Hardwood Floors
A Shopper's Guide to Lowe's Hardwood Flooring
A neutral shopper's guide to Lowe's hardwood flooring, covering solid and engineered options, species, finishes, warranties and how Lowe's installation works.
Guides and Advice
Flooring Blog
Plain answers to common questions about hardwood, vinyl plank and laminate floors.
These guides answer the questions people ask before a new floor goes in, from choosing between hardwood, vinyl plank and laminate to keeping a floor looking good for years. If you don't see your question here, send it through our contact page and we'll answer it.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood Floors
DIY Tips for Restoring and Refinishing Hardwood Floors
DIY tips for restoring hardwood floors, how to tell a screen and recoat from a full sand, the mistakes DIYers make most and when to call a refinishing pro.
Hardwood Floors
Gray Wood Flooring and How to Get the Look in Real Hardwood
Gray hardwood comes from species, stain and texture. Learn which woods take gray best, how wire-brushed and fumed oak differ and how to keep gray from drifting.
Hardwood Floors
Hickory Flooring Hardness, Grades and Where It Works Best
Hickory is the hardest common domestic flooring wood and the most colorful. Learn its Janka rating, how its grades look and the rooms where it works best.
Hardwood Floors
How to Maintain Your Hardwood Floors Through Every Chicago-Area Season
A simple hardwood floor care routine, the cleaners and tools to avoid, and how to manage humidity through Chicago-area winters and summers to prevent gaps.
Hardwood Floors
How Tongue and Groove Flooring Works and How It Gets Installed
Tongue and groove boards lock edge to edge, but fastening depends on the floor and subfloor. Learn nail-down vs glue-down vs floating and what installers check.
Hardwood Floors
Is Hardwood Flooring Right for Me? An Honest Look
An honest look at hardwood flooring, what it does well, where it struggles, what it costs in 2026 and who should choose vinyl plank or laminate instead.
Hardwood Floors
Light Wood Flooring and How to Keep It Light
Light hardwood floors start with white oak, maple or ash, but the finish and sunlight decide whether they stay light. Here's how to choose and protect them.
Hardwood Floors
Pine Flooring Pros and Cons, From Soft White Pine to Heart Pine
Pine floors range from soft white pine that dents easily to dense heart pine close to oak. See how the types compare, how they age and the honest pros and cons.
Hardwood Floors
Red Oak Flooring and How It Stacks Up Against White Oak
Red oak is the classic American hardwood floor. See how it compares with white oak, how it takes stain and why its bold grain hides everyday wear so well.
Hardwood Floors
Walnut Flooring and How to Live With a Softer, Darker Wood
American walnut gives you a rich brown floor without stain, but it's softer than oak and lightens with age. Here's how hard it is and how to care for it.
Hardwood Floors
What to Know About Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Flooring
Brazilian cherry, or jatoba, is one of the hardest floors you can buy, and it darkens fast. See how hard it is, how the color shifts and what installs need.
Hardwood Floors
Wood Flooring Installation Patterns, From Straight Lay to Herringbone
From straight lay to herringbone, chevron, parquet and diagonal, each wood floor pattern changes the look, the labor and how much extra flooring you need.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Floors
Gray Vinyl Plank Flooring and How to Choose the Right Gray
How to pick gray vinyl plank flooring, from light gray to charcoal and warm to cool undertones, plus what it pairs with and the rooms where gray LVP works.
Vinyl Floors
Is Vinyl Flooring Right for Me? An Honest Look at the Pros and Cons
An honest guide to whether vinyl plank flooring fits your home, with pros and cons, the rooms it suits best and when hardwood or laminate is the better pick.
Vinyl Floors
LVP Flooring Installation Cost and What Drives It
Typical national costs to install LVP and what moves a quote up or down, from plank quality and tear-out to subfloor prep, layout, room count and transitions.
Vinyl Floors
NuCore Flooring Installation, From Prep to the Last Row
How NuCore rigid core vinyl plank goes in, based on the maker's published instructions, from acclimation and subfloor prep to vapor barriers, gaps and stagger.
Vinyl Floors
NuCore Waterproof Flooring, How to Choose It and Care for It
What NuCore waterproof vinyl plank is, how its lines and specs compare, what the warranty covers, and how to clean and protect it so it lasts. A neutral guide.
Vinyl Floors
Resilient Flooring Explained, From Vinyl and Linoleum to Rubber and Cork
What resilient flooring is and how vinyl, linoleum, rubber and cork differ in makeup, water resistance, comfort and care, plus the rooms each one suits best.
Vinyl Floors
The Best Flooring for a Laundry Room, and What to Skip
Compare laundry room floors, including vinyl plank, sheet vinyl, tile and sealed concrete, plus what to know about leaks, washer weight, vibration and drains.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Flooring for Bathrooms and the Details That Keep Water Out
Vinyl plank or sheet vinyl for a bathroom? How each handles water, and what should happen at the tub, toilet, vanity and doorway to keep moisture out.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Plank Flooring for Basements, From Slab Testing to Install Day
What it takes to put luxury vinyl plank in a basement, from moisture testing the slab and fixing flatness to vapor barriers, underlayment and install day.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Plank Flooring Installation Patterns and Stagger Rules
Compare vinyl plank layouts, from straight lay to herringbone, diagonal and tile offsets, plus the stagger rules and planning that make an LVP floor look right.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Plank Ideas and Questions for Glenview Homes
A Glenview homeowner's guide to vinyl plank in basements, kitchens and older homes, using local housing data and the questions to settle before you choose.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl Sheet Flooring Installation Cost and What Changes It
Typical national costs for sheet vinyl installation and what moves the price, from tear-out and subfloor prep to seams, room shape and the vinyl itself.
Vinyl Floors
Waterproof Basement Flooring Options, Compared Side by Side
A side by side comparison of waterproof basement flooring, from vinyl plank and sheet vinyl to porcelain tile, sealed concrete, rubber and epoxy coatings.
Vinyl Floors
Waterproof Flooring for Bathrooms, Compared Material by Material
Comparing waterproof bathroom flooring side by side, from porcelain tile and natural stone to vinyl plank, sheet vinyl and laminate, and how each handles water.
Vinyl Floors
Waterproof Vinyl Flooring and Why It Matters in the Right Rooms
What makes vinyl flooring waterproof, how SPC, WPC and flexible vinyl plank differ, what the waterproof label does not cover, and where it matters most.
Vinyl Floors
White Vinyl Flooring and What It Takes to Keep It White
An honest look at white and light vinyl plank flooring, from the shades that hold up to the mats, cleaners and sun that stain it, and where it fits best.
Laminate Floors
Laminate Floors
Costco Laminate Flooring and How to Judge a Listing
What Costco sells in laminate flooring, and how to judge a listing's AC rating, thickness, core and warranty terms before you order a single carton.
Laminate Floors
How to Hire a Laminate Flooring Installer Near You
Hiring a laminate flooring installer on the North Shore? Learn what a good estimate includes, which questions to ask, and the red flags that mean walk away.
Laminate Floors
How to Read Home Depot Laminate Flooring Specs
A line by line guide to the specs on Home Depot laminate flooring, from AC rating and thickness to water protection, underlayment and the warranty PDF.
Laminate Floors
Is Laminate Flooring Right for You? An Honest Decision Guide
An honest look at laminate flooring pros and cons, the homes and rooms it suits, and the situations where hardwood, vinyl plank or tile is the better call.
Laminate Floors
Laminate or Hardwood? A Fair Head-to-Head Comparison
Laminate vs hardwood flooring compared side by side on cost, durability, water, refinishing, resale, and how each one feels and sounds underfoot.
Laminate Floors
Lowe's Laminate Flooring Matched to Every Room
How to match Lowe's laminate flooring to each room in your home by foot traffic and moisture, and what the AC and water ratings mean for kitchens and baths.
Laminate Floors
Shaw Laminate Flooring, From Installation to Everyday Care
What Shaw's laminate lines offer, what its installation guides and warranties require, and how to clean and care for a Shaw laminate floor so it lasts.
Laminate Floors
Tile-Look Laminate Flooring and How It Compares With Tile and LVP
Where tile look laminate flooring works, where it doesn't, and how it compares with porcelain tile and luxury vinyl plank on water, comfort, cost and upkeep.
Laminate Floors
What It Costs to Install Laminate Flooring
Typical national costs to install laminate flooring, what raises or lowers a quote, and how to compare estimates line by line before you hire an installer.
Laminate Floors
White and Whitewashed Laminate Flooring, From Design to Daily Care
How to choose white or whitewashed laminate flooring, from undertones and finish to plank width, plus the cleaning habits that keep a light floor looking fresh.
Choosing Floors
Choosing Floors
Black Flooring, the Upkeep Realities and Where It Works
Black floors look sharp but show dust, pet hair and scratches. See how black hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate and tile compare, and where dark floors work best.
Choosing Floors
Choosing the Right Flooring for High-Traffic Areas
How to choose flooring for high-traffic areas like entryways, kitchens and hallways, plus homes with pets and kids, with a side-by-side comparison table.
Choosing Floors
Garage Flooring Options, From Epoxy Coatings to Tiles, Mats and Sealed Concrete
A plain guide to garage floor options, from epoxy and polyaspartic coatings to interlocking tiles, roll-out mats and sealed concrete, with prep and trade-offs.
Choosing Floors
Garage Gym Flooring, Comparing Rubber, Stall Mats, Tiles and Turf
Compare garage gym flooring, from horse stall mats and rubber rolls to interlocking tiles, foam and turf, with tips on thickness, odor, moisture and slab prep.
Choosing Floors
Grey Flooring, a Guide to Shades and Undertones
How to choose grey flooring by shade and undertone, with tips on lighting, walls and cabinets, and how grey looks in hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate and tile.
Choosing Floors
Home Depot Flooring Installation Cost and What It Includes
What Home Depot flooring installation includes, how it's priced, what the free measure covers and how it compares with hiring an independent local installer.
Choosing Floors
How Costco Flooring Installation Works
How Costco flooring installation works through its Shaw Floors program, from the free in-home consultation to the Shop Card, and what to check before you sign.
Choosing Floors
How Quality Installs Changed My Life
Bob Leibrandt on losing his bond trading job to electronic trading in 2004, deciding to risk it all with six kids to support and starting Quality Installs.
Choosing Floors
How to Choose a Flooring Contractor on the North Shore
How to choose a flooring contractor on the North Shore, what Illinois requires for contracts and insurance, what a good estimate includes and the red flags.
Choosing Floors
The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Flooring for Your Home
Compare hardwood, luxury vinyl plank and laminate room by room, with 2026 cost ranges, water and scratch notes, and five simple questions to help you decide.
Choosing Floors
White Flooring, an Overview of Every Option
An overview of white flooring, from whitewashed hardwood to white vinyl plank, laminate and tile, with honest notes on upkeep, yellowing and the best rooms.
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