When homeowners decide to invest in wood flooring for their properties, they may not realize how many decisions they’ll have to make during the process. There are many different types of wood available, as well as various patterns, styles, finishes and designs. The last thing anyone would want is to spend thousands on new flooring only to realize that they made the wrong choice.

Before you decide, take some time to learn about wood flooring and the various options.

One thing to keep in mind is that wood flooring is relatively expensive, especially when compared to laminate, carpeting, linoleum and other such options. Although wood flooring has come down in price over the last few decades, it’s still a fairly significant investment for any homeowner.

Get started by deciding how much of your flooring you wish to replace, and consider a budget.

Next, consider durability. Floors endure a lot of daily use and abuse, and in a high traffic home you will want to make sure you have the best of the best. For example, if you have kids and pets, you may want to consider a maple or other strong and resilient type of wood. Luckily, most wood flooring options can be prefinished with a polyurethane coating to reinforce durability.

Remember that you’re not limited to maple, oak and walnut. You may also choose from more environmentally friendly options, such as sustainable bamboo.

One of the most exciting parts of selecting wood flooring is choosing a pattern. Wood flooring can be installed in strips, which are generally less than 3 inches wide, or planks, which are about 3 to 8 inches wide. You may also choose parquet flooring, which is a floor laid in geometric designs.

Lastly, remember that if solid wood flooring is out of your budget, or simply not your style, you can also select from engineered wood flooring. However, regardless of what you choose, the appearance of wood flooring is sure to revive the interior of your home.

If you’d like to know more about wood, I bet the Dinesen story is exactly what you need.