Custom Hardwood Floors - Types. Who To Call

Custom hardwood floors are typically floors that are installed, sanded and finished on the jobsite. Looking for a stain color to match against your new cabinets you cannot find in any retail showroom? Chances are good any local retail flooring store will look at you with a blank face when asked Custom hardwood floor with Heart Pine about custom coloring. The preferred direction you want to take are guys that handle hardwood flooring only.

Experienced Knowledge

Custom guys have years of experience under their belts. In effect they know which color can be used effectively with each hardwood specie. Some hardwoods require more knowledge when creating custom stains because of their inherent makeup. Some may be oily, while others may have distinct properties that take stains and finishes entirely different.

Custom hardwood floor ideas can expand exponentially. There are a multitude of possibilities including custom hand scraped/distressed floors. They can be distressed in a special way to mimic what you may have seen in a European chalet or castle for example; creating a true custom floor.

More Selections And Ideas With The Right People

In addition, specialty hardwood dealers will have more hardwood selections. Something the other flooring store probably never heard or knew existed. Other custom floor applications can include hardwood borders, medallions, and even copper, brass, and aluminum feature accents that are inlaid into the floors. They may also show you custom designs with tile or stone. Stenciled and painted designs Custom end block floor are also an option.

You may find more than a few stores listed in the Yellow Pages that use the word custom or finely crafted wood floors, but I’ve found many use the terminology only to attract potential customers. They may steer you into their prefinished “custom” lines, but is that really custom? What’s so custom about a mass produced floor that other stores sell?

In some cases these same stores may only have entry level knowledge in how to sell a custom floor. Often they simply call the real custom floor guy down the street to do the work after you’ve signed on the dotted line. You’re basically paying more money to have the job done because the first store will mark up the costs substantially.

Where To Find These Custom Guys?

A simple way is to use good ole Google and search for "NWFA Floor Of The Year." Every year the National Wood Flooring Association gives members an opportunity to show the work they've completed over the past year. Warning: Many of these custom designs may make you drool. Categories include restoration, factory prefinished, unfinished flooring in both residential and commercial locations. Brief descriptions of the work performed, products used, along with company name and locations that performed the work can be seen.

Related Pages:

• Hardwood Flooring Designs & Ideas - Other goodies
• Custom Hand Scraped Floors
• Hardwood Floor Parquet

From Our Readers:

Brass Inserts

Question: Should I be looking for someone else for brass inserts in my new floor? The price I was quoted seemed very high.

Reply: Brass can be purchased from several sources. I've found metal fabricating shops work best for me. Convenient and reasonably priced.

Photos courtesy Goodwin Heart Pine. Micanopy, Florida