- 1). Select and purchase a number of wood samples to take back to your home and examine. View them both in daylight and artificial light in the area in which you're interested in installing the flooring. Look at the wood up close, then stand across the room and examine the wood from a distance. Observe how the wood changes when the lighting dims — make sure you're satisfied with both the wood's daytime and evening appearance.
- 2). Decide what shade of wood you prefer. For example, oak flooring is available in red oak, natural oak, antique oak, butterscotch oak and more. If the room or area is dark, you may want to veer away from a cherry or dark walnut and choose a lighter birch or bamboo to ensure the area doesn't look gloomy or uninviting. Large grain patterns in the wood you choose may help busy households hide dirt and debris more easily.
- 3). Match the wood to your furnishings and wallcoverings. Be especially careful if you own more than one piece of wood furniture: If you choose a wood type for your floor that's substantially different from the wood tones of your furniture, the area may look haphazard or busy. Although the floor doesn't have to be the same wood as your existing furnishings, it should be a similar type or shade to complement them.
- 4). Think about how much use the room is going to get. Certain wood floors are more durable than others — this can be a brand or pricing issue. High-quality floor can be costly but are well worth the expense, especially if they come with a warranty. An extremely high-traffic area could use some texture in the wood to make it more visually appealing and also slip-resistant: A wood floor product such as a hand-scraped hickory, for example, may work best in busier rooms of the home.
- 5). Compare the wood to the floor coverings in adjoining rooms to make sure the different colors and patterns blend well together: You don't want to abruptly transition from one style of flooring to another. For example, if one room has rustic carpet, you don't want to choose an elegant, smooth flooring in an adjoining area. A knotty oak or pine floor would probably blend with the existing carpet more effectively.
- Advertisement -
- Advertisement -