Combining natural clays, one of them being red, results in the earthen red color of the Quarry tile. These tiles provide a beautiful earthen flooring that is water and weather resistant. The clays can also be tinted to create other colors. Quarry tiles are extremely popular in regions with extreme weather conditions because it does not crack or break in freezing conditions.

Similar to Agglomerate tile in the way it is made Terrazzo is a very popular tile for people wishing to put floating tile flooring in a room. The tile, when sealed, provides the resistance to damage of Agglomerate. It is available in a variety of natural stone colors as well as a variety of other colors.

Mexican tiles are beautiful handmade tiles that vary in texture, appearance, and color. These tiles are used primarily in desert regions because they emit cool temperatures in hot areas. The tiles are sealed after being installed and provide a home with a beautiful old world or rustic charm.

The small mosaics are made from ceramic, glass, porcelain, or natural stone. Mosaics are most popular as decorative additions to tile design. They are also growing in popularity as contemporary back-splashes in kitchens.