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Friendly - Helpful - Knowledgeable |
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Selection - Great Prices |
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(512) 467-0151
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Hours: M-F 10-6, Sat 10-2
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1748 W Anderson Ln Map
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| We carry so many different hardwoods that we are sure to have the right hardwood floor for your area. But with so many choices, deciding on just one can be confusing. To narrow down your field of choices, you should first choose your species and whether you want solid or engineered planks. But to really narrow down your choices, you need to look at the sub-features of hardwood.
We've listed the main sub-features below: stain/color, board width, board length, bevel, finish, and scraped. In our showroom we use our samples to help show you these options. Come see us or call us for more information. We'd like the chance to help you!
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Stain (Color)
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Many people make a mistake when choosing their hardwood floor. They assume that the species of wood determines the color they have to use. If they want a light blonde wood, they think they have to use maple. For a cherry color, they of only using cherry.
This is not true! A maple wood can be stained cherry, cinnamon, light blonde, or any of the other stain colors. The same goes for oak, cherry, walnut, pecan/hickory, and the rest of the species. The manufacturers give you a group of stain choices for each of the species they make. For example, below are some stains that Columbia Flooring offers for the Adams Oak, Burke Maple, and Revere Cherry lines.
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Oak - Adams Oak by Columbia Flooring |
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Maple - Burke Maple by Columbia Flooring |
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Cherry - Revere Cherry by Columbia Flooring |
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But no matter which stain and species you choose always try to see a sample in person. At our store we can show you your choices and then let you take home your favorites to see them in your own home. |
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Board Width |
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| Boards for a hardwood floor come in a choice of widths. The usual widths are 2", 3", 5", and 8", but some manufacturers make other widths. The width you like is simply a matter of preference. |
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( Not to Scale ) |
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2" width |
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3" width |
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5" width |
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Board Length |
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The board lengths for hardwood planks vary from 48", 64", and longer. Some manufacturers make some of their lines with varied lengths for a more diverse floor. The length you choose for your floor is mostly just a matter of preference except that longer boards generally cost more. To make a longer board, manufacturers must be more selective about the trees used. They need to use a tall, quality tree, which of course increases the cost. |
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Bevel |
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When planks are made, manufacturers will do a bevel option on the sides of the boards. While there are different options (and names for these options) based on the manufacturer, the three basic options are square-edged, beveled, and micro-beveled.
The advantage to square-edged boards is that the boards butt up to each other so dirt is less likely to get trapped between them. The advantage to beveled boards is that the bevel helps hide imperfections in the floors. Micro-beveled floors try to have the best of both worlds by providing a very small bevel to hide some imperfections and not trap too much dirt.
Some people have a strong opinion as to the bevel option they want, others do not. These pictures will give you an idea of the differences between the three options. To see the difference in person, come in and see us. We have samples of each option and would like the chance to help you.
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Square-edged |
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Beveled |
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Micro-Beveled |
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( Not to Scale ) |
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Finish |
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A hardwood floor is a natural product which is porous in nature, making it less durable than other substances. To increase the durability of hardwood floors, manufacturers generally chemically treat their planks. The treatment (or finish) applied can vary by manufacturer, but generally the chemical used is aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is a very strong chemical which adds durability to the floor. |
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Scraped |
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The current trend in hardwood floors is to distress or 'scrape' them, or age them prematurely. These scraped or distressed woods used to be expensive, but their popularity and increased supply have greatly reduced the costs. Woods that sold in 2006 for $6.99 are currently selling for $4.99. We have some even as low as $3.99 (check out our current trends section). If you like the look of a wood floor which has been worn in over time, but don't want to wait years for this to happen naturally, a scaped floor would be a perfect solution. To the right are some pictures of scraped and non-scraped floors.
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A scraped floor - by Columbia Flooring |
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(Last updated on Tuesday, July 29, 2008) |
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A non-scraped floor - also by Columbia Flooring |
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