This Just In! Maple Emmerbier - Gasthaus Series

Fantastic Floor has just received an exciting new product from Shamrock Flooring: Maple Emmerbier from the Gasthaus Series!

Maple hardwood flooring is an attractive and complementary hardwood that accents the light of any room, simultaneously brightening it and making it appear more expansive. Our new Maple products are part of the Gasthaus series from Shamrock flooring, a style of hand-scraped hardwood flooring that invokes charm and warmth of a traditional German brew house. The wood is side- and end-matched for simple installation and come in 5" widths.

In addition to being gorgeous, Maple flooring from the Shamrock Gasthaus Series is incredibly tough and durable. It is naturally shock resistant, with particular resistance to abrasion and everyday wear. Install our new Maple hardwood flooring and you're guaranteed a beautiful floor that you can enjoy for years to come.

Maple Emmerbier hardwood flooring from the Shamrock Gasthaus Series.
Wie schön!

Visit Fantastic-Floor.com today to learn more about these beautiful new Maple hardwood flooring products from the Shamrock Gasthaus Series. Not a fan of the interwebz? Give us a call at 888-448-9663 instead!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Hickory

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents! This installment features Hickory hardwood flooring, one of the most eye-catching species available today!

The numerous and varied shades of brown in Hickory hardwood flooring create remarkable contrasts that are at the same time distinctive and complementary. Each board seems to have been cut from a different species of tree, but somehow the multi-color floor comes together as a cohesive mosaic, adding visual interest to any room. Hickory flooring also features an intricate grain pattern that nicely complements its many shades.

Not only is hickory hardwood flooring beautiful, it is also the hardest of all North American hardwoods. It has many common uses, both in the US and abroad, including flooring, decorative paneling, furniture veneer, tool handles, and pallets. It's combination of durability and powerful color contrasts has made Hickory a versatile and a popular flooring choice for years.

Hickory hardwood flooring is a beautiful, durable material
perfect for almost any room in your home.

Curious about Hickory hardwood flooring? Call the professionals at Fantastic Floor at 888-448-9663!

Frequently Asked Questions: Do I Need To Leave An Expansion Gap When Installing Solid Wood Flooring?

Yes! For the love of hardwood flooring, yes! Expansion gaps are vital to the life of your floor. Without them, the chances of buckling, bending, and warping are very, very high.

Hardwood flooring is a natural material, and as such it tends to shrink and expand when it experiences changes in temperature and humidity. If this expansion isn't accounted for in the installation process, the wood is much more likely to warp or buckle over time.

So how big of a gap should you leave? Well, professional flooring installers suggest a minimum of 3/4" around the perimeter of the room and around all obstructions. The size of the gap depends on a number of factors, including geographical region, temperature, interior moisture, and the time of the year you are doing the installation. The best way to know the necessary expansion gap is to contact the manufacturer and ask.

Without an expansion gap, this Ash hardwood flooring could
possibly buckle from changes in temperature and humidity.

Still have questions about expansion gaps and hardwood flooring installation? Call Fantastic Floor today at 888-448-9663!

Engineered Flooring - Is It Right For You?

More and more homeowners are choosing engineered hardwoodflooring over the more traditional solid wood flooring of yesteryear. But many homeowners are still unaware of what engineered flooring is, exactly, and why it might be a better choice for their specific flooring needs. This post will take a look at a few of the benefits of installing engineered flooring instead of solid wood. Enjoy!

Room Versatility 

Solid wood flooring has its limitations when it comes to where it can be installed. Solid products should not be installed below grade – that is, in any room below the first floor, such as a basement. When a homeowner wants to finish a basement room they have no choice but to turn to engineered flooring.

Ease of Installation

Engineered flooring is one of the easiest types of wood flooring to install. Where solid wood flooring must be either nailed or glued down, engineered flooring can be installed in whatever manner you see fit – nailed, stapled, glued, etc. Some engineered floors can even be floated over existing floors or subfloors, making the installation process that much easier.

Moisture Resistance

Engineered flooring is also much more resistant to moisture than solid wood flooring. This makes engineered flooring perfect for damp basements, bathrooms, kitchens, or any other room that experiences a lot of moisture.

Resale Value

A high-quality engineered floor has approximately the same resale value as a ¾” solid wood flooring, making it a popular choice among real estate agents and interior designers. Engineered flooring is available in almost any wood species, so you can easily match it to an existing home décor.

Engineered flooring, such as this smoked oak variety,
adds beauty and value to any room of your home.

If you’re considering a new hardwood floor for your home – and if you’re reading this blog, you probably are – call the professionals at Fantastic Floor at 888-448-9663 to find out if engineered flooring might be the affordable flooring material you’ve been looking for. 

Fantastic Floor Presents: Patagonian Rosewood

Also known as Curupau, Patagonian Rosewood hardwood flooring originates in the forests of Paraguay. It has quickly become one of the most sought-after hardwood flooring materials in the country. Why? We thought you'd never ask.
One of the best features Patagonian Rosewood or Curupau hardwood flooring possess is its versatility. This material has shades of pink, yellow, burgundy, and brown, and occasional black streaking. This creates a pleasant contrast of shades that makes the flooring complementary to almost any home decor or color scheme. In addition to the wood's shades and streaking, the species' crossed grain pattern also matches nicely with many design schemes.
But Patagonian Rosewood hardwood flooring isn't just another pretty face. It is also incredibly durable. It has a Janka hardness rating of 3,850 pounds and a density of 1,020 (KG/m3), making it naturally resilient against wear-and-tear, impacts, fungus, and wood-boring insects.

This beautiful Patagonian hardwood floor is just one of the many
varieties featured at Fantastic-Floor.com.

Visit Fantastic Floor to learn more about Patagonian Rosewood/Curupau hardwood flooring.

Frequently Asked Questions: What Is A Random Width Floor?

If you've spent any time researching the different types of hardwood flooring available, you've probably come across the term random width floor. What does this term mean, exactly? Glad you asked.

A random width floor has planks with varying widths, from 3" to 4" to 5". Most homeowners use random width floors when they want a rustic, turn-of-the-century look.

Until recently, all hardwood floors were random width. It wasn't until the late 19th century that flooring standards evolved to today's standard: same width.

There are a few considerations you should keep in mind if choosing random width flooring. Make sure you purchase all the flooring you will be using from the same manufacturer. This ensures that the milling will match. Some manufacturers only produce random width flooring, since it enables them to get the greatest yield from kiln dried lumber that is naturally random width. Because of this, random width flooring is generally more reasonably priced and more readily available.

Visit Fantastic-Floor.com to learn more about random width hardwood flooring and see all the beautiful varieties we carry. Not sure what you'll be looking for? Give us a call at 888-448-9663!

Order Now! Why October Is the Time to Order Hardwood Floors

The beginning of the holiday season is right around the corner, and that means holiday preparations are in order! Unfortunately, one major home renovation project is often put off to the last minute - flooring.

Most home-owners think hardwood flooring installation is a relatively quick and easy process. That can be true - but only to a point. In reality, the whole process of ordering, shipping, acclimating, and installing wood flooring can be quite lengthy. You should really order in October if you want to Wow! your friends and family with new floors this holiday season.

What is so time-consuming about flooring your home? Good question! Here are just 3 parts of the flooring process that require some time:

• Ordering/Shipping

  You might be surprised at how long it takes for you to pick out a flooring material. There are dozens of types to choose from, and if you have never bought flooring before the selection can be overwhelming. Once you have chosen the right floor, it will most likely need to be shipped to your city and home. That takes time, too. Check with the flooring professional you're buying from to find out how long you should expect to wait.

• Acclimation

  If you're a fan of the Fantastic Floor blog, you'll remember we talked about hardwood flooring acclimation back in June. You'll also remember that we said the worst part of the acclimation process is the waiting. Hardwood flooring needs to acclimate for one to two weeks at the very least. Installing wood flooring before it is properly acclimated can result in buckling, warping, cracking, splitting, and many other nasty problems. We know it's annoying, but just wait it out.

• Installation

  Finally! The moment you've been waiting for. But don't get too excited! Installation itself can take some time. Depending on the time of wood you're dealing with (prefinished vs. finish-on-site), installation for a single room can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Multiply that by the number of rooms you have to floor and you have a pretty accurate estimate as to the length of the installation process.

Check out our latest newsletter for more information on why October is the best time to order hardwood flooring for the holidays. Curious about our top sellers? Give us a call! 888-448-9663

Fantastic Floor Presents: Bacana/Copaiba Chestnut

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents! If you like deep reds, rich browns, and dark striping, you won't want to miss this week's featured product: Bacana/Copaiba Chesnut!

Bacana hardwood flooring features layers of colors, ranging from rich brown to deep burgundy to light red. It also features dark striping, adding a striking visual element not found in some other hardwood flooring choices. Despite its attention-grabbing details, Bacana is also a very versatile and complementary flooring material. It matches many different design styles, from traditional to modern to rustic.

Bacana is also a very durable flooring material. It has a Janka hardness rating comparable to Red Oak and we only offer it in Select & Better grade, the highest grade available in flooring. The Bacana we ship is 100% heartwood and is free of breaks, splits, and cracks.

Bacana/Copaiba Chestnut hardwood flooring is currently on sale for an amazing $2.19/SF (limited to 3/8" x 3" x 4' S&B 1.6mm wear engineered). Visit us online at www.Fantastic-Floor.com to learn more. Want to talk with a human? Call us direct at 1-888-448-9663!

Bacana/Copaiba Chestnut hardwood flooring, now on sale for $2.19/SF.