Matching Hardwood Flooring – Some Helpful Tips
A big challenge for homeowners putting down new hardwood flooring is to match the wood to the rest of your home. This is particularly important if the room where you are installing the hardwood flooring flows into other hardwood areas of the residence. While realistically an exact match may not be possible, with a little attention to detail you can ensure that the flooring is as close to the existing hardwood as possible for a cohesive look in your home.
If the homeowner happens to know the manufacturer of the existing hardwood floor, and it is still available, this can make the job of finding a match an easy one. However, these cases are few and far between.
One of the most critical factors in matching your home’s hardwood flooring is finding hardwood planks that have the same thickness as the existing floor. You will also want to match the type of wood. If adjacent rooms have red oak or Douglas fir, you will most likely want to stick with the same species for this new flooring.
Color is a huge factor in matching new hardwood flooring to existing and can present the biggest hurdle. Even when the wood is identical, in many cases the hardwood flooring will darken as it ages and as a result of exposure to sunlight. An option that will allow for the best color match is to strip the existing flooring and finish both areas, new and old, at the same time. Alternatively, you can stain the new floor to match the existing wood, but over time this stained floor may age and color differently.
Remember, a professional flooring company skilled in installing hardwood flooring can be your biggest help in matching new with existing hardwood.