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!