Buying a new home is an exciting and often overwhelming process. You have to make sure you check everything before you make the offer. Even if you have a home inspection, there are things you should look at regarding the hardwood flooring that the inspector may not. If you’re unsure of the condition of the flooring, or doubting if it is real hardwood as is advertised, contact a wood floor contractor to inspect it for you.
Is it Real Hardwood, Engineered, or Laminate?
If the listing says wood floors, you may have engineered or hardwood or even laminate flooring. A few tricks that you can use to help determine what you have is to examine the grain patterns. Real hardwood flooring has random grain patterns. The cheaper the imitation, the less variation there will be. However, if a homeowner put in quality engineered wood flooring, you may have to inspect a wide area before finding a matching board. Don’t overpay for a home that has laminate flooring when the seller is implying it’s real hardwood!
Hidden Damage
Most homeowners put rugs down to protect the flooring and add color or pattern to a room. However, sometimes a rug is laid to hide damage that occurred. Although you probably don’t want to move furniture and roll up the rugs, take the time to lift the corners of all the area rugs. Look at the coloring below. Is it a significantly different color than the surrounding wood? Iif this is the case, you have two choices. Either need to call a wood floor refinishing company to refinish the flooring prior to moving in, or find a rug of a similar dimension to cover the faded area.
Another type of hidden damage is water stains under large potted plants. Be sure to look under any plants in the home and see if there is a water stain. Keep in mind that the darker the stain, the deeper into the wood it is and the harder it will be to remove. Also listen to how the flooring sounds when you walk on it. Is the sound consistent? If you walk in an area and it sounds hollow beneath, you may have some hidden subfloor damage. Be sure to have it inspected by an experienced wood floor contractor.
If you’re buying a home in the Tampa area and are looking for a wood floor contractor to inspect your home, Seer Flooring can help. We will come to the home and evaluate the floors and provide you with an estimate to fix any damage and for refinishing. Contact us today for an appointment 727-785-1930.