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Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

by | Nov 9, 2012 | Decorating Inspiration

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Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

 

sponsored by Mohawk Flooring

As I am writing this, I’m huddled in a small corner of my living/gathering room, trying to get my work done surrounded by boxes, tools and the the sound of construction. That is a good problem to have though, so I’m not complaining. Although poor Jack doesn’t know quite where to go — he feels a bit out of sorts!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

All of our furniture is being displaced again (to various corners and other rooms), this time for the new wood flooring that is going in my entry and connecting kitchen family room! This week they delivered boxes of new wood so they can get acclimated to the temperature of our house, and contractors are taking out all the existing flooring and carpet to prepare for the installation of the new flooring. This is a VERY exciting step, as it means the final details of our home projects are coming together!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

Having new flooring installed in several rooms of the house at once is a bit daunting. In fact, as you can see from our phone snapshots, we can get one room looking pretty good and then stuff gets piled up in it so we can work on the next room! I dream of the day when all of the rooms are DONE at the same time! Ha!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

I know many of you have mentioned wanting to install new wood floors in your home, but the whole process really seems overwhelming. Fom the many factors that go into choosing the flooring (so many options! OH MY!), to deciding how many rooms to do (where to stop flooring can be an issue in open floor plans, as well as the expense involved of doing multiple rooms) to dealing with the mess, to moving furniture for the project, ripping out old flooring and then getting things put back again … it’s a lot of effort.

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

But  after the past few years of craziness, I was ready for some updates around our house! I know all the effort will be worth it. And that is just how it goes with home projects, they often start out messy and end up beautiful.

I’ve had quite a few reader questions about the wood we chose, so I thought today I’d give you all more details on the process so far in case this is a project you might be considering in your own home!

To begin selecting our new floors, my daughter and I took a trip over to visit the Nielsen Brothers showroom in Auburn, WA a few weeks ago. We were able to check out all the beautiful flooring options, ask questions and get professional advice on our flooring project. They have been extremely helpful!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

We had a few complicating factors in our flooring decision process, such as the fact that we had some existing sections of wood flooring that we couldn’t keep due to the kitchen remodel, as well as the fact that the previous wood floors in the house were actually engineered wood and our new flooring was hardwood, so connecting the two types of flooring really didn’t always work like I had originally planned.

Taking all those issues into consideration, as well as the fact that the rooms in our house are fairly small and the main rooms open to each other, we confirmed our original thought that consistency in flooring would be the ideal way to go! We are relieved to be working with contractors who have experience and skills to get this job done right.

TIP: When remodeling with contractors it is helpful to ask a lot of questions. I might borderline on annoying them with all of my questions, but contractors are usually very knowledgeable about their expertise and can save you money by helping to make the right decisions the first time! I ask questions of store managers, contractors, and installers because they will all have varying perspectives that are helpful. I learn so much that way!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

After Nielson Brothers came out to measure our space and we approved our estimate, we were ready to go! The damaged flooring in the kitchen was removed this week, the carpet in the family room side will be removed next week and the new Hickory hardwood flooring will be installed throughout this space as well as the adjoining entry. It is going to be BEAUTIFUL!

The new flooring throughout our main floor is 3 1/2 inch wide pre-finished Hickory hardwood from Mohawk. It also comes in a 5 inch wide board, but given the small size of our rooms, it was recommended to stay with the 3 1/2 inch boards so the wood wouldn’t overwhelm the space.

The beauty of prefinished flooring is you are able to install it finished, avoiding the extremely messy and smelly process of finishing hardwoods after installation. That is kind of a big deal!

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

Being in the NW, we live with a lot of dreary gray days. These floors (as pictured in our bedroom) not only capture the beautiful natural wooded vibe of the NW (as in lots of forests and trees!), but the beautiful tone of the floor reflects a lot of light and brings warmth to our winter days! Hickory is a beautiful multi-toned hardwood with variations that range from very light blonde tones to dark wood grain.

I just love the character and warmth real wood adds to a home. However, even in laminate there are some fantastic quality real wood looking options these days so definitely see what is available that suits your needs and budget!

I’ll be talking more about our Hickory wood floors, their maintenance and upkeep in a future post! And if you have any questions along the way, feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them!

For those of you who have tackled big remodeling jobs at your home, was the end result worth all the fuss? What recent home improvement projects have you worked on?

Preparing for The New Wood Floors {Mohawk Hickory Hardwood Flooring}

I’m partnering with the “Mohawk Floors Me, as Told by Bloggers” program and received hardwood flooring as a part of the project, but as always, all opinions, experiences, home projects and piles of clutter in my photos are my own. 

37 Comments

  1. Joani

    can’t wait 2 C the finished product.

    Reply
  2. Sallie

    About three years ago, we replaced all our flooring with a 12mm wood-look laminate with a “handsawn” texture. We spent an entire week ripping up carpet, padding, tack strips, staples, and old laminate, then helping our contractor (a friend from church) lay the new flooring. That was the most physically exhausting week of our lives, but the floors are beautiful! We love the wood look! My only surprise was the reduction of the “cozy factor,” which we were quickly able to remedy with area rugs and more cushy furniture pieces. We have never regretted doing away with our wall-to-wall carpeting. I love vacuuming the floors for that instant clean feeling! I’m so enjoying your remodel saga! Thanks for sharing the journey with us!

    Reply
  3. Leslie Stewart

    I know you are so excited! I can’t wait to see it when it’s done! Have a great weekend!
    Leslie

    Reply
  4. Rebecca

    Tough project but so worthwhile and right before the holidays! It will look awesome for sure. We had to do a forced install when a new dishwasher (installed improperly) leaked and damaged 55 year-hold half inch thick parquet golden oak floors. BOO. I was so sad. We went with exactly the same tones and put in new floor. It wasn’t fashionable at the time (everyone was doing dark floors), but I am really happy. Perfect for the house. But I remember that project, and not fondly.

    Reply
  5. Jenny

    We’re getting our hardwoods installed this week and I’m in LOVE! We also got the carpet on the stairs removed, replacing it with new treads and risers, and I can’t get over the difference (and they’re not even done yet). It’s definitely a lengthy process, with it being such a big investment and all, but totally worth it. I don’t even know how many wood samples I looked at before making a decision!

    Yours are going to be beautiful. Can’t wait to see the transformation. I definitely won’t miss the carpet, that’s for sure. I had to laugh when you said your dog was out of sorts – ours was too! He just didn’t know where to go or what to do with all of his usual spots taken by materials or displaced furniture!

    Reply
  6. Diane

    So happy for you to be getting this all done before the holidays….at least I hope it all gets done in time!! :D I’ve noticed a few other bloggers are working with Mohawk. As usual I very much like the way you handled your “Mohawk post.”
    Enjoy!!

    Reply
  7. Sally B

    We moved into a modular home about 2 1/2 yrs ago and wanted to replace all the floors and have the home painted when we were moving in. I will honesty say that I will never do something like that again! The day after we moved in, the painter arrived and started painting and 2 days after that the flooring crew arrived to start laying our laminate. My home looked like an episode from Hoarders being we had to pile all our moving boxes and furniture in the middle of the rooms while they painted them then move those same things into different areas of the house while the floors were being laid. Then the final straw was we had new appliances arrive at the end of that week so had to make sure the flooring was all done in the kitchen in time for that! If I ever decide to do something like that again I will think about renting one of those storage containers and keep all my things in there until the work is done! It was a total mess for the first week but once it was all done I was glad we did it! :)

    Reply
  8. Kristin

    We are in the middle of installing hardwoods in our kitchen remodel. We actually find some to match our existing which is great, but we are doing it all ourselves. We should have them done this weekend, but it has been taking forever. Glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel! xo Kristin

    Reply
  9. glenda

    so happy for you, they will be well worth it, I was wondering if you got a discount on the purchase price, since you are a blogger, and can promote them on your site?

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes, sometimes we are fortunate enough to have a project we are doing or want to do that coincides with a partnership with a brand, and we are able to work that way. It can be a win win, such as the opportunity to work with Mohawk! But sometimes we just are doing projects on our own like usual … like the rest of my kitchen!

      Reply
  10. ashley

    I love your blog. I have been reading daily for over 2 years! But I am confused about something. Didn’t you just replace a whole bunch of your flooring to match your kitchen? I definitely understand the repairs with your new configuration. Is it the same flooring? Also can’t wait to see how your cabinets are coming! Thanks for being a beautiful place to stop every day!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Yes, I originally chose hickory floors for our living and dining room so it would match the kitchen. :-) That was before we decided to remodel the kitchen and before I knew that would mess up the floors. And also before I knew my original flooring was engineered rather than solid hardwood, so to replace the family room side and fix the issues in the kitchen it made more sense to just use the same flooring as in the living and dining room rather than a patchwork of repairs and floors that couldn’t fit together and weren’t the same. It was kind of complicated and confusing but in the end I’m happy with how it’s coming together in spite of the hiccups along the way, haha!

      Reply
  11. Sandy

    Can’t wait to see the final project complete. Isn’t Mohawk the best? It’s been a great experience for me, too.

    Happy weekend, friend! My carpet install is happening TODAY! :)

    Reply
  12. Jennifer

    We are starting a floor renovation next week too! I can’t wait for the messy part to be over and for our new woods floors to be in. Looking forward to seeing your finished project as well.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      YAY! It really is exciting! Congrats on your new wood floors!

      Reply
  13. Eileen Beck

    I love the hickory floors and agree that they’re beautiful in the northwest. In our downstairs we’re slowing, room-by-room, removing the dark laminate flooring and dark blue carpeting and replacing it with wide-planked white oak, which we’ve loved.

    Our current project that we’ve just finished was our teenaged daughter’s attic bedroom. It’s been a week and I’m still tired!!! BUT, sometimes it’s worth it to push ahead quickly and just get done rather than dragging it out forever. And thankfully, she loves it!

    http://scravings.blogspot.com/2012/11/sweet-16-room-reveal.html

    It was fun meeting you at Peninsula Paints!! And by the way, my little kid’s shared bedroom turned out great too!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Oh Hi Eileen! Yes it was fun, I’m so happy you have a blog, I’ll come see!!

      Reply
  14. Christie

    I love hickory floors (had them in a past house). I agree … wood is so natural, warm and adds such shine. So pretty!

    Reply
  15. carol jane

    Your wood floors will be GORGEOUS!! I want to put unfinished wood in my office/computer room and paint it white. Do you have any experience with that? Oh, Yeah. I just love your Doggie JACK! He is just the cutest! I want to give him a big hug.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      I haven’t painted unfinished wood floors before but I’m sure that would be awesome! We have wood floors in our bathroom that we might end up just painting rather than refinishing down the road. We’ll see!

      Reply
  16. Amy

    Lovely floors! I really like the color.
    I too, dream of a day when all of my rooms are finished. Sadly, that will last about a week before I decide to start changing things again. C’est la vie.

    Reply
  17. KATHYSUE

    melissa, Your Hickory wood floors are gorgeous and perfect for the NW! I always say getting new floors is like moving with-in your own home, quite the project, but so worth it when it is all done!
    xo Kathysue

    Reply
  18. Erin

    We took the top half of our house off and put it back on higher. It was expensive and scary and stressful. It’s been almost two years now and the financial pain has eased, the stress has been all but forgotten and the only scary part comes when I look back at the demo pictures. It was SO worth it.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      WOW, seriously? That is a huge project but I bet it made a huge difference in your home!

      Reply
  19. amy g

    Currently we have stained and stamped concrete in our kitchen and foyer open concept.I hate the concrete due to moisture getting trapped under the sealer. I’m on the fence about getting wood grain planked tile or hardwood /engineered floors. I like the idea of steam cleaning tile floors but not too thrilled on dust mopping hardwood. And also I’m a clutz and worried about dropping something on the floor and damaging it.

    Reply
    • Melissa

      I’ve had tile floors in a kitchen and entry before and really liked them. The drawbacks with tile are they are hard, cold and unforgiving, grout can be difficult to clean. But, with the right kind of tile, they can hide dirt well and are wonderful for the kitchen and entry areas too! Real hardwood is unlikely to get damaged permanently and it can even be fixed or refinished if necessary, which is good. But it does acquire a bit of character with dogs and kids and life happening! It just depends on the ambience you want, and purpose of the space, and the type of cleaning you like to do I guess!

      Reply
  20. caroline

    I love it! It brings everything to life! Cant wait to see it all ready and done… and I’m sure Jack wouldn’t mind either ;)

    Reply
  21. Karan

    We recently had laminate installed in a few rooms of our old/new house. For those in the NE Georgia area ,Anderson Carpet One in Alto did a fantastic job. The rest of the rooms had carpeting. They got everything done in 2 days and I am more than happy with the work provided. Ask for Wayne to install. Oh, it was Mohawk too. And if I had my paperwork in front of me I could give you the exact name, but it’s packed ready to move tomorrow (yes!) to the old/new house. (Old house we recently bought that we have been rehabbing) I have learned so much in these blogs.

    Reply
  22. Nancy

    I LOVE Hickory! What a beautiful choice. I used to be a Site Manager in a New Homes Community and it was one of our options. Always my favorite. Can’t wait to see it finished!

    Reply
  23. Debbie

    Hi Melissa, beautiful floors going in. We just put new floor in in our laundry room and kitchen. I just love it. And what a difference it makes to the whole room. How wonderful you had your daughter with you. I can’t wait for our kids to come home for Thanksgiving and see the new floors. Yay!
    Have a blessed week.
    Debbie

    Reply
  24. Helene

    We just had our kitchen completely gutted these past couple weeks. They worked fast- the floor is already tiled and the cabinets are already in. An attached bathroom had the toilet taken out and the vanity replaced. We are now waiting on the plumber and countertops. It’s all so lovely and I’m so grateful for it! I am glad, too, that the bulk of the work is behind us. Though its hard to manage without a sink for awhile, it has so far been very worthwhile. I know how you feel being holed up in a corner of your own home. I did that a lot, and with several young children!

    Reply
  25. Susan

    You are going to be so happy! We remodeled our entire house kitchen and two baths as well as adding a banquette in the breakfast room and a built in desk in the family room. It was crazy, but so worth it. We also bit the bullet and put hardwood through the house except wet areas. We debated putting wood in the kitchen but it scares me so we went with tile. I have blogged about the bats and kitchen if you want to see. I can’t wait to see yours!

    Reply
  26. Monica

    Hi Melissa! I’m here in Washington as well (Puyallup!) and I love your blog! I don’t usually comment, but I just made the connection you’re in the NW and that makes me so excited! We’re thinking long and hard about hardwoods here in our home, but I am so hesitant with dogs! Are you nervous about your little guy and the floors? Also, I’m excited to check out this company! Do they provide you with the contractors and installers as well? I’m debating on remodeling our kitchen first- which puts us in the predicament that you were kind of in with having to do your floors again! So excited to see how this turns out!

    Reply
    • Melissa

      Hi Monica!! I love hardwoods with dogs! :-) I have had hardwoods for years and years with pets and never had a problem that concerned me. The thing about hardwoods is they are wood, so they will get scratched up a bit in time, but to the extent that happens and how much it shows depends on your traffic areas, whether you have rugs or runners, the type of wood floors you have, and probably a million other factors. I’m not a flooring expert (I’d pop in to a local Mohawk dealer and talk with them about your options!) but Hickory is a hard wood so it resists more of the damage you might have if you chose a softer wood. Also this particular type of wood has a lot of character already with the grain so scratches are less noticeable than on a solid dark floor stain. But honestly I’ve had dark floors, light floors and Hickory and I just live with a bit of character AND dogs with character. :-) Also, I’ve found wood floors to be SO easy to keep clean with animals! These particular floors have some sort of stain protection on them as well.

      Yes, remodeling different rooms over a period of time does make things a little challenging as far as floors go. Fortunately though if you get new wood floors it is easier to get the new flooring to match and flow with it. In our older houses we would usually just change flooring material or use a dividing strip (which we actually did even in this remodel between the dining and kitchen and living room and entry.) It is kind of like a puzzle sometimes but with flooring professionals they have experience and are so helpful in solving whatever issues you might have! :-)

      Reply
      • Monica

        Melissa! Thanks so much for all your info! I’m so anxious to make the hardwood change sooner rather than later, and I love to know it’s possible before the remodel! Thanks for your advice! :) Moni

        Reply
  27. Kate Wirth

    I’m so glad I found pictures of your Mohawk Wood Floors on Pinterest! After looking thru many Hickory Floors at many different stores I fell in love with yours! We purchased the wood on Friday and my husband will be installing it!
    Thank you,
    Kate

    Reply

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