Blog

Solid vs. Engineered Hardwood: Which to Choose for Each Room and Subfloor

Solid hardwood suits nailed plywood floors; engineered suits slabs, basements and radiant heat. Refinishing limits, humidity tips and installed costs inside.

Red Oak vs. White Oak Floors: Which Suits Your Stain, Traffic and Budget

Choose white oak for light, gray or natural floors and red oak for warm or dark stains and a lower price. Hardness, water, color change and cost compared.

Laminate AC Ratings: What Each Room Needs and What the Rating Misses

AC3 laminate suits most rooms; AC4 fits kitchens, entries and homes with dogs. See what the AC rating misses, how long laminate lasts and what to check.

How Laminate Flooring Is Installed, From Subfloor Prep to the Last Plank

Laminate floats over an underlayment with a gap at every wall. See subfloor flatness, vapor barriers, acclimation, the steps, costs and what causes buckling.

Wood-Look Laminate: How It Gets Its Realism, and Choosing the Right Look

Great wood-look laminate fools the eye when the texture lines up with the printed grain. Here is how embossed-in-register, sheen and bevels drive realism.

Does Laminate Flooring Hurt Home Resale in New Jersey?

Good laminate in the right rooms rarely hurts a New Jersey home's resale, and can help. Here is what actually moves value, and where hardwood still pays back.

What's Really in Your Hardwood: Decoding Species and Marketing Names

Pacific pecan is really hickory and Brazilian cherry isn't cherry. Here is what hardwood flooring names actually mean, with the Janka hardness behind each one.

Choosing the perfect wood floor

How to choose the perfect hardwood floor for a New Jersey home: solid vs engineered, species and hardness, finish, grade and cost, from a family-owned dealer.

Laminate vs hardwood in Long Valley basements and rec rooms

Laminate Flooring Over Radiant Heat for NW New Jersey Winters