What are some things you can expect when getting custom wide plank floors installed in your home? There are a few things that might not be immediately obvious, so we’re here to tell you all you need to know about setting realistic expectations for yourself so you’re happy with the final results.
Communication is key
To set up your project for success, it’s important to ensure effective communication between all parties, including yourself, the contractor, the flooring manufacturer, and any designers who may be involved in your project.
Setting expectations is especially tricky when working with custom floors because so many factors can affect the final appearance. This means it is even more essential to make sure everyone is on board, including the manufacturer and the contractor who’s finishing and installing it, if the floors are going to be site-finished.
The homeowner, interior designer, contractor, and everyone else involved in the flooring selection process should be on the same page about the sought after appearance. If you’re installing custom wide plank, the manufacturer should also be on the same page in terms of what you are looking for from the very beginning of the process, which the distributor should be able to communicate to them.
The importance of samples
There are a few ways in which you can ensure that you’re getting exactly what you want. One great way to do this is to get samples of the flooring. This is pretty easy to handle if the floors are prefinished. However, if the floors are going to be site-finished, make sure that your contractor creates samples of the finished product on-site including the finish and stain. If they’re refinishing an existing floor in your home, they should apply the finish and any treatments to an inconspicuous area of the flooring to ensure that the selected products will achieve the result you’re looking for.
It’s also important to realize that there will likely be some color variation in the floor––the actual appearance of the floor will vary depending on the lighting in the room, color of the walls, and several other factors. When you’re looking at samples in a showroom, sometimes they will differ from how the floors will look once they’re installed in your home, which is why it’s important to have samples created in your home.
If you come to our showroom, we have various samples available. In addition to traditional sample racks, the floors installed in our offices are a variety of wide plank floors with different treatments! This way, you can actually walk on the floors and see how they look when they’re installed in a space.
When you come to visit our showroom, a wide plank specialist can help you out by showing you all of the samples we have available and parsing out what you’d like your floors to look like. You can also come with your contractor to make sure you’re on the same page as them!
Caring for your floors
The way in which you maintain your floors will also affect their appearance over time. Make sure to clean them regularly with the correct products in order to make sure they look their best. Click here to read our wide plank floor maintenance tips.
It’s a great idea to get on a consistent cleaning schedule and place welcome mats at any entryways. This is especially crucial if your floors have heavy foot traffic, in order to prevent scratches on the surface which will impact the look of your finish.
Be wary of the fact that putting a rug down can change the color of the wood over time, especially with a particularly photosensitive species like American cherry.
We make the process easier by allowing you to come to our showroom and being transparent about the process of manufacturing and creating your custom wide plank floors the whole way through. Book a visit! Call (484) 393-2424 to set up an appointment to come to our wide plank showroom located in King of Prussia, PA.