Hardwood
Solid/Engineered, Domestic/Exotic, Prefinished/Jobsite sand & finish, Dust containment system, Bona finishes and products, Laminate flooring, Wood medallions. We got every option you can think of and more…
Hardwood flooring adds incredible dimension and timeless beauty to any home. The look of wood enhances any interior and it also adds tremendous value to your home. With so many choices on the market today, it makes selecting the species, color and finish a learning process. From hand scraped exotics to domestic hardwoods, the possibilities are endless. At Flooring Designs we offer one of the largest variety of wood flooring, and we have it available at our conveniently located showroom where you can stop by, and enjoy a visit with our expert team. There are pre-finished varieties, engineered wood flooring, and solid, raw wood that is sanded and stained on site.
Solid Wood Flooring
Traditionally used for centuries, ¾” thick hardwood floors are available both pre-finished and unfinished. Board length ranges typically from 2’ to 5’ long, are interspersed and woven together which gives the appearance of a consistently, uniform floor. Solid wood floors have longevity. They can be sanded and refinished several times in their life. Solid wood flooring is an investment initially, but the return on the investment is worthwhile when you see how well it performs over the life of the house.
Engineered Wood Flooring
Engineered wood floors consist of a top veneer of hardwood that is bonded to a backing material. Engineered flooring is made using layers of wood each turned at 90 degrees to the previous layer which creates a dimensionally stable product. Some floors are engineered to be installed as a “floating floor” which means that the boards are attached to each other and not to the sub-floor. Floating floors are a good choice to use over concrete, below grade rooms or instances where the flooring needs to go over particle board such as in a remodeling project. Also, some engineered floors have a surface thickness which is thick enough to be lightly sanded and refinished at least one time.
Domestic Wood Flooring
White ash, Beech, Birch, Cherry, Hickory, Maple, Oak, Pine, and Walnut are just a few of the traditional American hardwoods Flooring Designs offers.
One of the advantages of using a domestic hardwood is that a large portion of the unfinished flooring we install is both grown and harvested within a 700 mile radius of Madison WI. Slower growth hardwoods like oak, maple, birch, and ash are indigenous to the upper Midwest; and this region of the country produces some of the most beautiful hardwoods in the world. At Flooring Designs we take advantage of this local treasure and purchase quality domestic hardwood flooring grown within our climate where quality and craftsmanship is second to none. Domestic hardwoods are unsurpassed in performance and beauty. They offer people a wide variety of familiar species and the option to choose from different quality grades of appearance. Everything from a clear, perfectly uniform wood (select and better, grade #1) to a rustic, knotty, mineral streaked wood (rustic and grade 3) are available in domestic hardwoods.
Exotic Wood Flooring
Amendoim, Brazilian Cherry, Macchiato Pecan, Santos Mahogany, Tiente Chestnut, and Tigerwood are just a few of the beautiful exotic hardwoods Flooring Designs offers.
Exotic hardwoods have the perception in the building industry as being a fashion flooring product. Exotic species (mainly from South America and Australia) have become very recognizable and people are discovering that exotics provide a unique combination of natural beauty, flexible design options, superior durability, and pricing competitive with domestic species. Flooring Designs only supports manufacturers who are committed to preserving the rain forests of South America, who promote sustainable forest practices by securing timber that is selectively harvested, and those manufacturers who are inspected and adhere to stringent government guidelines.
Prefinished Wood Flooring
Prefinished wood flooring comes in thousands of different species, grades, surface textures, board widths, stain colors and configurations. It also comes in different thicknesses to accommodate the type of installation you require (new construction, remodel, nail down and floating floor). The major advantage to choosing a prefinished wood floor from the hundreds of samples to choose from is what you see in the sample is most indicative of what you you're going to get in terms of overall floor appearance. Prefinished wood flooring is flooring that is manufactured in a factory and is stained and finished under regulatory guidelines so as to meet certain standards in appearance and performance. Prefinished flooring is less labor intensive to install and can be put in areas of the home (below grade/lower levels) where 3/4" solid wood flooring will not work. They also do not require a finish coat of polyurethane to be applied after installation, thus minimizing any odor in the home. Most prefinished flooring however, does have a slight bevel edge to each board and as a result, the floor does not have the same appearance as a solid, site finished, completely smooth floor.
On Site Sanding and Finishing
Jobsite sanding and finishing involves wood flooring that is installed on site, sanded smooth, stained to your specification and finished with a polyurethane protective finish. You're choosing to 'customize' the look of your floor when you choose unfinished wood flooring. You can choose the specific wood species (maple, walnut, Brazilian cherry, etc.), the board widths, the stain color (adjust it lighter/darker to your taste), and even the luster of the finish can be specified by you. Onsite finished wood floors are sanded completely smooth and appear seamless with no beveled edge between boards. When you invest in solid, hardwood flooring, you have the option to re-sand and re-stain it several times over the life of the house to remove any unsightly scratches or dents, and to change the color of the floor if you so desire. Jobsite sanding however, does entail more of an inconvenience to the home owner in respect to some fumes from the products being used, some airborne dust, and staying off the floor while the finish cures, most people find that any small inconvenience of jobsite sanding and finishing is worth it when they see the beautiful end result.
Bona Finishes and Dust Containment System
Our highly qualified and experienced crew of wood refinishers use the most technologically advanced and environmentally responsible floor refinishing process available today. At Flooring Designs we use the Bona System for sanding and finishing hardwood floors and Bona Traffic products which are specifically designed for the unique demands of commercial and heavy-traffic residential hardwood floors. Bona's dust free sanding systems, and waterborne finishing products are GREENGUARD certified and set the industry standard for durability. We feel strongly that the products we use will protect the investment you have made in your homes hardwood floors.
Bona's DCS - Dust Containment System virtually eliminates airborne dust during the abrading process. Our equipment traps and contains dust which minimizes particles and provides the cleanest results for your home.
Traffic's unique features: Outperforms moisture cure finishes without the hazardous side effects and minimizes downtime, allowing quicker access to the floor. Faster dry time between coats. Natural clear finish that will not change color over time and highlights the true color of the wood or stain. Nonflammable and VOC compliant - 30% below all state and federal air quality regulations.
Bona water based, non toxic cleaning products are available at Flooring Designs and are designed for ease of maintenance and maximum protection of your wood floor. They leave no residue while effectively cleaning tough stains and spills. Products available include microfiber mop pads, hardwood floor cleaner, and hardwood floor refresher.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate floors are relatively easy to install, quite durable, and are generally resistant to stains, indentations and fading. They require little maintenance because you never have to reapply any type of surface finish. Laminate flooring is an inexpensive, snap together, floating floor product which uses a series of (plastic) layers all bonded together to create a wear-, stain-, scratch- and impact-resistant floor. The patterns and designs closely replicate the appearance of real wood and stone materials. Some of the names you might be familiar with are Pergo, Wilsonart, Formica, and Mannington.