Hardwood Flooring.

Construction

Solid vs. engineered.

Nothing else looks or ages like real hardwood. The only real decision is construction — and it comes down to your subfloor, grade level, and climate.

Across most LA-area homes, engineered is the more versatile choice; for a forever floor you can refinish many times, solid wins. Compare the dedicated engineered and solid collections, or tell us your subfloor and we’ll point you to the right one.

Choosing

How to choose your hardwood.

Beyond species and color, four specs decide how a wood floor looks on day one and how it ages. Knowing them makes a showroom visit far less overwhelming.

Hardness (the Janka scale)

The Janka rating measures how well a wood resists denting: the higher the number, the harder the wood. Hickory is among the hardest domestic species, white oak and maple sit in the strong middle, and walnut is softer but still a beautiful, livable floor. For busy households and big dogs, a harder species or a textured surface hides daily life best.

Grade (how much character shows)

Grade describes how uniform the boards are, not how good they are. Clear and select grades are clean and consistent, with little color variation or knots, for a calm, formal look. Character and rustic grades show more knots, mineral streaks, and color swing, for a warmer, lived-in floor. It comes down purely to the look you want.

Prefinished vs. site-finished

Prefinished boards arrive sanded and sealed from the factory with a tough, consistent finish and install with no dust or fumes, so you can walk on them right away. Site-finished floors are sanded and coated in your home, which allows a perfectly smooth, seamless surface and any custom stain, but takes longer and adds dust and dry time.

Plank width

Narrow strips read traditional and are very stable; wide planks feel modern and show off the grain with fewer seams, though wider boards move a little more with the seasons. Engineered construction is the more stable choice for very wide planks, especially in coastal and slab homes.

Before You Install

What to know before your installation.

A hardwood floor lasts decades — getting the prep right is what keeps it flat, quiet, and gap-free. Here’s what a proper job involves, and what we handle for you.

• Acclimation Boards rest in your home first so they match your indoor humidity before they’re fastened down.
• Subfloor & moisture We inspect and moisture-test plywood or slab — non-negotiable on concrete.
• Layout & direction We plan plank direction, starting line, and sightlines before the first board.
• Door casing & transitions Casings are undercut and transitions planned so the floor runs clean room to room.
• Expansion gaps A perimeter gap lets the floor move with the seasons without cupping or buckling.
• Method: nail, glue, or float Matched to your subfloor — nail-down on plywood, glue-down or floating on slab.
• Cleanup & haul-away We remove the old floor, debris, and dust, and leave the space ready to live in.

Care

Hardwood floor maintenance & care.

Real wood is easy to live with when you treat it right. A little routine care keeps the finish intact and pushes a refinish years down the road.

• Day to day — dust-mop or vacuum with a soft/felt head to lift grit before it scratches.
• Spills — wipe promptly; never leave standing water, and keep mops barely damp.
• Cleaners — use a pH-neutral hardwood cleaner only. Skip steam mops, wax, and oil soaps, which dull or damage the finish.
• Protect — felt pads under furniture, rugs at entries, and indoor humidity around 35–55% to limit seasonal movement.
• Every few years — a professional deep clean and recoat refreshes the protective layer before the wood ever wears through.