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Fabulous Flooring

Photography by Stacey Brandford

Posted on Dec 14, 2012

finished living room and dining room
Finished Living Room and Dining Room
Fabulous Flooring - ktichen after
Fabulous Flooring - ktichen before
Fabulous Flooring - bedroom after
Fabulous Flooring - bedroom before
Fabulous Flooring - master bedroom after
Fabulous Flooring - master bedroom before
Finished Downstairs living room
Fabulous Flooring - bedroom before photo

Episode 9

You don't have to settle for cold concrete floors or basic broadloom when you've got a concrete sub floor. Thanks to the construction of pre-finished, engineered flooring, you can layer a beautiful wood floor to suit your style directly on top of your existing base floor, and make your lower level every bit as stylish and sophisticated as the main level of your home. With easy install options to nail down, glue down, or install as a "click" floating floor, you'll be able to enjoy your new floor quickly, with minimum mess and inconvenience.

Fabulous Flooring

Basement Boost

Thanks to the marvels of modern manufacturing, a concrete basement subfloor is no longer a barrier to great style. Today's engineered flooring solutions are designed and manufactured to provide a variety of installation solutions that make it easy to get the floor you want at the price you can afford. A "click" floor can be installed as a floating floor, nailed in place over a wood subfloor, or glued directly onto a concrete subfloor, so even your subterranean zones can look elegant and inviting.

TIP: Consider wide plank boards in a hand-scraped finish to add a rustic textured look to your rooms.

Fabulous Flooring

Exotic Floors

You might think buying an exotic wood floor is beyond your budget realm, but think again. Since engineered floors have a thinner piece of the chosen wood species adhered to a plywood "click" subfloor, you can get more for your money when compared to the price of a solid wood floor. Instead of having to switch to broadloom in the bedrooms, you might be able to stretch the budget and install hardwood throughout.

Fabulous Flooring

Consistency

For seamless surfaces throughout an open concept home, consider carrying the same floor finish throughout. In the case of an open living/dining/kitchen layout, uniting all the spaces into one big living area with engineered walnut flooring makes the area live larger, rather than feeling like it's separated into small zones.

TIP: Since the finish on engineered flooring is factory-applied, you'll get a durable family-friendly finish that will stand the test of time.

Fabulous Flooring

Timeless Choices

You'll be able to find wood floors in many different colours and tones to suit your style. But for a look that's sure to stay classic and timeless, why not opt for a mid-tone colour range that highlights the natural beauty of the wood without being stained a "colour"? If you choose a wood species such as walnut in a natural finish, the beauty of the floor will be highlighted by the pattern of the wood grain.

Fabulous Flooring - Bedroom desk - wicker chair and dark wood desk, white and light blue wall

Area Rugs

If you are trying to decide what size your area rugs should be, the general rule is to leave a band of wood about 14" wide showing around the perimeter of the room. You can adjust this measurement to suit your needs depending on the size of the room and how much floor your want to leave exposed.

Fabulous Flooring - hallway detail - ornate sidetable, painted blue green

Durability

For maximum durability in climates with variable weather, it makes sense to install a stone or tile pad at the entry to your home. Engineered hardwood flooring is durable and well-suited to the interior areas of your home, but tile or stone provides the most rugged surface for the flow of traffic at the front door.

Source Guide:

All materials available at Lowe's

Family Room

baseboard, 19/32" x 6-1/4" MDF Base, Evertrue, 165037 | casing, 1" x 3-1/4" MDF Case (PT3), Evertrue, 85847 | door stop, 3/8" x 1-3/16", Primed Evertrue, 268600 | chair rail, 1" x 2-7/8" MDF CHRL (L300), Evertrue, 85834 | rough sawn paneling, 3/4" Thick 4'x 8' Sheet Exterior Plywood Paneling with Groove, Georgia Pacific, 12957 | tongue & groove paneling, 48 Pine Wainscot Beaded 9.33 sf C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261975 | hardwood floor, 5 1/4" Natural Walnut Engineered Hardwood Mohawk, 325089 | fireplace stone, 12"x24" Applestone Limestone Tile Faber Stone & Tile, 155911

Landing and Hallway

baseboard, 19/32" x 6-1/4" MDF Base, Evertrue, 165037 | casing, 1" x 3-1/4" MDF Case (PT3), Evertrue, 85847 | door stop, 3/8" x 1-3/16" Primed, Evertrue, 268600 | chair rail, 1" x 2-7/8" MDF CHRL (L300), Evertrue, 85834 | door knobs, RP Hancock Passage Knob Weiser, 315564 | door handle, Black Monaco x Wickham Handset, Weiser, 45030 | doors, 6 Panel Pine Interior Door 30" x 80", ReliaBilt, 272747 | rough sawn paneling, 3/4" Thick 4'x 8' Sheet Exterior Plywood Paneling with Groove, Georgia Pacific, 12957 | beadboard paneling, 48 Pine Wainscot Beaded 9.33 sf, C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261975 | tongue & groove paneling, 4" x 8' Cottage V-Joint Pine Plank Paneling, C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261978 | hardwood floor, 5 1/4" Natural Walnut Engineered Hardwood Mohawk, 325089 | pendant light, 12" Bronze Pendant Light with Clear Shade, Allen + Roth, 198671

Kitchen

kitchen supplier, Schuler | kitchen doors, Boardwalk Maple Door in Harbour Mist, Schuler | kitchen doors, Key Largo Maple Door in Divinity, Schuler | perimeter counters, Viatera Quartz - Denali, LG | island counter, Viatera Quartz - Natural Limestone, LG, | blender, Deluxe Die Cast Blender, Cuisinart, 362310 | sink faucet, Bellera Pulldown Stainless Steel, Kohler, 311458 | bar faucet, Annabelle 1H Bar w/Soap Dish SEN, Moen 356586 | bar sink, 18 Gauge 18-10 Stainless Steel Undermount, Kindred, KSR1UA/9 | fridge, LG Counter Depth Fridge LG, 406113 | range, LG 5.4CF Range, LG, 255497 | dishwasher, LG Stainless Steel Dishwasher LG, 316253 | sink, Stainless Steel Double Bowl Kitchen Sink 19x30, Kindred, 266797 | handle, Bamboo Drawer Pulls, Hickory, 384925 | knobs, 30mm Victorian Glass Knobs, Hickory, 253493 | backsplash, Silver Lining, 2"x4" Tile Backsplash, Terra Verre, 303254 | lighting, Pendant Lights, Portfolio, 269833 | toaster, Four Slice Stainless Steel Toaster, Cuisinart, 270847 | microwave, Genius Inverter 20" 698S, Panasonic, 342340 | baseboard, 19/32" x 6-1/4" MDF Base, Evertrue, 165037 | casing, 1" x 3-1/4" MDF Case (PT3), Evertrue, 85847 | door stop, 3/8" x 1-3/16" Primed, Evertrue, 268600 | chair rail, 1" x 2-7/8" MDF CHRL (L300), Evertrue, 85834 | tongue & groove paneling, 4" x 8' Cottage V-Joint Pine Plank Paneling, C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261978 | door knobs, RP Hancock Privacy Knob, Weiser, 315565 | hardwood floor, 5 1/4" Natural Walnut Engineered Hardwood, Mohawk, 325089 | pot lights, 6 Pack 3 in. GU10 White Gimbal Kit, Utilitech, 271157

Guest Bedroom

baseboard, 19/32" x 6-1/4" MDF Base, Evertrue, 165037 | casing, 1" x 3-1/4" MDF Case (PT3) - 8'-0" lengths, Evertrue, 85847 | door stop, 3/8" x 1-3/16" Primed, Evertrue, 268600 | chair rail, 1" x 2-7/8" MDF CHRL (L300), Evertrue, 85834 | door knobs, RP Hancock Passage Knob, Weiser, 315564 | closet doors, 6 Panel Pine Interior Door 30" x 80", ReliaBilt, 272747 | tongue & groove paneling, 4" x 8' Cottage V-Joint Pine Plank Paneling, C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261978 | hardwood floor, 5 1/4" Natural Walnut Engineered Hardwood, Mohawk, 325089

Master Bedroom

door stop, 3/8" x 1-3/16" Primed, Evertrue, 268600 | chair rail, 1" x 2-7/8" MDF CHRL (L300), Evertrue, 85834 | door knobs, RP Hancock Passage Knob, Weiser, 315564 | doors, 6 Panel Pine Interior Doors 24" x 80", ReliaBilt, 10498 | rough sawn paneling, 3/4" Thick 4'x 8' Sheet Exterior Plywood Paneling with Groove, Georgia Pacific, 12957 | tongue & groove paneling, 4" x 8' Cottage V-Joint Pine Plank Paneling, C&C Wood Products Ltd., 261978 | hardwood floor, 5 1/4" Natural Walnut Engineered Hardwood, Mohawk, 325089 | closet doors, 6 Panel Pine Interior Doors 24" x 80", Jeld-Wen, 10498