Light vs medium wood floors. Which look clean all the time?
Comments (24)
guppy_2009
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Hardwood floors... Which wood species?/Oil based vs. water based stain
Comments (13)For people looking for a durable domestic hardwood our hickory has been a very popular option. Because you'll be finishing in place your installer should be able to stain any color you want but make sure to see how it looks on the specie and grade you choose. The hickory has a very noticeable color variation between the heart wood and sapwood and because of this will stain a little differently. As far as finish goes we usually recommend a tung oil finish because of the fact that it is spot repairable. This allows you to re-finish or touch up areas where the dogs make their loop, leap, or general jumping around. I know pointers can sometimes be a little high energy and this will allow you smooth out those areas without re-finishing the entire surface like you would need to do with a traditional poly finish. Another option that many large pet owning customers have really liked is our saw kerf texture. This does give more of a rustic feel to the surface but it also disguises many of the "accidental blemishes" that can happen with your flooring. What ever your decision we wish you luck!...See MoreWhich floor? Embrace the grey, or traditional wood look?
Comments (44)OK, floors are in and I am happy for the most part. In some areas I love the look. But in our main living space it looks a bit sterile, and it is certainly louder in there with so many hard surfaces. I knew I would need rugs, but right now am at a loss about what to do next. Part of me really misses the "pop" that the blue and white floor had, but having one continuous floor connecting the living areas really does make the whole house look bigger. I brought home a neutral rug from home goods; not a keeper. IRL it needs more contrast. Trying a few sample boards but am totally confused at this point. The floor actually has more brown in it than I thought so wondering about pulling that out a bit more. I couldn't get a good shot of the seating area since DH was putting his tools away most of the afternoon! I hesitate to post this because it looks better IRL than this. Light wasn't great this morning when I took this but just an idea....definitely a rug here under the table and yeah, I think I'll be painting the table and chairs in the spring. Probably a separate thread just for that topic, LOL Bathrooms are much improved! One more shot of the kitchen early this morning with lights on. I'm happy to have the carpet gone, but I need to get everything to look like it belongs together. The floor looks great with anything white, like the cabinets, and with blue, like most of our furniture, which has bold, clear colors like the ones in the painting. But I don't want white rugs. And with so much going on with the open floor plan, I don't want them to be too busy because there is a lot going on in one large space. I've been staring at this too long so some fresh eyes would really help. I will need three rugs I think; one under the table, another in the TV area where we have two couches, and another in the entryway where the painting is. Thanks so much for your thoughts....See More“wood look” tile vs. vinyl/laminate/PVC which is better?
Comments (13)Tile worked better for my home. I tried some vinyl in a couple of rooms, a few years ago, but my old, large dogs had trouble getting purchase to rise. If you're on a slab do the moisture tests to determine if glue down or floating is the way to go. You don't want mold growing underneath or installation failure. If you choose tile, make sure they leave an expansion gap around the perimeter and don't grout up to the baseboards. Every person I interviewed did it that way as a matter of course. I removed the baseboards and reinstalled them, to ensure I had the gap and a nicer finish than shoe mould. I also told him where I wanted the movement joint where the flooring ran longer than 20-25 feet. I'm extending this tile into other areas, with the current reno, and have indicated where the expansion joints will go, because they never use them. For the kitchen, watch the clearances for any under-counter appliances. They might not fit! Tile raises the height of the floor more than LVP will. My project manager wanted to install my flooring after the cabinets, which wouldn't have worked out well for the tall tub dishwasher. I think he rolls his eyes over my requests, a lot. A helpful link about tile movement. The tile I chose is Mohawk Stage Pointe and has high texture and shading variation. The grout color is the darkest of the shades and hides any staining that might occur. The close-up pic is how it looks IRL. Second is of the room right after install. I love wool area rugs and they dampen sound nicely, as well as providing softness underfoot. Most of the floor in the second pic was covered by an 11x14....See MoreMedium vs Light hardwood floor
Comments (47)@Sharmeen Aghaeian @Caroline Field Sure, pics are from various stages of remodeling/decorating (so maybe 18 months in between them), but really liking them so far. Seem like good quality and don't show dirt easily. Some scratches from my kids, but even those aren't too noticeable. Have not done any maintenance yet. We wanted something updated but not trendy and I like how these floors are neutral without being too light or dark....See Morejoannaca
14 years agomonkeypuzzle
14 years agochris45ny
14 years agoboxerpups
14 years agoUser
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14 years agomonkeypuzzle
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14 years agoweidiii
14 years agoteresa518
14 years agoThey should match the cat too^..^
I have medium Brazilian Teak prefinished floor. While it doesn't show much dirt, if the light hits it right you can see pawprints, water spots, etc since the finish is matte. It still always looks relatively clean.
socalusa
14 years agoteresa518
14 years agoMy backsplash is a honed and filled travertine subway tile with basically no grout lines. It is an acquired taste and not really what I thought I wanted but it has really grown on me. The tile is all different thicknesses so it has a rustic look on the wall (the tiles are not flat on the wall like they usually would be). Here is a close-up of the mural and the tiles. I ordered the mural online from Linda Paul Studio. She was amazing and it looks great.
socalusa
14 years ago
hsw_sc
14 years agoAnother vote for the floors to match the dog(s)!
{{gwi:1312}}
Seriously though, it's a kitchen. It's going to be lived in and will need to be swept/Swiffered/etc. often enough anyway. Get the color floors that you love, not that you settle for.
Personally,I'd love to have dark floors and I actually may go for that when we replace the carpet in our family room with wood. Golden Retriever fur and all!
donka
14 years agomonkeypuzzle
14 years agojberg
14 years agocaryscott
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14 years agogmnolen
14 years agolmalm53
14 years agoWe just had new red oak job finished hardwood installed a week ago. The existing hardwood in our kitchen and foyer was refinished and we also installed new hardwood to match in the great room and dining room. We used a Golden Oak Duraseal stain with just a touch of Red Mahogany added in to coordinate with our cherry cabinets and trimwork. We got a semi-gloss finish which I prefer to the matte. We lived 20 years with a similar stain on the original floors and I don't think they showed dirt much at all. We do notice dust when the sun is shining just right though.
idrive65