Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Hardwood Flooring

When choosing hardwood flooring for your home improvement or construction project, take the time to do your research before making a decision. Hardwood flooring mistakes are not easy to fix, so you want to make sure the hardwood flooring you install is perfect for your home.

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Here are some mistakes to avoid when choosing hardwood flooring shared by experts so you can make an informed decision.

Choose the wrong type of wood

If you don't work with wood often, you may not realize that different species of wood have different characteristics. Some woods are considered hardwoods, while others are considered softwoods. Choosing the wrong type of wood for your floors can have big consequences.

Ron Shimek, president of Mr. Handyman, considers this one of the main mistakes people make when choosing hardwood floors. He recommends choosing a durable wood like oak, maple, or hickory for high-traffic areas, as softer woods like pine or cherry may not hold up as well and are more likely to scratch.

In addition to durability, even the color of the hardwood floor you choose can have a big impact on performance. Todd Weyhmiller, flooring expert and director of product management at Bona, recommends considering your lifestyle before choosing a type of wood, especially when it comes to the color of your hardwood floor.

' Lighter woods like maple tend to be more susceptible to stains, scratches, dents, and dings, which can make them unsuitable for busy homes with large families, pets, or frequent gatherings, ' says Weyhmiller. ' Medium to dark woods tend to attract more dust, but they hide damage and dirt better, which can keep floors looking cleaner for longer without showing too much wear .'

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Choose wood based on trend rather than durability

Hardwood flooring trends come and go. Chances are your trendy hardwood flooring will outlast the trend that made you choose it. So if you're more into fashion than durability, you'll pay a high price when the trend fades.

Choosing the wrong finish

Choosing the wrong finish can leave your hardwood susceptible to unsightly wear and tear soon after installation.

Just like when choosing a wood type, Shimek recommends considering the traffic and intended use of the room when choosing a finish, then choosing a durable finish like polyurethane for high-traffic areas.

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No direct purchase

Even though online shopping is the trend, some items are still better to choose in person. One of them is hardwood flooring. Instead of choosing hardwood flooring from a 2D or low-quality 3D image, go to a flooring showroom.

Buying hardwood flooring in person allows you to touch the product, see it in different types of lighting, and get a real feel for the product.

Not considering technical options

Many people assume that solid hardwood is of higher quality than engineered hardwood, but that is not always the case. Weyhmiller says engineered hardwood is sometimes preferred over solid hardwood because of its greater dimensional stability, which is especially valuable in changing climates.

'(Engineered hardwood) doesn't expand or contract based on changes in humidity or temperature like hardwood does ,' he says. ' If you live in an area that's very dry in the winter and very humid in the summer, engineered hardwood flooring might be a better choice .'

Kareem Winters

Update 26 May 2025

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