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!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have a lot to be thankful for this year, and we hope you do too! From all of us here at Fantastic Floor, we want to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! Now, get back to the table. That turkey ain't gonna eat itself!

Superstorm Sandy Victims: We're Here to Help!

It was just a few short weeks ago that Superstorm Sandy devastated the Northeast, and people in communities affected by the storm are still trying to put the pieces back together. At Fantastic Floor, we want to do everything in our power to help Sandy victims rebuild their homes and get their lives back on track. In that spirit, we're excited to announce some of the ways in which we're doing our part in helping people affected by the massive storm:

Freight costs can be one of the most expensive aspects of purchasing new flooring. Large floor remodeling or replacement projects often require hundreds of pounds of hardwood, and getting those boards from the manufacturer to the work site often costs a pretty penny. This is a legitimate expense, but it's also one that can prevent homeowners from getting the new floors they want in a timely manner. In our opinion, that's unacceptable. For a limited time, Fantastic Floor is offering free shipping to all victims of Superstorm Sandy. There are enough expenses you have to worry about during these tough times; shipping and handling shouldn't be one of them.

In addition to free shipping, Fantastic Floor is also offering deep discounts on some of our most popular hardwood flooring products. We feature one of the largest selections of hardwood flooring in the country, and we're prepared to offer Sandy victims discounts on as many different varieties as we can. Discounts and availabilities vary - call a Fantastic Floor representative today to learn more.

One of the hardest things to find when shopping for replacement hardwood flooring is an honest answer. Most companies want to sell you whatever flooring variety they're trying to move. Not us. At Fantastic Floor, we're dedicated to finding you the hardwood floor that fits your lifestyle and your budget. No high-pressure sales talk here. Just honest answers to all of your hardwood-related questions.

We're dedicated to helping all of our friends affected by Sandy. Call us today at 1-888-448-9663 to discuss your hardwood flooring replacement needs, or learn more at Fantastic-Floor.com.

Don't forget to vote!

"The continuing health and vigor of our democratic system depends upon the public spirit and devotion of its citizens which find expression in the ballot box.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt

'Nuff said!

Our Top Green Certified Hardwoods

As you well know, Fantastic Floor takes a strong stand on environmental practices in the timber industry. We pride ourselves in selecting only legally harvested hardwood flooring products. We're certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and require our suppliers to be the same. We believe selective harvesting in tropical forests can be a benefit to local economies, and we're firmly opposed to the real source of Amazon deforestation - forest clearing (or clear cutting) for farming and ranching purposes.

That said, we often get asked if we have a favorite green-certified hardwood flooring product. While everyone at Fantastic Floor has a personal favorite, we all agree that the following five hardwood varieties are the best-of-the-best. Enjoy!

1. Brazilian Cherry
Also known as Jatoba, Brazilian Cherry is the most popular exotic hardwood flooring material in America. It features reddish-brown heartwood and beautiful dark striping, giving the wood eye-catching depth and contrast. It is also incredibly durable, featuring a Janka hardness rating of 2,350 lbs. and a density of 800 KG/m3.

2. Ipe
Ipe is the toughest exotic hardwood flooring material you can find. It has a cell structure so dense that it boasts a Class A fire rating, the same class of fire-retardant materials as steel. Its density makes it naturally resistant to moisture and wood-boring insects. It's also quite beautiful. The natural variations in color give the wood an eclectic yet sophisticated look.

3. Purpleheart
For those wanting a one-of-a-kind hardwood flooring material that is also green-certified, look no further than Purpleheart. With its deep purples and rich browns, Purpleheart flooring is definitely one of our most talked about hardwood varieties. It also has a high level of durability, with a density of 1,057 KG/m3 and a Janka hardness of almost 2,000 lbs.

4. Tarara
Tarara hardwood flooring is a colorful exotic that features bright yellow and orange heartwood with streaks of brown, red, black, and even purple. It has a tight, irregular, interlocked grain pattern and has hardness and density ratings similar to other durable exotic hardwoods.

5. White Oak
White Oak has been a standard flooring material in U.S. homes for years, and for good reason. Its light, crisp tones and complementary deep brown heartwood make it suitable for nearly any flooring purpose. Its versatility is matched only by its durability - a Janka hardness rating of 1,360 lbs. and a density of 900 KG/m3.

What is your favorite green-certified hardwood flooring material? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Questions? Contact us today to speak to one of our knowledgeable flooring representatives. We look forward to hearing from you!

Fantastic Floor Presents: Acacia

Welcome back to Fantastic Floor Presents, the one and only hardwood spotlight series of its kind. Last time we shone our spotlight on the rustic reclaimed Heart Pine. This week we're taking a look at the ever-popular Acacia. Enjoy!

Acacia is one of the most popular hardwood flooring varieties in the country and around the world, and for good reason. It's strong, sophisticated, and carries a reasonable price tag. The Acacia hardwood at Fantastic Floor is a tasteful flooring choice that features a beautifully blended assortment of dark browns, light yellows, and vibrant reddish oranges. Its deep, smooth grain pattern gives the wood an alluring appeal, sure to draw the attention of any houseguest. It's also quite versatile - the combination of tones, colors, and grain pattern makes it complementary to nearly any design scheme.

But let's stop gushing over how beautiful Acacia is for a moment and discuss how tough it is. Because it's tough - really, really tough. It has a hardness rating of 1,750 pounds, which is almost twice as hard as some domestic alternatives. It also has one of the best densities you can find in a hardwood, meaning it will stand up to every day wear and tear and last longer than other species.

Fantastic Floor offers many different types of Acacia hardwood flooring, including distressed, handscraped, prefinished, and engineered. View more pictures of our beautiful products on our Acacia Hardwood Flooring Pinterest page, or read more about the species at www.fantastic-floor.com/acacia-hardwood-flooring.

How to Prepare Your Wood Floors for Winter

By this time of the year you've probably prepared your yard, deck, and car for the nasty winter weather that is just around the corner, but what about your hardwood flooring? Yes, even something as durable and long-lasting as wood floors can take a real beating during the winter months. From rain, snow, and dirt to dramatic changes in temperature and humidity, hardwood floors are up against a lot this time of year. Luckily, there are a number of simple steps you can take to prepare your floors for the winter. The following are 5 of our favorite ways to make sure your hardwood looks as good next spring as it does right now. Enjoy!

1. Keep the climate consistent.
Dramatic changes in temperature and humidity can cause your floor boards to shrink and swell, causing buckling, warping, and gaping. Keeping the inside of your home warm and dry during the winter months can cut back on a lot of climate-related problems facing your hardwood floors.

2. Keep it clean.
Next to temperature and humidity fluctuations, dirt and debris are the next biggest threat against your hardwood floors. Mud, dirt, dust, leaves, and other seasonal debris can build up on your floors and cause scrapes, scratches, and even wood rot. Keep your floors clean by sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping when necessary.

3. Know your floors.
Another great way to prevent winter-related problems is to know the specifics of your hardwood floors. How long ago were they installed? Do they have a warranty? What species of wood are they? Are they prefinished or engineered? What have they been treated with? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you make decisions about how much time and money you want to invest in protecting your floors during the winter.

4. Use floor mats.
They're not just to welcome guests anymore! Floor mats help trap all the nasty dirt and debris that you and your family will inevitably track in during the cold winter months. Use them at every entrance.

5. Train your pets.
Dogs don't often know to wipe their paws on floor mats when they enter your house. Use treats and plenty of loving attention to train your four-legged friends to stay at the door until you get a chance to wipe their paws clean.

How are you planning on preparing your hardwood flooring for the winter months? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Questions? Contact Fantastic Floor today to talk to one of our knowledgeable representatives. We look forward to hearing from you soon!