Hardwood flooring is one of the best choices for a home, being durable enough to cover every room, including kitchen and bathroom. Many people are excited about getting rid of stained or worn out carpet, particularly because it’s too hard to look after. But not only will hardwood flooring be easier to take care of, it also adds the finishing touch to the interior decorating of each room. Hardwood flooring is also designed to last for the lifetime of your home, so while it may be slightly pricier than carpet, over time there will be great savings.

Here are 5 steps to help you to choose hardwood flooring.

1. Choose your rooms

The living room, dining room, or any reception room are the most common choices to convert to hardwood flooring, but you may wish to do the bedrooms and basement too. It’ll be less expensive to remove all worn out flooring in your home and replace it with hardwood, rather than doing it to only one room at a time.

2. Type of flooring

The construction of the floor will determine what type of flooring is suitable. Ground floors may have concrete, while upper floors may have wood joists. There may also be a concern about sound barriers between floors, which is why hardwood is better than laminate, as it’s permanently installed, and does not “float” around.

3. Choose your hardwood

The colours of hardwood are usually based on the woods they are made from but colours choices can vary by finish. Some sample colours are: driftwood, maple, oak, pine, chestnut, and natural. If you’re keeping your furniture, you may wish to match it up with your flooring. Also consider how it contrasts with the wall colours.

4. Decide on brushed or distressed finishes

There are many choices when choosing the texture of your floor. Brushed or distressed are some of the more popular choices, as they bring out the natural texture of the wood.

5. Choose your floor finish

You have the choice of applying different types of finishes to protect your hardwood flooring. You can choose from oils or lacquers. An oiled finish provides the most natural look. The oil penetrates the surface of the wood so even if the top layer wears away, it’s still protected, and it lasts a long time. A lacquer finish is similar to varnish, and it sits on top of the surface. It will give some shine to your flooring. It’s meant with high-traffic regions of your home, but it will need to be redone at some point, as the finish wears off. Your main decision lies in whether you want a glossy or a matte finish to your flooring.

It’ll take time to decide on the perfect look for your home, but once your hardwood flooring has been installed it’ll be like you’ve moved into a brand new home. Many people decide to completely redecorate their rooms based on their new hardwood flooring, which creates excitement and anticipation about using their living space.