Choose the right colour for your hardwood floor

Trying to choose a colour for your new hardwood flooring or locate the right company for floor tile installation services can lead you down a rabbit hole of stains, trends, and well-meaning advice that may leave you more confused than you were when you started. Everyone seems to have their own favourite colour — or favourite type — of flooring and strong opinions on what you should do with your own living space. To make the decision that’s right for you, consider first the elements of hardwood flooring and then consider the three things that will help you finalize your decision.

Elements of Hardwood Flooring

Unless you’re opting for vinyl wood-look flooring or engineered wood flooring, the two elements of solid, genuine hardwood are its grain and stain. If you are toying with the idea of using engineered wood for your flooring, you may need to use different methods to change the colour of your flooring. Learn more about these flooring services below.

Grain and Stain

The grain, or the specific pattern of swirls and grooves in your wood, is an unchangeable part of any solid hardwood as it comes from the species of wood you’re using for your floor. You may see references to straight, diagonal, spiral, interlocked, wavy, or irregular grain. Highly textured flooring contributes to the visual interest of the room, while a simpler grain can lead to a calmer aesthetic. When you’re staining a textured wood, you may need a filler to close gaps in the grain, and it may be more difficult overall — but the result can be beautiful and last for decades.

Solid Wood vs. Engineered Wood

Solid hardwood is exactly what it sounds like: Raw, solid wood all the way through. Engineered wood is composed of plywood — or thin layers of wood glued together — covered with a thin layer of hardwood. Engineered wood can be sanded and refinished with a different colour stain, but this may be more difficult than solid hardwood. You can refinish engineered wood once or maybe twice, but you can refinish solid wood more often due to its thickness and durability.

3 Points To Consider When Choosing Your Colour

If you’ve chosen solid hardwood and you’re sure you want a specific grain type, you’re well on your way to choosing the perfect colour to round out your room! Think about the three points below as you make your selection.

1. Consider Your Current Theme

Is your house decorated with a mid-century modern vibe? Or does it lean more toward modern farmhouse? Consider that each theme will look the best with a certain colour of wood. Modern farmhouses, for example, may look odd with sleek, brown-black flooring while mid-century designs may not lend themselves to a rustic hardwood choice.

2. Factor in Time Spent on Upkeep

You probably already know that dark floors can hide dust and dirt while light floors may show every stain and spill. Think about how often you expect to clean your floor as well as other factors, such as pets and children, that may contribute to the choice of colour when it comes to hiding messes.

3. Match Undertones to the Rest of Your House

Choosing a colour that makes you happy is the goal here, but you don’t want to get into a situation where you have to redecorate the rest of your home to match your new stain colour. Look at the colour of your walls and furniture to determine whether it is on the warmer or cooler side and match your floors accordingly.

Connect With Our Professional Flooring and Floor Tile Installation Services

At Handyman Connection, all of our hardwood flooring experts have worked in their fields for at least a decade. We specialize in building relationships with our customers and we love inquiries about new projects! For help choosing the right hardwood floor colour, get in touch with us today.