Howdyshell Flooring Inc.
Choosing your wood flooring product:
Floor type: (a) solid (b) engineered (c) laminate:
This choice has to do with where your new wood floor will be installed, what type of subfloor is present, what type of existing floor is present as well as some other factors. Each choice has advantages and limitations as well as a variety of price points.
Species of wood:
This choice is mainly determined by what look you want, but can also be influenced by the use / wear that is expected from the floor. You can choose from the widely available domestic oak floors, reclaimed antique flooring, exotic wood species, or even cork.
Grade of wood: (a) clear (b) select (c) #1 common (d) # 2 common
This choice is also determined by what look you want. Each choice generally has a different price point as well.
Milling of wood: (a) plain sawn (b) rift / quartered
Again, this choice is mainly determined by what look you want. Each choice generally has a different price point as well.
 Floor Type |
 Species |
 Wood Grade  |
 Milling Type |
Upgrades & Enhancements: Borders - Vents - Directional changes
Borders: You can chose from intricate, factory made borders or a custom one designed by you. Borders can be used to enhance a room, highlight furniture such as an island or table, or to divide rooms.
Vents: As an alternative to the standard metal vent, you can upgrade to wood vents. These beautiful vents can be ordered to match your floor species and can either be "drop-in" style or for a more custom look go with the "flush-mount".
Directional Changes: Depending on the type of sub floor you have, we may be able to install your wood flooring on a diagonal, perpendicular to existing wood floors, or possibly even in a herringbone pattern. This is a great choice for drawing attention to a special room or space in your home.
 Room Border |
 Wood Vents |
 Herringbone Pattern |
 Diagonal Pattern |
Prefinished versus Site finished (sand-in-place):
Although prefinished floors are convenient in that they install without sanding and finishing, most have a beveled edge on the wood strips which some people find unsightly. A site finished, custom sanded hardwood floor has a smooth appearance and is perfectly flat looking. The beveled edges of prefinished floors can sometimes be dirt traps and hard to clean between the cracks. Also pre-finished floors can maintain height irregularities of the subflooring. In short, a hump in the existing sub floor means a possible hump in the pre-finished floor unless the sub floor is fixed first. Site finished flooring is sanded flat, so it is more forgiving of slight irregularities or slight height variations.
Over time, and possibly over home-owner changes, many people don't know or forget the actual manufacturer of their prefinished flooring product, which makes it much more difficult to get an exact match if board replacements are necessary at some point - or if they want to add additional flooring to other rooms of the home, and they want an exact match. Additionally some of the flooring may be discontinued in time, eliminating the availability of ordering in more if it becomes necessary to match. If your prefinished floor gets damaged, it means cutting out a board or a whole section of flooring and completely replacing it to correct the problem, whereas site finished hardwood flooring can, in most cases, be easily fixed with a quick sanding and finish.
Color: Natural - Standard Stain - Custom Stain
With site finished floors you have an unlimited choice in color for your floors; from natural (no stain) to the darkest brown or even ebony. If your project includes prefinished floors the color choice may still be substantial however it will be limited by the manufacturers offerings.
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Finish:
Sheen choice: Satin / Matte, Semi-Gloss, High Gloss
Prefinished floors generally come without a choice here, however with site finished floors you can pick a sheen to match your needs. A satin finish shows fewer scratches but provides a "duller" appearance. On the other hand a high gloss sheen provides your floor a showroom shine but will likely show off more scratches. A choice of semi-gloss (the most popular) is a good compromise for most families.
Product choice: Oil-based versus Water-based
Oil-based polyurethane has been the finish of choice for decades. It is durable, easy to work with, is easy to repair / touch-up, and provides the warm rich color most people have come to expect. The newer water-based finishes provide a very duarable finish that dries in hours, is more enviromentally friendly, and gives off less of the odor normally associated with floor finishing. Since cost can very between the two choices, please consult your sales associate.
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