Hardwood Flooring

Begin by considering where the flooring will go and how much traffic, sunlight, and other wear and tear it will get. Vinyl proved tops in our moisture tests and most linoleum, laminates, and solid wood fared nearly as well. But many engineered woods, as well as some solid woods, and a linoleum product we tested flubbed that test--a serious drawback in a busy kitchen. And while the best vinyls and laminates fended off wear better than solid wood, they can't be refinished when worn.

How to shop

Before settling on a product, spend a few dollars on two or three samples. That can be a lot less expensive than winding up with flooring that looks great in a catalog or on a website and then awful in your home. Manufacturers generally match most wood or engineered-wood flooring for color and grain. But variations can occur from one batch to the next, so buy the flooring you'll need all at once. All the laminate floorboards in a package often have a similar pattern, so you may want to pull from multiple packages to avoid repetition.

To determine how much flooring you'll need, measure the room's square footage by multiplying its length times its width. (Divide an irregularly shaped room into smaller rectangles, calculate the square footage of each rectangle, and then add them together.) Then buy 7 to 10 percent extra to allow for mistakes, bad samples, and waste. You might also want to invest in an extra box of flooring for future repairs or additions.

SHOP HARDWOOD FLOORING AT THE HOME DEPOT

Hardwood flooring is an environmentally-friendly flooring option for your home. Whether you prefer easy-to-install, engineered hardwood flooring or the beauty of cherry or oak wood floors, you'll find a wide assortment of options at The Home Depot. Choose from a variety of hardwood flooring including bamboo flooring, oak flooring, walnut flooring, maple flooring, white oak flooring, cork floors, Brazilian cherry flooring and hickory flooring.

Trying to decide if hardwood floors are right for your home? Read our flooring buying guides andproject guides. They will help you buy your flooring, install your wood floors correctly and keep your project within budget.

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