As a wood floor naturally expands and contracts with changing humidity and temperature levels, you may hear small cracking or squeaking noises.

It’s natural for hardwood flooring to yellow, grow darker or even lighter over time, depending on the wood species. Exposure to direct sunlight and some artificial lighting accelerates this process. Moving furniture and rugs will keep your floor well blended.

A quality engineered floor will last as long and perform as well as a solid wood floor, and can even be refinished. The thicker the veneer, the more times you can refinish engineered hardwood floors. As a rule of thumb, count on 1-3 times.

Solid hardwood is cut from a single piece of wood. Solid hardwood flooring can be installed above or on grade, but is not recommended for below grade. Engineered hardwood is made from multiple layers consisting of a thick top layer of solid hardwood, an inner core of high-density material and a hardwood backing. Engineered wood floors offer superior strength and stability.

Only acclimate hardwood flooring If the ambient temperature is between 60 and 80F and the relative humidity is between 35-65% with all HVAC systems operational. Let the flooring acclimate for a minimum of 24 hours, with boxes opened and laid flat in the room where the flooring is to be installed.

Hardwood is a possible flooring choice (although not ideal) in a kitchen or 2-piece bathroom but is not recommended in a 3-piece bathroom as a result of possible surface moisture buildup due to the bathtub.