Over the last few years wood floors have made a huge comeback. Wood is classic and stylistically will withstand time much longer than any tile. Here in Orange County the push came when the Tuscany style came popping up all over.

I’ve always loved wood over any other surface because of it’s ability to warm up a room. I want to eventually replace the travertine in our desert home throughout with a rich dark wood. I loved the tile at first, but it’s very hard on the feet, and I walk around with no shoes a lot. My poor arches can’t take much more abuse. Wood has more give. We installed wood in our Mission Viejo home and I definitely feel the difference.

So what makes a great wood floor? Solid wood is the best in my opinion, but there are many grades of wood including laminates that do the job just fine. Some of the wood types too check out:

• White Oak
• Hickory
• Red Oak
• Douglas Fir
• Walnut
• Cherry
• Ash
• Alder
• Eastern White Pine
• Reclaimed Southern Yellow Pine, Antique Heart Pine and Red/White Oak

The higher amount of actual wood in the board (most laminates are mixed with fillers like plastics or compounds) suggests a higher grade of flooring. The percentage of mixed mediums of wood, synthetics and glues would also suggest a certain value in choosing a wood. I happen to have a real wood laminate (not a pergo) in my home and it has a lovely look. I would have loved to put in a more distressed wood but it was a bit pricey for our budget. But, it looks very nice and most people comment of how pretty the floors are. Like this particular flooring from Richard Marshall. It is truly a work of art.

It is best to gain knowledge through an expert in your area. I highly suggest a mom and pop store where that is all they deal with rather than a huge chain. They will have more time to show you the products and how to take care of them as well.

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