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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

The Top 5 Reasons People Love Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Prefinished flooring is one of the most popular types of hardwood flooring products in the country today, and for good reason. Or should we say reasons? The following are the top five reasons people can't seem to get enough of prefinished hardwood flooring. Enjoy!

1. It's easier to install.
Unlike unfinished flooring, prefinished hardwood flooring is a breeze to install. It is sanded and finished by the manufacturer, so all the contractor needs to do is nail or glue it down. Done and done! This quick turn-around can save you a lot of money on installation costs, as well as save you from having an installation team in your home for days on end.

2. There's no waiting period.
Unfinished flooring not only requires on-site sanding and finishing, it also requires you to wait for the new finish to dry. (And don't even get us started on the smell!) With prefinished hardwood, the floor is ready to be walked on as soon as it is installed, which in many cases is only a single day.

3. The finish is more durable.
The prefinished hardwood flooring from Fantastic Floor is usually treated with up to 8 coats of an aluminum oxide finish. This durable, long-lasting finishing technique means your floors will be able to stand up to day-to-day traffic for longer than boards treated with just a few coats of finish.

4. The finish is more consistent.
Because of the streamlined way it is produced, manufacturer-finished hardwood is often much more consistent in appearance than on-site finished floors. This isn't necessarily true for the color or grain pattern of the wood, mind you - that is based on the grade of the material - but it is true for the finish. When you hire a contractor to finish your floors on-site you run the risk of ending up with an uneven finish job, especially if there's more than one contractor working on the project.

5. It comes with a 25-year warranty. 
All the solid prefinished flooring available at Fantastic Floor is guaranteed with a 25-year finish warranty. This means that when you purchase prefinished flooring from us and install it according to our installation and maintenance standards, we guarantee that the finish will not wear through or separate from the wood for a full 25 years. We also guarantee that the finish will be free of manufacturing defects and flaws in the application of the polyurethane aluminum oxide finish. Visit the Prefinished Hardwood Flooring Warranty page on Fantastic-Floor.com for more information.

What are your top reasons for loving prefinished hardwood flooring? Leave us a comment and let us know. We'd love to hear from you!

Moisture Barriers: What They Are and Why You Need Them

If you're planning on having new hardwood flooring installed and you've done your homework, you probably know that most installation jobs require some sort of moisture barrier between the new boards and the existing subfloor. But what are moisture barriers, exactly? And why are they so important? Good questions. Check out the info below to find out all you need to know about moisture barriers!

What are moisture barriers?
Moisture barriers, also called vapor barriers or vapor retarders, are layers of material that help prevent moisture-related problems in your floors by protecting the wood from ground moisture and condensation. They also help reduce the amount of noise floors make and prevent damaging wood-on-wood contact.

Why do I need moisture barriers?
Ground moisture and condensation are a few of the biggest threats to hardwood floors. Dramatic changes in humidity and ground moisture can cause wood boards to shrink and expand more than they should, which can lead to gapping, warping, and buckling. Moisture barriers help prevent the wood from absorbing excess moisture, preserving their stability and helping reduce the amounts of moisture-related problems.

What kind of moisture barriers are out there?
There are three main types of moisture barriers: impermeable, semi-permeable, and permeable. These different levels of permeability allow you to install wood floors over different types of subfloors. Wood subfloors, for instance, do better with an impermeable barrier with a permeability rating greater than 0.7; anything less can cause moisture to be trapped below or on the subfloor. Concrete subfloors, on the other hand, require a very high level of impermeability; usually .15 perms or lower. This allows for little to no moisture movement.

Does the installation method change the type of moisture barrier I'll need?
Yes, insomuch as different installation methods are required for different types of subfloors. Moisture barriers offer protection in one of three ways:
The first kind of protection is for nail down install jobs. This involves placing a layer of 6 mil poly sheeting plastic over the dirt in the crawl spaces beneath the subfloor, then placing a 15-pound felt paper between the subfloor and the hardwood.
The second kind of protection is for glue down installations and usually requires using a trowel-applied moisture barrier (such as Bostik) since plastic barriers can prevent the glue on the floors from sticking to the subfloor.
The third kind of protection is for floating floor installations and also involves a 6 mil poly sheeting plastic barrier under the boards. Unlike nail down installations, however, plastic barriers shouldn't be used if the floating floors are covering wood subfloors as they prevent the subfloor from breathing.

What if the floor is above grade? Do I still need a moisture barrier?
Yes. For above grade floors, a 15-pound felt paper works wonders. This moisture barrier should be laid between the hardwood and the wood subfloor; this is the best way to reduce the amount of moisture that can get to the new flooring.

Confused? Don't worry. It's not your job to understand all the technicalities of moisture barriers and hardwood flooring installation. However, knowing the basics about this important flooring component can help you better understand the installation process in general and allow you to make sure your flooring installer is doing the job right. Visit Fantastic-Floor.com to learn more about moisture barriers and solid hardwood flooring installation, or give us a call at 1-888-448-9663.

Fantastic Floor Presents: African Cedar

Welcome back to your favorite hardwood species spotlight series, Fantastic Floor Presents! In the last installment we took a look at the ever-popular Cumaru. This week we're shining our spotlight on another lesser known (but equally beautiful) hardwood species: African Cedar!

African Cedar hardwood flooring from Fantastic Floor is slightly heavier and harder than American Cedar and features white sapwood and a yellowish-brown heartwood that darkens to a warm red upon exposure. The African Cedar tree is fast-growing and the largest cedar species in Africa, reaching as high as 100 to 120 feet when fully grown. The grain pattern of African Cedar is usually straight, though some trees have spiral grain, which can make for a visually interesting and attractive figure on quartersawn surfaces.

African Cedar is not only beautiful, it is also rivals similar domestic species in durability. It has a Janka hardness equal to American Cherry and a density similar to Western Red Cedar. The wood is relatively easy to work with while still being able to stand up to day-to-day foot traffic and outdoor elements. African Cedar is not only used for indoor flooring, it is also often used to build fences, as a home siding material, as roof shingles, and even in pencils.

Want to learn more about this beautiful hardwood species? Visit the African Cedar 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!

Square Edge vs. Beveled Edge: Which Is Best?

We get this question a lot, though sometimes more in the form of, "What kind of edge do your floors have?", or "What's the difference between a square edge and a beveled edge floor?". Well, we thought we'd settle this long-standing debate once and for all. Enjoy!

What Is Square Edge?
As the name suggests, the sides of each plank of a square edge hardwood floorboard meet squarely. A square edge floor looks something like this:

When the flooring is laid absolutely flat and the installation is superb, a square edge floor can feel practically seamless. This creates a very formal, contemporary look and is favored in high-end flooring applications. However, if there are subfloor imperfections, or if the installation isn't done properly, a square edge floor can show gaps more noticeably than a beveled edge floor.

A square edge floor is a tell tale sign that the floors have been sanded and finished on-site. Square edges are found almost exclusively on unfinished hardwood flooring products. Micro-bevels are needed on prefinished boards to give the illusion of a flat floor.

What is Beveled Edge?
A beveled edge floor, also known as a micro-beveled edge, has strips or planks with a 1mm to 2mm 45 degree angle on the top edges of the board. Beveled edge hardwood strips look something like this:

A beveled edge is necessary to help mask any slight imperfections in the subfloor and reduce the obvious highs and lows that are present in all subfloors. Micro-bevels give the optical illusion of a flat floor. Most prefinished floors have a tight micro-beveled edge treated with a high-quality finish, making it easy to sweep or vacuum dirt and debris out of the floor grooves. The downside of a beveled edge floor is that sometimes the grooves can be felt when walking on the floor in bare feet or thin socks.

The Verdict
So, which edge type should you choose? Well, that all depends on your personal preference and your budget. Square edge unfinished flooring material costs less to purchase, but the labor needed to site sand and finish the material can cost you a pretty penny. Prefinished flooring's strong factory finish makes it a pricier material option, but it installation costs far less. When it comes to aesthetics, some people absolutely hate beveled edge floors. Some people don't mind. It's really a matter of personal preference, and there is no wrong answer to the square versus beveled edge debate.

All of the solid prefinished hardwood flooring products available at Fantastic Floor have a slight micro-beveled edge to eliminate those pesky uneven joints that can pop up between boards sometimes. Do you prefer the flat, smooth look of square edge unfinished floors? Good news - we have a extensive selection of those varieties as well! Call us today to learn more about the different square and beveled edge flooring products we carry.

What type of board edge do you prefer? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Cumaru

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents, your favorite hardwood spotlight blog series on the web. Our last installment featured a beautiful but somewhat lesser-known hardwood species, Mango Wood. This week we're shining our spotlight on one of our most popular products and one of the best-selling hardwoods in the industry: Cumaru!

Cumaru hardwood flooring from Fantastic Floor is a dense, tough species known as much for its durability as its beauty. Also known as Brazilian Teak or Brazilian Chestnut, Cumaru is sustainably harvest from such regions as Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia and features an irregular, wavy grain pattern with a slightly course texture. The Cumaru heartwood is a medium brown color with complementary tan shades that gives the wood a light, warm appearance. In fact, Cumaru is one of the few exotic imports that has such light tones. The majority of exotic hardwoods tend to come in darker shades of browns, reds, and blacks. Cumaru a great choice for homeowners looking for a lighter, warmer hardwood floor.

In addition to Cumaru's natural beauty, it is also one of the toughest hardwoods on the market. It has a Janka hardness rating of 3,200 lbs., which is nearly three times harder than domestic species such as Red Oak. It is also incredibly dense, which makes it very resistant to water damage, decay, and wood boring insects.

Want to learn more about this one-of-a-kind hardwood flooring species? Visit the Cumaru 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!

Area Rugs and Hardwood Floors: What You Need to Know

Even the nicest hardwood floors can use a little embellishment now and then, and for many homeowners that embellishment comes in the form of a large area rug. A big, beautiful area rug can add visual interest and flair to an otherwise boring room and bring out the color and grain pattern of the surrounding hardwood.

But wait! Laying an area rug isn't a set-it-and-forget-it affair. There are certain precautions you must take if you want your rug to complement your floors instead of harming them. The following are three important things to remember if you're planning on putting down an area rug. Enjoy!

Site-finished hardwood flooring is a bit sensitive for a few weeks after it is installed. If you have newly-installed, site-finished floors you'll want to wait at least 30 days before laying down a large area rug. Talk to your installation contractor to find out if they have any recommendations regarding area rugs.

Many area rugs have backing that can act as a pretty severe abrasive on your floors finish. Make sure to use appropriate padding to prevent the rug from moving and scratching the floor. We recommend using a type of mesh anti-slip pad that will grip the carpet and still allow the floor to breath.

As you may know, hardwood floors change color when exposed to sunlight. Since area rugs block UV rays from reaching your floors the areas underneath the rug often experience color fade much more slowly than the surrounding floor. Rotating the placement of your rugs can help you avoid uneven coloration as your floors experience UV exposure. Don't freak out if you notice color change when you first move your rugs. This is normal and over time the area will catch up and blend in nicely with the rest of the floor.

Have you had any bad experiences with area rugs on your hardwood floors? Leave us a comment and tell us your story!

The 5 Best Things About Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered flooring is one of the most popular types of hardwood flooring products you can find. In fact, consumer interest in engineered has skyrocketed over the past few years, even as consumer interest in plain old solid hardwood seems to be waning. Check out these figures from Google Trends:

And this one:

As you can see, search trends for engineered flooring have been climbing steadily since 2005, while solid hardwood flooring and hardwood flooring searches have remained about constant and sharply declined, respectively. This does not, of course, reflect sales of either product, but when it comes to the initial information-gathering phase of buying new floors it would seem that more and more people are interested in engineered.

So what's so great about engineered hardwood flooring? Why all the buzz? While there are many reasons people choose engineered over solid flooring, we thought we'd list five of our favorite. Enjoy!

(Interested in seeing some of Fantastic Floor's beautiful engineered hardwood flooring products? Visit Fantastic-Floor.com today!)

1. It will hang out in any room.
Engineered flooring has a very high resistance to moisture-related problems like buckling. This means engineered floors can be installed in any room of the house, whether that's below-grade (in the basement), on-grade (on the first floor), or above-grade (second floor, third floor, etc.). They can also be installed over more types of surfaces than solid floors, including plain concrete slabs and wood subfloors.

2. It doesn't mind a little humidity.
The moisture-resistance of engineered flooring also makes it a perfect fit for places with extreme changes in temperature and humidity. As you may know, solid wood has a tendency to expand and contract with temperature and humidity changes. This expansion and contraction can lead to many problems, like warping and gapping. The construction of engineered boards fight this natural tendency to bend and warp.

3. It looks good in almost anything.
It's important to remember that engineered flooring is not laminate. Engineered flooring is real hardwood flooring. This means you can get engineered products in almost any style or species of hardwood you can imagine. Looking for oak? Not a problem. How about ipe? No sweat. Maybe you want Brazilian Cherry. You get the idea.

4. It cares about the environment. While engineered flooring does contain a solid top layer of hardwood, the rest is made of layers of various other materials, mainly plywood. This means that less of the actual hardwood tree can be used to make more of the product. And engineered flooring weighs less than solid, so it requires less energy to pack and transport.

5. It's just as sexy as solid.
While there are some people that swear by solid hardwood floors, we believe that high-quality, well-made engineered flooring is just as beautiful and distinctive. Here, see for yourself. One of these products is a solid acacia hardwood floor, the other is an engineered acacia hardwood floor. Can you tell which is which?

No, didn't think so.

What do you think of engineered hardwood flooring? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave us a comment and let us know! If you want to know more about Fantastic Floor's engineered hardwood products you can give us a call at 1-888-448-9663 or email us at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Mango Wood

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents! As you may recall, the last installment of the series looked at the French Connection line of white oak flooring. This week we're headed to warmer climates to take a look at an up-and-coming sustainable hardwood species: Mango Wood!

If you've got your finger on the pulse of the hardwood industry, you've probably heard that mango wood is giving bamboo and hemp a run for its money as the poster child for fast-growing, sustainable wood. It only takes seven to 15 years for mango trees to reach a height that makes harvesting their fruit difficult, about 90 - 100 feet. Once they reach this height mango farmers can replace the barren trees for newer ones and sell the wood from these trees for extra income. This model of sustainable mango farming makes sure no part of the tree goes to waste.

Mango hardwood flooring is similar in hardness and density to domestic hardwood varieties such as ash and cherry. Its heartwood and sapwood can contain a true variety of colors, including light and dark browns, yellows, and streaks of pink and black. The grain patterns in mango wood flooring are also very diverse, from jagged to curly. The wood tends to have a fine-to-medium texture.

Mango hardwood isn't only used for flooring. Its color variety and differing grain patterns have also made it a popular choice for furniture and turnery applications. It is even used in Hawaii in the production of high-end ukuleles!

Want to learn more about the vibrant and sustainable mango wood flooring products available at Fantastic Floor? Give us a call at 888-448-9663 or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

5 Post-Holiday Clean-Up Tips

Now that the holiday season is finally over, you can focus your attention on a part of your house that probably saw a lot of wear and tear during the past few weeks: your hardwood flooring.

There are a few messes specific to the holidays that can wreak major havoc on your floors if not dealt with in a timely manner. The following are five post-holiday clean-up tips you can use to make sure your floors stay looking good well into the new year. Enjoy!

1. Wine Stains
In the case of spilled wine, time is your enemy. Try to blot up as much of the spill as soon as you can, and remember not to rub it in. If the wine has started to set, try pouring undiluted bleach on the stain and letting it set for about 45 minutes. (This can take off the floor finish and leave an even more unsightly stain, so make sure to test a small, inconspicuous area of your floor first.) If the bleach doesn't work, mix a simple soda paste out of baking soda and lemon oil or mineral oil. Gently rub it over the stain, let it sit for about a half hour, and remove it with a dry cloth.

2. Foot/Paw Prints
It may sound counterintuitive, but one of the best ways to clean muddy paw or footprints from your hardwood floors is to let them dry. After they're dry, run a vacuum over the prints. This gets rid of a surprising amount of dried mud and dirt, all without water. Once the loose dirt is up, use a high-quality hardwood floor cleaner like DuraSeal to remove what's left.

3. Tree Needles
Cleaning up old tree needles is pretty straightforward - vacuum! Don't forget to use the vacuum's attachments to get into the nooks and crannies where old needles may be hiding.

4. Candle Wax
Piece o' cake:

5. Sticky Tape
Sticky tape on hardwood floors is one of the most common and irritating consequences of holiday gift-giving. Here's how to get rid of it: Start with a washcloth and a bowl of hot water - the hotter the better. Soak the corner of the washcloth in the water and apply it directly to the tape. Let it soak there for about five minutes, then gently roll your finger over the edge of the tape to get it loose. Once the tape is loose, place a drop of dish soap on the washcloth and rub it over the tape residue. Rinse the washcloth and repeat until the residue is gone.

We hope these helped! What are some post-holiday cleaning tricks you use regularly? Leave us a comment and let us know!

The Best Hardwood for Radiant Heat Systems

Radiant heat systems have been around for years, but they are gaining popularity in homeowners that want to cut down on their energy consumption and save a little money in utility bills. However, floor radiant heat systems can really mess up a hardwood floor. These types of heat systems can cause your wood flooring to dry out quicker than other heating systems, which can lead to warping and buckling. Luckily, there are certain types of hardwood flooring you can install that are less likely to experience the negative side effects of radiant heat systems.

The key to using hardwood flooring over radiant heating systems is to choose a product that is very dimensionally stable. Dimensional stability is the measure of wood's tendency to shrink and swell as it gains and loses moisture. Because radiant heat systems pump heat directly through the floor, it's very important to find boards that are less likely to move around as their moisture levels change.

Low-Density
Domestic hardwood species with a lower density tend to have better dimensional stability than their more denser exotic counterparts. North American oak, American walnut, and American cherry are all great known for their natural stability.

Engineered Flooring
People prefer engineered flooring over solid hardwood for a lot of reasons — it's easy to install, it's versatile, it's light-weight — but what a lot of folks don't know is that it is also much more stable than solid flooring. These reasons combined make it a perfect match for radiant heat systems.

Narrow Boards
Fact: wide hardwood boards are inherently less stable than narrow ones. In fact, any board over three inches wide is frowned upon for installation over radiant heat systems. Stick to the industry standard: 2 1/4".

Quartersawn
We could go on and on about the differences between quartersawn and rift-sawn floors, but for this post you really only need to know one thing: quartersawn is more dimensionally stable. Done and done.

Questions? Read Radiant Heat Installation of Hardwood Flooring on our website or give us a call at 1-888-448-9663.

Fantastic Floor Presents: French Connection White Oak

Welcome back to your favorite hardwood spotlight series on the web, Fantastic Floor Presents! This week we're straying from the traditional format a bit and taking a look at not just a species of wood, but an specific line of flooring products. Namely, the White Oak French Connection from the Garrison Collection. Enjoy!

We've talked about white oak hardwood flooring before. A lot. But the French Connection line from Garrison is special. Why? For starters, there are fifteen styles to choose from in the series, making matching your floors to your current or planned design scheme a breeze. I mean, take a look at some of these beautiful examples:

Beautiful, right?

The flooring also comes prefinished, so the wire-brushed oil finish that gives the flooring its allure and luster is built right in to the boards — no onsite finishing required. And because the line is engineered, the boards are ready to go right out of the box. Engineered flooring is lighter and generally easier to install, meaning you can use French Connection White Oak flooring in any room and any floor of your home. It also features enhanced dimensional stability, making it less likely to bend and warp than standard solid white oak floors.

On a broader note, white oak hardwood is one of the most popular, beautiful, and durable hardwood flooring products on the market today. It's light tones and pale heartwood complement almost any design scheme and lend themselves quite well to different color finishes. It is also extremely resistant to wear. In fact, white oak hardwood used to be used as mine timbers and boat planks. That's pretty tough.

Want to learn more about the White Oak French Connection line at Fantastic Floor? Call us today at 888-448-9663 or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We look forward to hearing from you!