Hardwood Flooring

When is it time to replace hardwood floors? Hardwood floors increase the value of your home by providing beauty, durability, easy maintenance, and livability. These floors hold up very well to high traffic. But eventually, as for all things, your wood floors will see their end. When they do, it is time to look for a replacement.

How do you know when to refinish and when it is time to replace hardwood floors? Below, Tri Point Flooring of Cary, North Carolina provides some tips for knowing when you need to replace hardwood floors in your home.

When you decide to replace your floors, popular options include:

• Solid hardwood floors
• Engineered hardwood floors
• Prefinished hardwood floors
• Luxury vinyl plank floors
• Lifecore Flooring
• Mullican Flooring
• Triangulo Flooring
• Bruce Harwood Flooring

Your Floors Squeak and Creak

When you have hardwood floors, you can refinish them by buffing out scratches, nicks and dents. But you cannot make your hardwood floors quiet again through sanding and resealing after they develop squeaks and creaks. These noises are typically indicative of warped or contracted planks that rub against each other. The nails play a role in the noisemaking, too.

You will need to replace hardwood floors in your home if they are irritatingly noisy. That is, if you want to silence them. At the same time, you will probably need to replace the subfloor too. Subflooring can contribute to the orchestration in your boards.

You Have Refinished Your Floors in the Past

You can only refinish solid or engineered hardwood floors so many times before you need to replace them. If you have had your floors sanded and resealed once or more in the past, you may not have enough wood to do this again. In these circumstances, you should replace hardwood floors in your home unless your local expert tells you they can endure another refinishing.

The Floors Play Host to Tiny Creatures

You should replace hardwood floors if they host an infestation of bugs, particularly termites. Otherwise, you risk dangerous problems because of how these creatures compromise wood’s integrity. Keeping your infested hardwoods can also cause the termites to move to walls, ceilings and even your wood furnishings. Ants can also indicate you need to replace hardwood floors.

Your Floors Are Not Sound

Obviously, if your floors are not sound for holding weight, they have to go. You cannot risk anyone falling through your floors. This is a sure way to break bones and experience other injuries.

If you feel your floor planks individually moving beneath your feet, call your local hardwood flooring expert for help. They will assess the issue and determine whether your floor is still sound. If not, you probably need the subflooring replaced, too.

You must replace hardwood floors like this as moving boards prohibit sanding and refinishing. Without replacement, you will be on edge in walking across this area of your flooring. Also, where some boards and the subfloor is compromised, the rest of the floor is likely damaged, too.

How to Replace Hardwood Floors

Your floors are the largest surface in your home. You need these surfaces to be stable, sound and safe, as much as they are beautiful. Really, if your floors have the above types of damage, it is only a matter of time until you will need to replace them.

Learning whether you need to replace hardwood floors in your Wake County or Chatham County home is simple. Just call Tri Point Flooring for an in-home review and estimate. In some cases, hardwoods do well with refinishing. If that is what your floors need, Tri Point Flooring can provide beautiful results. If it is time to replace your hardwoods, we offer a broad range of solid hardwoods, engineered hardwoods, luxury vinyl plank flooring, and prefinished hardwoods to suit your décor and budget. Call us today at (919)771-7542.

Even where your home experiences the most traffic, hardwood floors keep looking great for years. Hardwoods hide scrapes and dents very well. They are also resistant to spills and stains. When bigger dings occur, you only have to call your prefinished hardwood flooring experts for help. More often than not, restoration is possible for most prefinished solid and prefinished engineered hardwood.

As you can see, these are some great benefits of prefinished hardwood floors, particularly when compared to carpeting. This is also why so many homebuyers seek hardwood floors as a top consideration in where they live. Homeowners love prefinished hardwoods as they make adding value to their home and creating a healthier and more attractive living space easier. Below, we look more deeply at some major benefits of prefinished hardwood floors.

Prefinished Hardwood Floors Quick Installation

These floors are made outside of the home by a manufacturer. Which means that as soon as they are cut to proper length and put into place, the wood floor is finished. This is very much like how homeowners purchase their tile, precut, and finished for installation.

Through this pre-finishing and quick installation, you avoid higher costs associated with the installation of new unfinished solid hardwoods. You also enjoy having your flooring quickly installed and your wooden flooring complete and ready to immediately use in a matter of just a couple days!

Higher Quality Finish

When compared to in-home finished hardwoods, your prefinished hardwood floors have a higher quality finish. This is true because the manufacturer precisely applies the finish in a controlled environment. The lasting finish is strong. It prevents the elements, spills, and stains from causing damage to your floors like traditional hardwoods.

Lasting Beauty

Prefinished hardwood floors are incredibly beautiful, besides being resilient. The factory-applied finish has a more consistent and balanced appearance than hardwoods stained in place. That said, the wood grade used for your prefinished hardwoods still determines the final appearance of grain patterns and color depth. Overall, in comparison to finishing hardwoods on-site, prefinished flooring provides greater aesthetic appeal.

Wait-Free Use of Your Flooring

After the installation of your prefinished hardwoods, you do not need to stay off of your floors. Because they are factory-finished, there is no sanding or finishing that takes place in your home. This means you can immediately enjoy the use of your floors and do not have to wait for the finish to dry. There is also no strong odor of stains or finishes to breathe for weeks!

Warranty-Backed Beauty

Your prefinished hardwoods are made to exacting standards. Because of this effort by the manufacturer to provide the best product, you can expect your floors to last decades. Even with heavy foot traffic in your home, you can enjoy your prefinished hardwood flooring for years. You only have to keep the floor clean and protected against spills and the elements. Leading manufacturers back their prefinished flooring with extended warranties, for these reasons.

Prefinished Hardwood Floors in Raleigh, NC

Tri Point Flooring is your top resource for prefinished hardwood flooring in the Raleigh area of North Carolina. For many years, we have installed prefinished hardwoods for customers through the Triangle Area, including Raleigh, Apex, and Cary. Our high attention to detail and customer satisfaction shows in our wonderful online reviews. Check these out and talk to us about options for your home’s most beautiful flooring. Call us today at (919) 771-7542 for a free in-home consultation and price quote.

If you recently refinished your hardwood floors using a dark color, you may feel unsure about how to decorate your house for the most beautiful effect. Dark wood floors are actually quite sophisticated, providing a rich appeal to any space. But if you use too many dark colors in your furnishings and other décor, you risk making your rooms appear heavy.

Below, we explore some tips for decorating your home or commercial space to suit your new dark wood floors.

What Décor Works Well with Dark Wood Floors?

Whether you chose natural hardwoods for your space or had luxury vinyl plank floors installed, you have many years ahead to enjoy their durability, beauty, and low maintenance appeal. But with dark wood floors, it is important to not darken your space too much with poorly chosen upholstery or wallcoverings. Instead, you should decorate to brighten the space and make the flooring a warm foundation.

Consider decorating by following these tips:

• White walls with light wood furnishings
• Furniture legs stained to match the flooring
• A mix of wood colors with white
• Rich wall colors with a patterned kilim rug
• Dark floor coverings with light walls
• White marble, white surfaces, bronze and wood
• Bright colors with white
• Urban layered textures and muddy hues

White Walls with Light Wood Furnishings

Select wood furnishings several shades lighter than your dark wood floors, but similar in warmth. Add sumptuous white rugs, such as a fluffy faux fur selection. Paint walls a sharp white to contrast against the hardwoods or luxury vinyl plank floors. The result is a chic look of harmony very in-step with the times.

Furniture Legs Stained to Match Flooring

For an elegant and well pulled-together look, ensure your sofa and chair legs match the color of your dark wood floors. This removes the distraction of oddly colored legs seeming to peer out from beneath upholstered furnishings. To suit this cohesive approach at the foundation of the room, use a significantly lighter color on your walls. This directs the “weight” of the room downward and creates a breezier feeling for the rest of the space.

A Mix of Wood Colors with White

Instead of matching your furnishings with your dark wood floors or luxury vinyl plank floors, consider creating a more curated look. This look can take on a similar feel as the tree variety you find in a forest. Thinking along this woodsy theme, consider how many different trees of multiple colors and tones exist alongside each other in their natural habitat. You can recreate this palette through your own wood furnishings using light wood seating, for example. Add white walls and lots of green foliage as part of your forested theme.

Rich Wall Colors with a Patterned Low-Pile Rug

If bright colors are your favorite style, go with a richly pigmented hue on your walls. Select a patterned flat-weave rug, such as a stylish kilim, to marry the dark wood floors to your brighter walls. Through this type of combination, you can create an upbeat yet relaxing space.

Dark Floor Coverings with Light Walls

Light walls, white ceiling and dark wood floors can form a foundation for more creative use of color in patterned rugs. If this is your style choice, consider narrowing your wall color choices from almost-white pastels to stark white.

White Marble, White Surfaces, Bronze and Wood

Many homeowners today are choosing dark wood floors or luxury vinyl plank floors for their kitchen. If you make this choice, consider infusing some light by painting walls white and installing white cabinets with white marble or stone counter surfaces. Integrate bronze drawer pulls and hardware. Throughout the space, add subtle wood accents only a couple of tones lighter than your flooring.

Bright Colors with White

If you want a fresh, crisp look, use a bright hue on your accent walls. A modern choice is celery green, but any color can work. To balance the strength of the floor and wall tones, refrain from using other colors in the space. Instead, break up the color with lots of white for rugs, furnishings, accent pieces and surfaces.

Urban Layered Textures and Muddy Hues

The urban look is very chic and modern, particularly for city dwellings. For your urban space, integrate multiple textures as layers. Good options include leather, velvet, metal and hide for pillows, accessories, throws and decorative accents. Work with a color palette of sage, taupe or gray for these pieces and your walls. Choose dark wood and steel furnishings to complete the city-chic theme.

Install or Refinish Your Own Dark Wood Floors

Are you ready for a change in your Raleigh, North Carolina area living space or commercial property? Perhaps installing hardwood flooring or luxury vinyl plank floors will add the modern sophistication you seek.

Tri Point Flooring has provided customers with hardwood flooring installation and refinishing services for years. We would love to add you to our customer family! Our service areas include Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cary and Apex. Call us today for a free in-home estimate at (919) 771-7542.

As energy prices keep rising throughout the Cary, NC area, we all need to find ways to improve our home’s energy efficiency. Having wood floors certainly helps your home stay clean and allergen-free. But did you know that you can also increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring?

Below are some ways to ensure you get the most out of your home’s energy use with hardwood floors. Minding these points, you can keep your bills low and your energy footprint as small as possible.

Draft-Proof Your Wood Floors to Increase Your Home’s Energy Efficiency

Through draft-proofing alone, you can save a bundle in energy costs. In and around your home, you need to draft proof your doors, windows and chimneys. But to increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring, also check your skirting boards.

Start in one room of your house and follow the skirting boards around the perimeter, before moving onto another room. In these boards, look for gaps and fill those. Replace old skirting with new where needed. By doing so, you reduce heat loss and keep your feet warmer during a damp North Carolina winter.

Replacing all of the skirting boards in one average-sized home can cost several hundred dollars. But this simple fix saves you up to $40 in annual energy costs.

Fill Gaps in Your Wood Floors

If you have original hardwood floors, as many Triangle Area homes do, you probably have some gaps in them, too. Good wood flooring starts at the subfloor, where you need adequate insulation. Then on top of that subfloor, you need solid hardwoods free of gaps between planks or other holes. But many homes of yesteryear have no subflooring. Even worse, their hardwoods feature many gaps and holes.

If you have old hardwoods, call in hardwood refinishing experts to inspect these surfaces and assess their quality. Your best bet for old floors is either refinishing or placement of new hardwood flooring using modern products and techniques. If your newer flooring expanded or contracted and formed gaps or buckles, have the installers return to fix these issues. One way or the other, this attention to filling gaps in your hardwoods certainly helps in home energy efficiency.

After fixing these gaps and holes, you can increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring by another $40 to $60 in savings per year. You also greatly reduce the drafts that send a chill that starts at your toes and runs up your spine.

Increase Your Home’s Energy Efficiency with Wood Flooring…….Insulate, Insulate, Insulate!

By insulating beneath these surfaces, you significantly increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring. For a suspended wooden floor, this means lifting the floor and placing netting between joists to hold mineral wool insulation. But when laying a new floor, you simply ensure the installer places a layer of insulation over the subfloor.

There is an exception to insulation, when wanting to increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring. That is, when installing flooring at a second level above a heated room. In multi-story dwellings, take advantage of rising heat and let that warm air penetrate through the wood. When flooring a level above unheated spaces like garages, you need insulation to keep the cold from penetrating your higher levels.

Insulating can increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring by between $40 and $105 per year.

An Under-Floor Heating System Keeps You Cozy

A great way to keep your home cozy in the coldest of North Carolina winters is through installation of an under-floor heating system. This system helps reduce your heating bills by stopping the chill that starts at your toes.

Under-floor heating requires installation of the right type of wood flooring above it. So, you should turn to the experts for this installation. Your best option is engineered wood flooring that can handle extreme moisture and temperature changes. Using natural hardwoods over this heat leads to buckling, warping and cupping.

You cannot place a dollar value on the comfort you gain with under-floor heating. But you can expect to save another $50 to $90 per year through lower heating bills.

Your Cary, NC Experts in Hardwood Flooring

When you want to increase your home’s energy efficiency with wood flooring, turn to the experts of the Triangle Area, at Tri Point Flooring in Cary, NC. We provide an onsite inspection of your existing floors and a consultation for the best means of increasing your home’s value while nudging your energy costs down.

Get your questions answered and obtain a free quote today by calling Tri Point Flooring at (919)771-7542

Have you ever looked at your floor and wondered if it is time to replace your hardwood? Sure, it has been a while, but what signs should you look for to give you clarity on whether or not you need a new hardwood floor?

Here the signs we recommend you keep an eye out for in your home:

Lots of scratches

If your floor is suffering from nicks and dings from years of wear, then it could be time to refinish or replace the floor. Hardwood tends to be easier to scratch, so a couple of small scratches are likely to happen, but anything more than that should be a major indicator that it is time to consider a new or refinished floor.

Some boards are turning grey

If any of your hardwood floor boards have started to turn grey, (unless the floor was originally grey!) you may want to consider replacing your existing wood floor with a new one. The boards turning grey or discoloring in that fashion means that they have been worn down enough to start to lose their color, and that hardwood is at the end of its lifespan.

Some boards have already turned black

Like the last item on this list, a board turning black means it is absolutely, 100 percent, without a doubt time to replace your hardwood floor. The board turning black is like a worse version of it turning grey, meaning it was time to replace the floor some time ago, but it was not done. Time to rectify that and replace the hardwood floor!

Water (or moisture) damage

If you have any kind of water damage to your hardwood floor, it may be time to refinish or outright place it. Water damage is horrible for the hardwood, causing it to peel and sometimes even crack, but it is much worse for the people in the house. Also, the water damage can allow mold to grow and release spores into the air, making anyone living in the house sick. If this is you, be sure to replace the boards right away!

If you do see any of these signs, or just decide you need a new, fresh look, call Tri Point Flooring today! We are the industry leader in low prices, and we offer a 1 year warranty and satisfaction guarantee on our work! Call us today for a free consultation.

Call Us Today at (919) 771-7542 to Schedule Your FREE In-Home Estimate.

Serving The Greater Areas of the triangle like Raleigh, Cary & Apex.

Congratulations! You’ve decided to install hardwood floors and learn about the types of wood flooring available for your home or office! This is a great decision that will benefit you for years to come! Hardwood floors are durable, easy to maintain, and add a sophistication and elegance to any room.

Now that you have decided to install hardwood in your home, which hardwood is best for you?

There are various types of wood that are used to make wooden flooring. Depending on the look you are going for will determine the wood you decide to use.

Red Oak

The most common wood used for hardwood floors is oak. Oak is extremely durable and comes in many hues and colors. Red oak is the most common. It usually has a slight pink or red hue to it and is warm and inviting. Red oak has strong grain lines and swirls that will add dimension to your floor. Red oak is strong and durable and will match most wooden accents in your home, such as railings, bannisters, and stair treads.

White Oak

White oak is another option of oak flooring. White oak is darker than red oak and contains more brown and green hues. It is a bit harder than red oak and is more resistant to dents. White oak provides a smooth, sleek elegance to any room and is good for high traffic areas.

Maple

Another popular wood used in hardwood floors is maple. Maple is another durable hardwood with a fine grain giving a floor a sleek look and can be sanded to a magnificent smoothness. Maple is a light wood with tan, cream and beige hues. Some maple contains a reddish tint. Maple flooring will fit any style of home, such as classic traditional to sleek modern.

Cherry

Although slightly softer than oak or maple, cherry wood is often used in flooring because of its richness and warmth. Cherry wood ranges in hues from deep red to a dark brown. And, this wood becomes darker with age, especially in direct sunlight. The beautiful grain pattern and warm hint of red make this type of wood floor a spectacular visual delight.

Brazilian Walnut

Brazilian Walnut is a great option for hardwood flooring. It is extremely durable, extremely dense and resistant to chipping and damage. It is also more water resistant than other woods and mopping this type of wood will not warp or damage it. Brazilian Walnut wood has unique and interesting grain patterns and makes for a visually appealing floor.

Hickory

Hickory is also an extremely durable flooring option and should be used in high traffic areas. Hickory wood tends to be lighter than other woods and reflects natural light making a room feel homey and warm. The shades and hues in hickory vary immensely and can differ from plank to plank. Hickory is a great wood for a rustic country feel.

At Tri Point Flooring, we are experts in all types of hardwood flooring and will help you select the wood floor that is right for you. Our qualified design team and knowledgeable installers will help you design the perfect floor for any room in your home. Let us help you make your flooring dreams come true.

Hardwood floors are a great choice for nearly any indoor space. No matter what conditions it may face, technology has enabled us to create wood flooring that can withstand nearly any condition. Possibly the classic unfinished solid hardwood suites your fancy? Or maybe a more versatile wood floor option such as engineered or LVP best accommodates your space. There is a type of hardwood flooring for every room inside a home or business.

When selecting the flooring for your indoor space, keep in mind this is a long term investment and will likely be used daily for many years to come. Therefore, be certain to consider all available options within your budget and pick something you love. As well as something that is easy to maintain and can withstand active daily life. Hardwood floors are the best option for flooring. It has been around for centuries and has stood the test of time.

Consider the Following 5 Advantages of Hardwood Floors:

1. The Look:

There is a reason luxury builders and elite hotels continue to use hardwood floors in their projects. This is because there is a classic elegance to hardwood floors. The beauty, sophistication, and richness of hardwood adds warmth and refinement to any room.

If you are going for a modern look, hardwood can work just as well, providing continuing sight lines and sleek, minimalistic design.

2. Ease of Maintenance:

Believe it or not, hardwood floors are exceptionally easy to maintain.

Cleaning them is a breeze; simply sweep, mop, or vacuum once a week. If something spills on the floor, just wipe it up. Unlike carpet, hardwood does not collect dust, dirt, and other particles. Also, hardwood is more stain resistant than carpet.

3. Durability:

One of the primary reasons to install hardwood in your home is that they will last a lifetime and beyond.

It is strong and can stand up to heavy foot traffic and active family life. It is very difficult to chip or crack hardwood. And, unlike tile, if there are scratches or nicks, you don’t have to replace sections of the floor because these scratches can be buffed or sanded out so your floor continues to look as good as new.

4. Healthier Choice:

Installing hardwood in your home is good for your health. They do not collect dust, dirt, debris, allergens, pet dander, or other harmful particles so the air quality in your home will improve. Also, unlike tile and laminate, hardwood floors do not have grout lines or embossing which can trap particles.

Allergy suffers should always consider hardwood for improved air quality.

5. Long Term Value:

Hardwood floors may initially be more expensive than other flooring options. However, hardwood floors are the best long-term investment. These floors require less maintenance than other floors and are resistant to dings, chips, and scratches. Also, the color of your hardwood floor will not fade, unlike other flooring options, so the floor will not need to be replaced.

Additionally, wood flooring increases the value of your home and therefore is an excellent selling point.

Whenever you are ready to upgrade to hardwood floors, Tri Point Flooring is here to help. Our expert team can assist you with design, materials, and installation. We can show you all your options and create the perfect wood floor for you!

Call Us Today at (919) 771-7542 to Schedule Your FREE In-Home Estimate.

Serving The Greater Triangle Area: Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Chapel Hill, Carrboro and beyond