Hardwood Flooring in Allison Park, PA

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How to choose a wood type & hardwood finish for your floors

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WHY HARDWOOD HARDWOOD characteristics Hardwood styles

WHY HARDWOOD

Why Choose Hardwood

Hardwood flooring has been the flooring of choice in many homes for centuries, offering beautiful natural charm and a long lifespan.

Hardwood also offers tons of variation in style, each individual plank rich with natural wood grains and knot marks that make it a unique work of art. Hardwood floors change over time with the normal wear that comes with age, with opportunities for refinishing over many decades. With the proper care, your hardwood floors will remain beautiful for a lifetime!

Each species of wood used to manufacture hardwood floors offers its own unique characteristics and tones. Some commonly used wood species include:

Light Woods

Maple
Oak
Bamboo
Pine

Dark Woods

Cherry
Walnut
Mahogany
Hickory

Types of Hardwood Floors: Species

The species grown in the United States are called domestic hardwoods, while imported products are exotics. A&S Carpet Collection gives our customers the opportunity to support local and domestic businesses by buying hardwood floors made from high-quality materials right here in the USA. We offer domestic hardwood floors in maple, oak, American cherry (as opposed to Brazilian) American walnut (again, not to be confused with the Brazilian variety), pine and hickory.

Commonly available exotic species include mahogany, bamboo, Brazilian cherry and Brazilian walnut. Neither of these lists is fully comprehensive, either – you’ll find many more hardwood options at your disposal when you shop with A&S here in Allison Park and the greater Northern Pittsburgh metro area!

HARDWOOD characteristics

Types of Hardwood Floors: Hardwood vs. Softwood

The measure of a hardwood species’ natural hardness is called its grade. Woods of different grades have some broad common features that we’ve grouped into two categories: hardwoods and softwoods. We’ve listed some of the key features of each grade below:

Hardwoods

Better able to withstand heavy foot traffic
Longer overall lifespan
Typically come as prefinished hardwood flooring with darker natural tones
Average cost is higher
Examples: oak, maple, walnut

Softwoods

Softer and more flexible
More likely to get dinged and scratched over time
Typically come in lighter natural tones
Average cost is lower
Examples: spruce, pine

You’ll also see hardwood visuals in other flooring categories such as vinyl hardwood flooring, laminate hardwood flooring, hardwood floor tile, and waterproof hardwood flooring like Floorte. When you hear these terms, know that you’re not getting real hardwood floors – however, these categories offer their own advantages. Ask an A&S Carpet Collection representative for more info about these as well as our hardwood flooring prices and our hardwood floor installation cost.

Types of Hardwood Floors: Solid Hardwood Flooring vs. Engineered Hardwood Flooring

While shopping for hardwood, you’ll likely come across two other categories – solid and engineered wood. If you want to know the best hardwood floors for your space, it truly comes down to the details of your project.

The main difference between the two types of hardwood is in their construction. Solid hardwood planks are each made using one single, solid piece of wood, while engineered planks are constructed from layers of high-quality wood materials. The latter is less durable, but more versatile – you can install engineered planks on any grade of your home, including in the basement.

An advantage of solid hardwood is in the average thickness of each plank. Standard hardwood planks come in ¾-inch size, which is far more durable than the ½-inch or 3/8-inch sizes that are common for engineered planks. You can also refinish solid hardwood many more times than engineered, which can only be sanded down once or twice during the lifetime of the floor. You’ll still find both types of hardwood in both narrow and wide plank hardwood flooring formats.

Hardwood styles

Distressed Style Hardwood Floor Finishes

An especially unique look for your hardwood floors is a distressed style, the result of putting planks through certain manufacturing processes that give them the look of antique or reclaimed wood. This much sought-after style is always easy to obtain naturally, so out-of-box distressed wood makes the look more accessible and affordable.

Some examples include hand-scraped and wire-brushed looks, both of which are right at home in rustic, country-inspired room designs. Talk to one of our experts here at A&S Carpet Collection to learn more about your style options for hardwood floors.

Do You Need Underlayment for Hardwood Floors?

When it comes to how to install hardwood floors, underlayment is a critical step that contributes to maintaining their health and performance. At A&S Carpet Collection, we highly recommend a hardwood underlayment to do the following:

Even out any imperfections in the subfloor before installation
Add cushion and reduce noise when walking on the floors
Keep hardwood floors insulated from external temperatures
Add resistance to moisture by sealing the planks from below

Taking steps such as laying underlayment will reduce your need for hardwood floor repair or hardwood floor restoration in the future. If you still have any questions about hardwood flooring after reading our guide, please feel free to reach out to us online or in-store! We’re proud to be your leading flooring experts in Allison Park, PA and the surrounding Northern Pittsburgh metro area.

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Best Hardwood Styles for Allison Park Homes

Choosing the right hardwood for your Allison Park home is about selecting a floor that can withstand Western Pennsylvania’s distinct seasonal shifts. From humid, breezy summers to the dry heat of our winter indoor heating, our local climate requires hardwood flooring that prioritizes stability without sacrificing style.

Hickory Engineered Hardwood in Kitchen Area | A & S Carpet Collection

Climate-Ready Stability

Since hardwood is a natural material that expands and contracts with moisture, we often recommend Engineered Hardwood for Allison Park residents. The cross-ply construction makes engineered wood floors incredibly resistant to cupping and gapping that can occur with solid wood during our humid months. For those who prefer a traditional solid plank, domestic species like White Oak and Hickory are excellent choices. Not only are they among the hardest domestic woods and perfect for busy North Hills households, but they also offer superior structural integrity in our regional environment.

Design Trends in the North Hills

Whether you are renovating a classic colonial in Wildwood or outfitting a modern new build in the Hampton area, your hardwood choice sets the tone for your entire home:

Timeless Traditional Hardwood - For the stately, established homes common in Allison Park, Medium-Toned Oak remains a favorite that provides a warm, inviting backdrop to complement traditional architecture and antique furnishings beautifully.
Modern Farmhouse Hardwood - To achieve this popular look, many of our clients opt for Wide-Plank European Oak with a wire-brushed or matte finish. Wider planks help open-concept living areas feel even more expansive, while these hardwood styles also excel at hiding the inevitable scratches from pets or salt-tracked boots.
Sophisticated Hardwood - For a bolder statement, Walnut offers a rich, dark elegance that adds instant value and character to formal dining rooms and home offices.

Medium Colored Oak in Living Room | A & S Carpet Collection

Visit our Allison Park hardwood showroom to see how these hardwood species and hardwood finishes look in person. At A&S Carpet Collection, we’ll help you find a hardwood floor that’s as resilient as it is gorgeous.