What is Solid Hardwood Flooring?

The more prestigious of the two types of hardwood floors, solid hardwood flooring planks are crafted entirely from real wood. While engineered hardwood uses a composite core and laminate wood flooring is entirely synthetic, every piece of solid hardwood flooring is made from a single piece of unadulterated wood. This all-natural construction is what makes solid hardwood such a sought-after flooring product.

answering what is Solid Hardwood Flooring?
  • Classic, sophisticated look that has stood the test of time
  • Every plank is crafted from solid hardwood, lending a sturdy, substantial feel to a floor
  • Can be sanded and refinished multiple times

Why Should You Choose Solid Hardwood Flooring?

For most customers, the main driving factor in choosing solid hardwood flooring is a desire for the one-of-a-kind character that real wood imparts. The look of real wood flooring is one of sophistication and timelessness. But it’s not just about aesthetics. Solid wood floors also have a sturdiness and heft that you simply can’t achieve with a composite product—walking on a real wood floor just feels different.

Although it’s more expensive upfront than other flooring types, solid wood floors can actually be a wiser purchase than a cheaper material. If you’ve found your forever home and plan to stay in it for 20 or 30 years—perhaps even longer than that—odds are that you’ll end up wanting to change your floors at least once. Because solid wood floors can be refinished, you can completely revamp the look of your floors for a fraction of the cost of completely replacing them. And it’s a generally accepted idea that having solid hardwood floors installed can help increase the overall value of your home, making it a great investment even if you don’t plan to stay there forever.

Solid Hardwood Flooring features

Part home improvement material and part heirloom, solid hardwood floors are the ultimate upgrade to your home.

  • Solid construction from high-quality hardwoods, for a flooring that can last the long haul
  • Commonly considered to be a great way to add value to your home
  • Refinishing solid hardwood can make room redesigns easier and more affordable than full floor replacements
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How Empire Today® Makes It Easy

  • Schedule a Free Estimate

    Click here or call 888-717-1726 and pick a convenient time. Same-day appointments are available.

  • In-Home Consultation

    A flooring professional will bring samples to your home, help you pick the right floors, measure your rooms, and give you an all-inclusive price estimate.

  • Professional Installation

    Professional installers will move your furniture, remove and haul away your old floor, install your new flooring, and clean up when they’re finished.

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Solid Hardwood Flooring FAQs

While generally a durable floor, caring for solid hardwood does require a bit more attention than a synthetic material like laminate or vinyl. Though the solid hardwood floors from Empire feature protective top coats, they are still prone to scratching and/or denting. It’s important to be cautious when moving furniture or letting dogs run on hardwood floors. Solid wood flooring is also vulnerable to water damage, so care must be taken to not let significant moisture collect on its surface.

Real wood floors generally don’t require any specialized cleaning methods, though it’s important to avoid using too much water when doing so. Dirt and dry messes can be swept up with a broom or a microfiber sweeper, and more stubborn spots can be handled with a slightly damp mop.

As mentioned above, solid hardwood floors and moisture do not play well together. Because of this, solid wood is not recommended for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or anywhere else your floors will get wet often. If you need the look of wood in those rooms, Empire offers suitable options of engineered hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile that can all fill that role.

Yes! One of the major benefits of solid hardwood flooring is that it can be stripped and refinished multiple times over its useful life. That gives homeowners the ability to completely change the look of their floors at a cost that’s much less than fully replacing them.

Solid hardwood flooring is among the most difficult floor material to properly install. Precise measuring and specialized installation methods are required when installing hardwood floors to ensure that the planks look their best and that the floor won’t creak or buckle. It’s best to trust the professionals when it comes to installing wood floors.

Ready to Have New Hardwood Floors Installed in Your Home?

Its solid construction, natural charm, and long lifespan can elevate solid hardwood flooring from just another building material to something of an heirloom. It’s not uncommon for hardwood floors to last upwards of fifty years, weathering all of your family’s life events and developing a unique patina as time passes. So we know that having solid hardwood floors installed can be one of the biggest home improvement projects many homeowners will ever undertake. And that’s why we strive to make every step of the process as stress-free and straightforward as possible, from educating you on what wood floor is best for your home to cleaning up after ourselves after the installation is completed.

If you’re ready to take the first step on the path towards beautiful new wood floors, give us a call or click any of the “Schedule Now” banners on this page. From there, you can set up a free, no-obligation In-Home Estimate with a flooring professional who will learn more about your flooring needs and show you a wide range of flooring samples. You’ll be able to see what each solid hardwood floor product will look like in your home, under your lighting and complemented by your home décor. And once you’ve settled on a particular product, we can schedule a date to begin installing your new hardwood floors—often as soon as the Next Day. Because at Empire, we make getting beautiful new floors easy.

Wondering how new floors will look in your home? Try on floors in your exact room.

  • 1 Snap a Pic Upload a photo of your room, or find one of our pictures you like.
  • 2 Choose a Floor Browse and sort by color, type, and more to find a floor that fits your style.
  • 3 See it in Your Room See how the floor looks in your space. You can even save it or share it.
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