Hardwood Flooring at Carpets Plus of Manitowoc
A hardwood floor is one of the few things in a house that can look better with age. It also comes with a handful of decisions: the kind of wood, how the board is built, the finish, the color, and whether the room is right for wood in the first place. This page covers the basics, and the guides at the bottom go deeper on each one.
You can look at hardwood samples at our showroom on Calumet Avenue in Manitowoc, and we install the hardwood flooring we sell.
Solid or Engineered
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood from top to bottom. It is usually nailed or stapled to a wood subfloor, and it belongs at or above ground level, not in a basement, and away from damp.
Engineered hardwood has a real wood surface over layers that are built to move less as humidity changes. That lets it go in places solid wood should not, such as over a concrete slab. Once it is down, it looks like the same floor. Engineered vs. solid hardwood explains how to choose between the two.
Species and Hardness
Oak, maple and hickory are the names you will hear most. Each has its own grain and its own color range, and each takes stain differently.
Species also differ in hardness. A harder wood resists dents better, which matters with dogs, kids and dining chairs. No wood floor is dent-proof, so it helps to be honest about how the room gets used.
Finish and Color
Most hardwood sold today is finished at the factory, so the finish is already on the boards when they reach your house. A matte or low-gloss finish hides dust and small scratches better than a glossy one.
Color changes how large and how bright a room feels, and how much everyday dust shows. Choosing a hardwood finish and color walks through both decisions.
Where Hardwood Fits
Living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways are natural places for wood. A kitchen can work with some care, and tile or hardwood in a Wisconsin kitchen weighs the two. Full bathrooms and basements are harder on wood, and other floors suit them better.
Wisconsin weather is part of the picture. Wood takes on moisture in a humid summer and gives it up in a dry, heated winter, so small seasonal gaps between boards are normal.
How Hardwood Is Installed
Wood needs time to adjust to your house before it goes down, and the subfloor has to be flat, dry and solid. Hardwood floor installation in Manitowoc covers the job from the first measure to the last board. Our residential flooring installation page explains how we handle the work.
Caring for a Hardwood Floor
- Sweep or vacuum often. Grit underfoot is what wears a finish.
- Put mats at outside doors and felt pads under furniture legs.
- Wipe up spills soon, and do not wet-mop a wood floor.
- Use the cleaner the flooring manufacturer recommends.
Wisconsin winter floor care has more on salt and slush season.
Hardwood Flooring Guides
- Hardwood flooring in Manitowoc: picking the right wood floor
- Hardwood species in Manitowoc: oak, maple or hickory?
- Hardwood floors and Wisconsin winters: what is normal
- Engineered vs. solid hardwood
- Choosing a hardwood finish and color
- Hardwood floor installation in Manitowoc: start to finish
- Tile or hardwood in a Wisconsin kitchen
See Hardwood in Person
Stop into the showroom on Calumet Avenue and ask to see the hardwood samples we have on hand, including lines from Mullican, Anderson Tuftex and Shaw. If you like, try a few looks in the room visualizer first.
When you have a floor in mind, we come out, measure, check the subfloor, and give you a written estimate with no obligation. Give us a call at (920) 686-0060, or send us a note to get started.