Why Choose The Fantastic Floor?

We know that there are a lot of online hardwood flooring retailers on the market, and we're honored you've considered making your next hardwood flooring purchase with us. For today's post we'd like to highlight some of the reasons we consider ourselves to be the premiere online hardwood flooring provider in the industry today. So without further ado, here's a bit of The Fantastic Floor horn-tooting. Enjoy!

Customer Service
We know you want knowledgeable professionals who know how to treat you right. From advice on what hardwood to choose to the installation process itself, we are dedicated to leaving you 100% satisfied with your purchase and  your purchase process.

Low Prices
“Saving the world from high prices.” We use this mantra with pride. One reason customers love us so much is because we offer the highest quality hardwood flooring products at reasonable prices. If you're look for the finest floors at a price that won't break the bank, look no further than The Fantastic Floor.

Quality/Range of Products
We carry hardwood species from all over the world, including Africa, Asia and South America. Whether you're looking for a domestic standard like White Oak or an exotic species like Tigerwood, we've got you covered.

Valuable Database
We provide crisp, beautiful images of all of our products so you can see exactly what you're getting before you buy. We also offer detailed technical information about each of our species, including hardness, strength, and density.

Speedy Delivery
On average, it takes us just 2 business days to process an order for shipment, and 3-5 business days for you to receive your shipment. Take that, UPS!

Hopefully by this point we have thoroughly convinced you why The Fantastic Floor is the best online hardwood flooring retailer on the market today. If not, give us a call at 1-888-449-9663. We'd love a chance to convince you that we're the best at helping people pick the perfect floor!

Strip, Plank, or Parquet: Which is Right for You?

Hardwood floors come in a great number of different categories: prefinished, unfinished, engineered, solid, long length, various width, etc. Well, we here at The Fantastic Floor are nothing if not thorough, so we thought we'd add one more post detailing another common hardwood category: board type!

There are three main styles of hardwood flooring boards: strip, plank, and parquet. While all three types have their benefits, there are some subtle differences that you should consider if you’re unsure exactly what kind of flooring you want underfoot.

Strip Hardwood

Strip flooring is the most common type of hardwood floor. It is usually a little over 2 inches wide. It creates a very even, linear look, and it’s known for making small rooms appear larger. Strip hardwood is a classic hardwood style, and it's usually a fairly inexpensive one as well!

Wide Plank Hardwood

Plank hardwood flooring requires a little more space. Planks range from 3 to 7 inches wide, which gives this specific hardwood flooring style a more casual appearance. Plank flooring is great for more rustic or old-fashioned home design schemes, or for anyone looking for a laid-back atmosphere.

Parquet Hardwood

Design-wise, parquet is in a category far apart from strip and plank. A parquet hardwood floor usually consists of geometric patterns linked together, but creative designers have found ways to use parquet in much more exotic and eye-catching ways. A parquet hardwood floor is a great way to give a room a one-of-a-kind style, Be warned, however: parquet hardwood floors can be expensive and difficult to install. Make sure the flooring professional you hire has plenty of experience with parquet before you start the installation process.

All three of these styles are available in a wide variety of hardwood species, so there’s no shortage of options for color, hardness, or width. Which style is best for you? It all depends on your personal preference and the room in which the flooring will be installed. If you have any questions about strip, plank, or parquet hardwood, please give us a call at 1-888-448-9663. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

Top 5 Hardwood Flooring Accessories

When installing hardwood flooring in your home, the star of the show is obviously the raw material. You chose that specific hardwood because of its appearance, its durability, and the way it complements your home's existing design scheme. But even the best hardwood flooring needs a little help living up t its full potential. The following are some of the most important hardwood flooring accessories you'll need if you want your floors to really shine.

Hardwood Moldings

Remember these? They fill in the expansion gap between floors and wall, and can create smooth transitions between floors of different heights or thicknesses.

Underlayment

Don’t want to hear the “click clack” of people walking on the floor above you? Underlayment minimizes sound between floors, and is so versatile it can be used with glue-down, nail-down, or floating hardwood floors.

Stair Treads

If you’re laying down hardwood stairs, you need the appropriate treads – the horizontal portion of the step that you step on. Without them, walking up and down stairs would be just plain awkward.

Fasteners

You need some kind of binder, such as nails or adhesives, to attach your hardwood securely to the subfloor below. Different types of hardwoods only work with certain types of subfloors and fasteners, so choose carefully.

Stains

Don’t worry, this is a good kind of stain. It’s the ultimate finisher for your floor once it’s all fastened and in place. Stains can be used to change the floor’s color or bring out the wood's existing color and grain patterns.

No star would be what they are without a support team. With the help of these accessories, your hardwood floor can achieve true star quality.

Need advice on picking the right underlayment, fasteners, or any other hardwood flooring accessory? Call The Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect hardwood flooring accessories! 

Paint or Stain: Which is Better for Old Hardwood Floors?

Hardwood floors, as sturdy as they are, inevitably sustain the wear-and-tear of everyday life. If scratches and stains are not properly dealt with, the appearance of your floors can really suffer. For many homeowners, replacing an entire hardwood floor isn't a viable option, so some turn to the next best thing: staining or painting. But which option is best for you, your home, and your budget? The following are pros and cons of both approaches that we help you make the right decision.

Staining
One option for homeowners dealing with old, scratched, or otherwise beaten-up floors is to refinish or stain them. Here are the pros and cons of this flooring project:

Pros:
This option allows you to get as close to the original look of your hardwood floors as possible. Refinishing or staining a hardwood floor restores years to its appearance, can get rid of unsightly scratches and stains, and can add resale value to your home. It can also increase your floor's durability, adding years to its lifespan.

Cons:
Staining or refinishing a floor is hard work. The process usually involves removing the existing finish, sanding down the whole floor to get rid of scratches and stains, and reapplying a few new coats of finish. This can be a very time-consuming venture for a DIYer, or a costly one for homeowners hiring a contractor. Additionally, if you don't know the specific brand and variety of finish your old floor had it can be difficult to recreate the exact look.

Painting
Another option for homeowners looking to spruce up their floors is to paint them. This is a much less common practice than staining, but some more creative types are finding interesting ways to approach the project. Here are a few of the pros and cons:

Pros:
Paining a floor is certainly cheaper and easier than refinishing a floor. It also allows you to get creative and use your floor as a canvas, using bright colors, creating beautiful patterns, or even painting entire murals. Painted wood floors bring a whole new feature to the decor of your home and, if done well, can add lots of beauty to any room.

Cons:
Of course, painting a hardwood floor comes with plenty of cons. For one, laying down the primer and layer after layer of paint can take a lot of time. Paint is also not as durable as stains or finishes, and many homeowners with painted floors complain about peeling, cracking, and chipping over time. Finally, not every home buyer likes a painted hardwood floor, so if you're planning on selling your home any time soon this may not be the best option.

When it comes to updating the look of old hardwood floors, most homeowners choose to refinish or stain, especially if they are particularly tied to the original appearance of their hardwood. But your hardwood floors are just that - yours - and you should paint however you want them if you have the inclination. Just remember that your floors are an integral part of your home, and you should treat them as something that will be around for a long time - because they will!

Have you ever refinished or painted your home's hardwood floors? How was the experience? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July, friends! We hope your holiday is jam-packed with sunshine, fireworks, and, of course, delicious food!

Have a safe and happy day!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Old Grey White Oak

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents! Last month we featured the versatile and classic Southern Yellow Pine. This month we are taking a look at a hardwood color that is becoming quite a trend in both the worlds of residential and commercial flooring: grey! 

Grey hardwood flooring is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after flooring products on the market. It used to be confined to the bathroom or the kitchen, where a cleaner and more sterile look was desired, but now it’s becoming more popular in every room of the house. One of the main reasons behind grey hardwood’s popularity is its neutral tone. This allows it to be mixed with several different colors, as well as the other neutrals of black and white. It also acts as a nice neutral canvas on which designers or homeowners can add bright pops of color, such as a rug or a sofa. Grey hardwood is also quite versatile. It can run the range from modern and chic:

to rustic and homey:

One of the most popular grey hardwood flooring options available at The Fantastic Floor is Old Grey White Oak. This flooring variety is a very versatile hardwood and a standard in homes across the country. Its pale white tones give off a crisp, clean vibe that brings with it a feeling of age and tradition that is popular with hardwood floors. White Oak also stands up well to every day wear-and-tear, making it a smart long-term flooring option.

Need help picking the perfect grey hardwood flooring option for your home or office? Call The Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663 to talk with one of our genius flooring representatives. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

Dealing with Scratches and Scrapes: A Homeowner’s Guide to Hardwood First-Aid

You may think your hardwood floors are as tough as Superman, but even the most resilient hardwood species has its kryptonite. Maybe it will sustain a scratch from someone walking around in high-heels, or suffer a scuff from furniture being moved. Scarred forever? Certainly not! Here are several easy first-aid options for tackling the various injuries your hardwood floor may sustain in the line of duty.

For Scratches:
The method of repair for scratches on hardwood depends on the type of finish your floor has. If your floor has a wax or penetrating stain finish, simply apply new wax to the area with a soft clean cloth. If it’s a surface finish, such as polyurethane, you can use a touch-up kit specifically made for your specific floor finish. These are sold at most hardware or home improvement stores, or you can order them online from such companies as Glitsa or DuraSeal.

For Shoe Heel Scuffs:
Like scratches, the treatment for heel scuffs depends on your floor’s specific finish type. For a waxed floor, simply add new wax and buff to a shine with fine steel wool. For a surface finished floor, scrub away with a urethane cleaner. This cleaner will also work for food stains or water spots on finished hardwood floors.

For High Heel Scrapes:
Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of great DIY remedies for high heel scrapes or divots. If the scrape or divot isn’t too noticeable, try filling it with a raw walnut and then reapplying the floor’s original finish. If that doesn’t work, or if there are too many scrapes or divots to conceal, call a flooring professional.

For Pet Paws and Claws:
Pets can wreak havoc on your hardwood floors. Luckily, Sparky’s nail marks can be treated much like any other hardwood scrape. If the scrapes aren’t too bad, apply new wax to wax-finish floors. If you’ve got surface finished floors, use a touch-up kit.

While hardwood repair projects are too much for the average homeowner, most maintenance problems require little more than a simple touch-up kit, rags or wax. Not sure if your hardwood scratches can be easily remedied? Contact a flooring professional at The Fantastic Floor today to find out! We can’t wait to help you save your beautiful floor!

Solid or Engineered: Which Hardwood Type is Right for You?

If you’re shopping for new hardwood floors and you’ve done your hardwood homework, you probably have noticed that hardwood flooring comes in two different varieties: engineered and solid. Solid hardwood is pretty much exactly what it sounds like – a solid plank of hardwood cut into specific board sizes. Engineered hardwood is flooring that is composed of 3 – 12 multiple ply layers that have been cross-layered, glued down, and pressed together. A layer of species-specific hardwood is then layered on top, giving the appearance of a solid board.

On the surface, solid and engineered hardwoods are very difficult to tell apart, but they do have their own individual advantages and disadvantages. Engineered hardwoods are much more versatile. They can be nailed or glued on top of all types of sub-floors, including concrete. Solid hardwood can only be nailed or stapled down to a wood sub-floor. (Don’t try to staple solid hardwood to a concrete sub-floor. It will only end badly.) Engineered hardwood floors are also less prone to expansion and contraction damages due to climate change.

If cost is a factor, consider engineered. Engineered hardwood flooring is typically less expensive because less of the solid tree goes into the board. It is also lighter and easier to transport, which can also cut down on costs. However, one additional cost factor involved in engineered flooring is the pad that is necessary to purchase for under the floor. Pads help to deaden the echo sound and also act as a moisture barrier, helping to reduce mold and mildew issues when installing over concrete.

 Another important factor to assess when purchasing engineered flooring is the thickness of the top ware layer. Some engineered product cannot be sanded and refinished if the ware layer is less than 2mm. If the engineered floor you are looking at is 2mm or over, than the floor can be sanded and refinished a couple of times. Technology in engineered flooring has come a long way in the past few years, and high-end engineered product typically have a ware layer of an 1/8”. This is essentially the same thickness of a solid hardwood floor has above the tongue and groove. These high end engineered products have a life span that will outlast most of us – they can be sanded and finished the same amount of times as a solid floor.

If there are no budget concerns, and you are installing above grade on a ply sub floor, solid hardwood floors might be the better option. Solid hardwood does not need a pad and you will have no issues with the echoing sound typical with engineered material. Solid floor also typically has a longer life span with sanding and refinishing compared to “standard” engineered materials. Solid flooring also adds more resale value to your home.

As you can see, engineered and solid hardwoods both have their advantages and disadvantages. Cost, ease of installation, and longevity are just a few things to consider when deciding between the two. Still unsure as to which hardwood style is right for you? Give us a call at 1-888-448-9663 today, or shoot us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

What's So Great About Reclaimed Hardwood Flooring?

The reclaimed hardwood flooring trend is still going strong, and for good reason. Reclaimed flooring is durable, eco-friendly, and has an unmistakable rustic charm. Not sure what reclaimed flooring is, exactly? Don’t worry! We’ve assembled everything you need to know about this popular flooring product below. Enjoy!

What is reclaimed hardwood flooring?
Reclaimed hardwood flooring is hardwood that has been taken from old homes, barns, or from bodies of water such as lakes and rivers, and then repurposed into “new” hardwood flooring. Now, you might be thinking, “This is old wood? I can’t use that in my flooring project!” Not the case! There are several advantages to using reclaimed hardwood flooring. Here are a few of them:

What are the benefits of reclaimed hardwood flooring?
History:
The single most appealing thing about reclaimed hardwood flooring is that every board has a history. Many of the reclaimed hardwood flooring products we carry have been salvaged from amazing places, such as abandoned whiskey factories and old boats. If you're searching for a hardwood floor that not only looks great but has an incredible story behind it, look no further. 

Eco-Friendliness:
Not only is reclaimed hardwood often cheaper, it’s also a great benefit to the environment. Fresh hardwood requires harvesting trees and shipping them over long distances. With reclaimed flooring you are essentially recycling the hardwood, cutting down on consumption. Eco-friendly house features like reclaimed flooring are not only great for the environment, but they also up your home’s resale value. Win-win!

Looks/Character:
More and more people are seeking out a worn and rustic look from their hardwood floors. Reclaimed hardwood floors, especially if they are taken from barns or old homes, offer years of rustic charm and character with which new hardwood just can’t compete.

Durability:
Reclaimed hardwood is traditionally made from old-growth wood – trees that have grown for hundreds of years before they were cut. These boards are just as strong now as they ever have been, which means you get the same great durability in reclaimed hardwood as you would in new wood flooring.

Still unsure whether reclaimed hardwood flooring is right for you? Contact The Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663 to talk shop. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

Hardwood and Allergens: Why Hardwood Flooring Creates a Healthier Indoor Environment

Did you know that one in five Americans suffers from allergies or allergy-related asthma symptoms? That's over 62 million people! If you're one of the many people who suffer from the itchy eyes, runny nose, or skin irritations commonly caused by allergies, and you aren't sure what's causing them, you might want to look in an unexpected place: under your feet!

Carpet Traps Allergens
That's right - the source of your allergy woes may be your carpet flooring. Wall-to-wall carpet can be a haven for pet dander, dirt, pollen, and dust mites, which are all known to be linked to the rising rates of allergies in this country. This is especially true of children. Many researchers believe that the best way to prevent allergies in adults is to limit their exposure to allergens as children. Unfortunately, with carpet flooring it is nearly impossible to prevent allergen exposure, as dust mites and their droppings (ew!) are extremely hard to remove, even with regular vacuuming.

So What's a Homeowner to Do?
For the answer to this question, let's turn to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America:

If you are putting in new floors, consider using hardwood, vinyl, linoleum tile, or slate instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. The carpet is an ideal home for dust mites. These tiny insects are one of the worst enemies of people with allergies. Too small to be seen with the naked eye, they live inside carpeting, cushions and bedding. There they excrete waste products that cause allergic symptoms. Bare floors with small, washable area rugs are much easier to keep free of dust mites than carpeting.

Need Some Cushion? Try a Rug!
Area rugs and floor runners are a great way to add the cushion and decorative flair of carpet while minimizing allergy symptoms. Not only can rugs be vacuumed, but they can also be washed, beaten, and even dry cleaned. And unlike carpets, rugs can be easily swapped out to better match a new wall paint color or room design scheme.

Need help finding a new linoleum or hardwood floor to replace your allergen-laden carpet? Call The Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

What's Your Superhero Name?

Here at The Fantastic Floor, we love superheroes. Heck, our entire brand is based on some of the best! And if you're like us, you've spent countless hours daydreaming of your perfect superhero (or supervillain!) persona. But coming up with a name for your new superhero self can be tough ... until now! We've come up with a handy superhero name generating chart to help you find out what fantastic new super person you'll be today. Enjoy!

Types of Hardwood Moldings and How They’re Used

When it comes to hardwood moldings, not all hardwood floors are created equal. Different floor and surface types require different types of moldings, and there are lots of factors to consider: the expansion gap, floor type, floor thickness, transitioning, etc. But fear not, dear reader! For every floor type and application there is a molding that fits the purpose and looks great. Here are some descriptions of the most common prefinished hardwood moldings and the situations in which they are most useful. Enjoy!

Quarter Round

For a more subtle blend between wall base and floor, the quarter round – so-named due to its cut resembling one quarter of a circle – is used to help cover the expansion gap between wall and hardwood floor. The quarter round can also be used on its own to create a transition between a hardwood floor and cabinets.

Base Shoe

Slightly narrower than the quarter round, base shoe molding can also be used to fill in the expansion gap if a narrower look along the wall base is desired. It is also used as a transition between hardwood floor and wall under cabinets.

Cove

Cove moldings are used to cover gaps between vertical surfaces, including walls, staircases, and banisters, and between the tread and riser.

Wall Base

Another option for filling in the expansion gap, taller wall bases provide a cleaner juncture where floor meets wall and helps to give the room a more formal and finished appearance.

Square Nose

Square noses are used with floating hardwood floors. They are perfect for filling in the expansion gap between floors and vertical surfaces such as brick or glass, surfaces that cannot be framed by a quarter round or a wall base.

T-Molding

Moving into the molds that connect floor to floor, T-moldings are used to create a smooth transition between floor surfaces in adjoining rooms. They are most useful for joining floors of the same thickness.

Reducer

Reducers are used to connect floors with differing heights. This molding comes in two varieties: flush and overlap. Flush reducers are used for glue or nail-down flooring installations. With hardwood floors that require space to expand and contract, an overlap reducer is required.

Threshold

An extremely versatile floor mold, thresholds are also ideal for transitioning between flooring of different heights. Their use goes beyond hardwood floors; they can also be used to adjoin tile and carpet.

Stair Nose

This is another molding that comes in flush or overlap. Stair noses are used to give a finished look to hardwood steps and are an inexpensive alternative to laying down a tread. They are designed to take the brunt of foot traffic while maintaining each step’s beauty. Flush noses are used for glue and nail-down methods, while overlap noses are used on stairs that need space to expand and contract.

Want more information about hardwood flooring moldings? Give us a call today at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect floor – molding, that is!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Southern Yellow Pine

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents! Last month we featured the deep red and durability of Bloodwood hardwood flooring. This month we’re taking a look at a highly diverse wood that is classic for flooring, furniture and many types of construction: Southern Yellow Pine.

Native to the southeastern United States, Southern Yellow Pine has been a popular and widely used wood since the nineteenth century. Used for everything from ship masts to residential flooring, Southern Yellow Pine remains a popular choice for construction timber and plywood. Southern Yellow Pine has two varieties: sapwood and heartwood. The sapwood is yellowish white in color, while the heartwood – which only begins to form after the tree is at least 20 years old – can range from yellow to reddish brown. Sometimes it features a clear pattern, and other times sports characteristic darker knots.

Southern Yellow Pine is a coarse wood. With a Janka rating of 690, it is on the softer side, and doesn’t stand up to scratches and scuffs as well as other hardwoods. However, it makes up for this with versatility: It responds well to sawing and nailing, marking it as an ideal wood for resizing and reshaping.

Want to learn more about Southern Yellow Pine? Contact the professionals at The Fantastic Floor at 1-888-448-9663, or give us a call at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

The Top 5 Reasons You Should Choose Hardwood Flooring Over Carpet

 

It’s one of the most common choices a homeowner faces when remodeling and existing home or building a new one: “What type of flooring should I choose?” Hardwood and carpet are the two main types of flooring you have to choose from, but which is best for you? We’re a bit biased, we admit, but we still can’t help but chime in: Hardwood! Hardwood! Hardwood!

Now, we’re not just trying to hawk our wares. We honestly believe hardwood flooring is the superior flooring choice over carpet, and for many good reasons. Which reasons, you ask? Good question. Here are our top five reasons hardwood flooring kicks carpet’s butt. Enjoy!

Durability
When it comes to everyday wear-and-tear, hardwood floors will beat out carpeting every time. Carpets require annual steaming to look their best and have to be removed every couple of years. A well cared for hardwood floor can last a lifetime, making it the better long-term investment.

Easier to clean
Spills and stains to carpets are often permanent, and if they’re not, they’re a real pain to remove. With hardwood floors, dust and spills do less damage and are easy to clean up. Sweeping and occasionally mopping with warm water is all you need to keep your hardwood floors looking their best.

Better refinishing
A hardwood floor can be made to look like new by refinishing, sanding, and polishing. Carpets, on the other hand, don’t bounce back quite as well. After a while, in order to make carpeting look good as new, you need … well, a new carpet.

Fewer allergens
Not only do carpets hold onto stains, they also hold onto dirt, germs and allergens, which can really build up and affect your health. This is only made worse if you live with pets. You don’t have to worry about allergen buildup on hardwood floors. Simply sweep or vacuum regularly and you’re good to go.

Prestige and versatility
Hardwood flooring has history on its side. It has been used in homes for hundreds of years, and still maintains its “high end” image and general popularity. It is also extremely versatile and can be matched with several different home décor styles, which is more than you can say about hardwood.

Still not convinced that hardwood flooring is a better choice for your home than carpet? Call one of the flooring professionals at The Fantastic Floor today and let us try to change your mind. You can reach us at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect (hardwood) floor!

Benefits of End-Matched Hardwood Flooring

If you're researching hardwood flooring you've probably come across the term "end-matched hardwood flooring" in your search for the perfect floor. End-matching is standard on most flooring shorter than eight feet as well as strip or narrow-width flooring. But what is end-matching, exactly? Glad you asked. The following is a brief explanation of end-matching, as well as some of the benefits of choosing end-matched hardwood flooring. Enjoy!

What is end-matched hardwood flooring?
End-matched is a term that describes the process of double-end trimming a plank of wood and, through a special process, precision milling a tongue-and-groove on the plank ends. It is an industry standard for boards under eight feet in length. There are a number of benefits to end-matched hardwood floors, such as:

1. Cuts down on installation time.
End-matching eliminates the need to cut each plank end during installation. Instead, the plank ends fit together nicely in their pre-cut tongue-and-grooves, saving a lot of time on the installation process.

2. Cuts down on labor costs.
When you're having new hardwood flooring installed, time is money. Since end-matched hardwood floors take less time to install than planks that have not been end-matched, you save both time and money.

3. Allows for a more consistent appearance.
The tongue-and-groove edges of end-matched hardwood floors allow the boards to fit together very snugly. This, combined with micro-bevel edges, makes the floor appear flatter and gives it a more consistent color and grain appearance.

Still have questions about end-matched hardwood flooring? Give us a call at 888-448-9663, or email us at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

Luxury Laminate Flooring Sale - Take 50% Off!

Laminate flooring has gained popularity amongst homeowners over the past ten years or so, and for good reason. It's beautiful, durable, and it's one of the least expensive flooring products you can find. Here at The Fantastic Floor, we pride ourselves in the many high-quality luxury laminates we carry, and for a limited time we've got some of our best-sellers on sale for up to 50% off!

Here are just a few of the gorgeous and long-lasting luxury laminates we have on sale:

Want to learn more? Visit our Luxury Laminate Sale page on our website, or give us a call at 1-888-448-9663. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect laminate floor!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Bloodwood

Welcome to this month's Fantastic Floor Presents, where we direct our spotlight on the finest hardwoods in the industry! Our last installment focused on the highly versatile Morado, a beautiful hardwood known for its use in everything from guitars to flooring. This month we turn our thoughts to another gorgeous and durable flooring product: Bloodwood!

Ranging from a subdued and grayish red to much darker reds, Bloodwood hardwood contains some of the deepest crimson tones in flooring. With these shades comes a luster that is sure to enhance any setting, as well as compliment to almost any fixture or piece of furniture in the room. To the touch, this South American hardwood is smooth as can be, but it's also one of the most durable. With a Janka hardness rating of 2,900, Bloodwood is nearly 140 percent stronger than Red Oak. This spectacular combination of beauty and invincibility makes it one of the best species of flooring to turn to when you're looking for a long-lasting, attractive new addition to your home.

Want to learn more about this attractive hardwood flooring species? Visit the Bloodwood hardwood flooring page on the Fantastic Floor website, or give us a call at 1-888-448-9663. We can't wait to help you pick your perfect floor!

Hardwood Flooring Grades Explained [INFOGRAPHIC]

"Just what are hardwood flooring grades, anyway?"

It's a question we hear a lot at Fantastic Floor, and the answer surprises a lot of people who hear it. Most people assume hardwood grades refer to the quality of the wood in question, but that isn't the case. Instead, hardwood flooring grades refer to the overall color variation in the wood. The higher the grade, the more consistent the color. No one grade is better than another; the "best" grade for you is the one that you like the most.

At Fantastic Floor, our boards come in one of six varieties. Here is a great graphic showing examples of the various kinds of grades and explaining the differences between them. Enjoy!

The Best Rustic Hardwood Flooring Options

Rustic hardwood flooring has been a rising trend in interior design for years, and for good reason. The slight imperfections common in distressed and rustic hardwood flooring add character, beauty, and a specific history to your floors. Rustic floors are also surprisingly complementary, both matching a similarly rustic design scheme or giving a striking counterbalance to a more modern room decor. At Fantastic Floor, we have a huge collection of rustic hardwood flooring products in a wide variety of styles, colors, and species of wood. Here are five of our favorites:

Distressed acacia flooring features a beautiful assortment of colors, from dark brown heartwood to vibrant orange and yellow accents. The wood is streaked with an exotic grain pattern that seems to swim through the boards, giving the floors an almost fluid feel.

A more subtle rustic flooring choice, antique maple hardwood features bright yellow-brown heartwood that is occasionally tinged with reddish-brown accents. It has a very subdued grain pattern and a fine, uniform texture, making it a great complement to pretty much and room design scheme.

Dark, rich, and mysterious, Apache walnut hardwood flooring adds a stylish, dramatic flair to any room. The chocolate brown heartwood is offset by an even darker grain pattern that whirls and flows gracefully across the boards.

Smoked white oak is a rustic spin on the traditional white oak flooring that has been popular in America for centuries. A bit darker than its traditional counterpart, smoked white oak still features light tones and a crisp, tight grain pattern.

Distressed hickory hardwood embraces all the different shades and grain patterns featured in traditional hickory and proudly puts them front and center. The varying shades of brown in hickory make it a visually-striking flooring option that can still be paired with a wide variety of interior design schemes.

Visit the Fantastic Floor website to view our entire Rustic Hardwood Flooring Collection. What is your favorite variety? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Morado

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents, the best hardwood spotlight series on the web! Last month we took a look at African Cedar, one of our lesser-known hardwood varieties. This month we're featuring a South American beauty that has a wide variety of applications: Morado!

Morado hardwood flooring, also known as Brazilian Rosewood, is known first and foremost for its beauty. Its dark violet heartwood is often streaked with striking ribbons of rich chocolate browns and creamy tans. It has an interlocked grain that is sometimes wavy, sometimes straight, and a texture that ranges anywhere from very fine to quite coarse. It is so beautiful, in fact, that it used for many decorative applications, such as veneers, cabinets, and specialty items such as guitars:

bowls:

and tissue boxes, apparently:

But Morado hardwood isn't just about beauty. It's also quite tough. It boasts a Janka hardness rating of 2,400 lbs., making it similar in hardness to Para Rosewood, Brazilian Cherry, and Santos Mahogany. The wood is of  medium density - about 880 KG/m3 - which is denser than almost all of the Fantastic Floor domestic hardwoods and a few other exotics as well.

Want to learn more about this sexy South American hardwood? Visit the Morado Hardwood Flooring page on the Fantastic Floor website or give us a call at 1-888-448-9663. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!