Customers of The Showroom Interior Solutions almost always include questions about flooring, flooring design, and their own unique best flooring material options for select areas of their homes. That’s because your choice of flooring and finishing can be one of the biggest decisions you make when remodeling your home. Different flooring and finishing types can literally change the way that your Olympia area home looks and feels. Add carpet, for instance, and your home can become warm and inviting. Vinyl, on the other hand, creates a cleaner feel. But the most luxurious flooring option by far for most Olympia area homes is hardwood flooring. At The Showroom Interior Solutions, we know that choosing hardwood flooring, finishing, and installation is a big decision. But even once you’ve chosen hardwood flooring, there are many, many more decisions that need to be made before your hardwood floor installation, such as the type of finish. For some, who visit The Showroom Interior Solutions, the sheer vast array of choices can be overwhelming, but after guiding them through the options, their choices become easy. This is exactly what this article will do. The team at The Showroom Interior Solutions will help to guide you through the whole process of buying hardwood flooring, the finishing options, the installation process, and anything else you need to know when remodeling your home.

How to choose hardwood flooring
You may think that after choosing hardwood flooring it becomes as simple as selecting the type of wood and finishing and then deciding on the installation process. We’d love it to be that easy. There are several important decisions that you still need to make before you should even consider that stage. We will discuss them all here.

Choosing the style of hardwood flooring and finishing
Traditionally, hardwood flooring came in solid slabs of real hardwood. It was up to you or your installation expert, such as those that can be found at The Showroom Interior Solutions, to make them fit into your Olympia home properly. This was a lot of work, however, and didn’t always lead to the best finishing. That’s why several companies began engineering hardwood flooring to make hardwood flooring installation much easier and to also improve the finishing. So what are the options?

Traditional hardwood flooring planks
Of course, you can still buy the traditional hardwood flooring planks here at The Showroom Interior Solutions that will give a real and authentic effect. Traditional hardwood flooring planks are typically the most expensive hardwood flooring planks you can buy, or indeed the most expensive type of flooring that you can buy, and the Installation of this choice of hardwood material is more labor intensive. But there are some benefits. Firstly, it looks better. Nothing gives that rich, luxurious feel like real hardwood flooring when the finishing has been done properly. It is also quieter underfoot and, in fact, you can feel the difference when you walk on it.

Engineered hardwood flooring planks
But what about the engineered type of hardwood flooring found at The Showroom Interior Solutions? These are planks that are made with a thin top layer of real hardwood, but underneath they are bonded with other layers of plywood to make the planks move less after installation. Installation is also much easier and installation cheaper than that of the more traditional hardwood planks described earlier. These planks are particularly useful in areas like basements where you don’t want to raise the height of the floor. This type of hardwood flooring can be glued straight onto the concrete surface. Naturally, there is a drawback to engineered hardwood flooring planks. Because the top layer of hardwood is much thinner than in traditional planks, it can be harder or almost impossible to redo the finishing if the surface becomes scratched.

Choosing your finishing
If you’ve looked at a lot of hardwood flooring collections at The Showroom Interior Solutions prior to your decision to make a choice, you will have noticed that there are a lot of finishing available. Some may not have finished at all. You can choose to purchase wood with finishing already applied—which means that the wood arrives stained—or you can buy raw wood that comes without finishing.

Prestained finishing
Many of our customers prefer to have the finishing prestained as it means that they know exactly what they are getting. They can see the planks in person prior to installation and know with confidence that they will be the same style planks that arrive at their Olympia area home. Having such consistency in finishing can also help in designing the rest of your room as you can pick colors that will go with your new flooring ahead of time.

No Finishing
When you buy wood raw or without the finishing from The Showroom Interiors, you will need to get a #B local contractor which can be provided by The Showroom Interior Solutions to stain the wood and complete the finishing for you. Of course, this happens after installation, so you won’t know exactly how the planks will look until installation and finishing have been completed. That being said many customers like the idea of customizing their hardwood flooring as they wish when it comes to finishing. You don’t want to have the same hardwood flooring as everyone in Olympia, after all.

Choosing the type of hardwood flooring
You are not limited to only one type of wood used to make hardwood flooring. Also, don’t think that there isn’t a whole lot of difference between different types of wood. You’ll be amazed at the subtle differences that different woods offer, especially when finishing is applied. Let’s have a look at the options.

Oak
Oak is probably the most popular type of hardwood flooring used in the Olympia area. It’s also popular and one we sell allot of at The Showroom Interior Solutions. It’s very resistant to scratches and dents. Oak flooring can also be stained when finishing a number of different ways making it perfect for use in almost any room. If you like seeing strong grain patterns, oak hardwood flooring is also a great choice.

Ash
If you want a light-colored hardwood floor, go for Ash. As the name of the wood suggests, Ash is one of the lightest natural hardwood flooring options you can choose. Best of all, you’ll find Ash it a little bit cheaper than other hardwoods.

Hickory
Hickory is also a great hardwood choice for people looking to obtain a light flooring color. It is probably a little bit more popular than Ash and is typically found in rustic home design and log cabins.

Mahogany
Want something warmer and richer? Mahogany is the wood for you. You’ll have probably seen mahogany furniture from time to time and using it as a hardwood flooring provides the same warm and luxurious feel. It is a highly durable and considered a more water-resistant wood making it a practical choice for almost any room in the house.

Lyptus
Want that sleek, corporate feel? Go for lyptus. This wood is quite a bit harder than oak and can be well stained when finishing to achieve a very sleek look. You’ll also find lyptus less expensive than other woods.

Installing hardwood flooring
When it comes to hardwood flooring installation much depends on the type of hardwood flooring to be installed. We will now share how installation works with a look at both traditional hardwood flooring and engineered hardwood flooring. Many Thurston County homeowners will prefer to use a professional installation company, like those we partner with at The Showroom Interior Solutions, because hardwood flooring installation can be more than a bit tricky. Some will still prefer to take a DIY approach, this is not the recommended path to take but one we will include in the following discussion.

Acclimation of Solid Hardwood Flooring
Before you get started on the installation, however, it is a good idea to let your new hardwood flooring acclimate to our Olympia area atmosphere. Open your package of boards and let it sit in the room where they will be installed for a couple of days. This will enable the wood’s moisture content to change to reflect your room’s current conditions. *Note that you may not need to acclimate engineered hardwood flooring but we should note that it certainly won’t do damage to it.

Hardwood Flooring Installation options
When you install real hardwood flooring yourself or hire a professional, It is recommended that you prepare the subfloor well in advance of installation because real hardwood flooring tends to bend when it gets exposed to high levels of moisture and heat. Typically, there will be an underfloor of existing wood needed on which you can install your new hardwood flooring over, but that is not always the case. Here are the most common installation systems available to you.

Sleeper on slab system
This is the most traditional, and also the most old-fashioned form of hardwood flooring installation. It involves putting an oily film or asphalt set into a sticky cutback mastic over the concrete slab to act as a moisture shield. Sleepers are then added on top of this ‘slab’ and hardwood planks are then laid on top. The trouble with this method of installation is that it can significantly raise floor heights.

Using plywood only
Another traditional installation technique for hardwood planks is to use only a plywood subfloor on top of the concrete. Plywood planks create a subfloor that is fastened to the concrete by screws, masonry cut nails as well as other popular binding options available.

Floating subfloors
This is a much more modern installation method for hardwood flooring and is likely to be one method preferred by your installation expert. Two levels of plywood are used here to act as moisture barriers between the concrete and the real hardwood flooring planks. Plywood planks are installed at opposite ends with an overlap at the seams. They are then stapled or screwed with short fasteners.

Gluing plywood directly to the slab
If you are using engineered hardwood flooring, you can use a premium urethane adhesive to glue your engineered hardwood flooring directly to the concrete. As mentioned at the start of this article, this is the best method for installing hardwood flooring in basements or other areas where reducing the floor-to-ceiling height is not realistic.

The click-fitting system
If you buy a very modern set of hardwood planks, they may well come with a click-fitting installation system. This is by far the easiest way to install hardwood flooring and it means that the installation can be done by pretty much anyone. There’s no need to screw, glue or nail your hardwood flooring planks, they simply click into place and stay locked together. It is recommended when considering a “click fitting” flooring, involving hardwoods, to please discuss your project with us before starting the installation.

The Showroom Interior Solutions – Your one-stop shop for everything in hardwood flooring.
If you’re thinking of buying and installing hardwood flooring in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Thurston, and Mason County areas we invite you to speak to an Olympia area flooring and installation at The Showroom Interior Solutions. We know hardwoods, hardwood floor installation, and finishing. We can advise you on all the aspects of flooring that pertain to your own unique hardwood flooring project. We have the answers to the questions you should be asking including hardwood floor installation to hardwood floor finishing to help you to find the best wood for any Olympia area home or business, and we can also help with the entire finishing and installation process.

From the moment you walk through our door at The Showroom Interior Solutions to the moment that you walk on your new hardwood floor… Contact us today and have all your flooring needs to be taken care of.

steve b

03:26 13 Jul 18

The Showroom has great customer service with a personal touch. They listened to our wishes and we are happy with the results. John and Kim are easy to work with and made suggestions to make our vision a reality. They were always there to check on the progress of our job and kept our project on schedule. The work was completed in a very timely and very professional manner. We recommend them unreservedly and we look forward to working with them in the future.Jeannie and Steve B

Jeff Rutter

22:16 29 Apr 18

Magnificent Experience!!!On a recommendation from a recent “Showroom” client, we hired The Showroom Interior Solutions staff to complete our home remodel project. After spending so much time in the military, moving from place to place, we wanted to turn our retirement house into our forever home and this challenge would have been a daunting task without the right subject matter experts guiding us. We worked primarily with John Sullivan and Kim Jones however the entire crew and staff were extremely professional as they steered us through this potentially formidable process.John’s extensive interior remodeling knowledge was extremely apparent as he coached us through every detail. His proactive methodology itemized every requirement, established an all-encompassing specialist project timeline and provided a meticulous expense outlay upfront enabling us to budget and customize our remodel vision throughout the entire process. Kim’s vision facilitated the design of our extremely stylish and yet functional custom kitchen. Her comprehensive kitchen renderings and sophisticated suggestions enabled us to visualize our dream with ease. Their skillful interaction and well-organized efforts throughout this process empowered us to expedite this project and we now have the house of our dreams.

Jerome Baldwin

14:50 07 Apr 18

Wonderful job! Kim was very help during our selection of cabinets and design. Check with us during the install to see if we had any concerns. Installation started on schedule and completed without delay. The Installers were courteous and careful. We had very few issues and what few arose were dealt with expeditiously. I am not sure we could have asked for better service. The finished kitchen is fabulous.

Mitch Godwin

01:37 27 Mar 18

After interviewing multiple contractors, we hired The Showroom for our remodel project that included a complete new custom kitchen, all new flooring, and resurfacing of the stairs. John (Sully) and his crew were professional, on time, courteous, and best of all.... 'upfront' with the costs. I really appreciate that John itemized every item. The work was top notch! My wife now has the kitchen of her dreams. Go to his website and look for our kitchen photos; you'll love it too! We are already looking forward to John renovating our master bath. I can't say enough about our positive experience. Thank you John!!

Debra Wight

17:59 12 Jul 18

They were an absolute pleasure to work with. John, the owner is very instumental when it comes to knowledge of product and design. He is so friendly, caring and kind. He makes you feel important and takes time with you so that you're happy with your decision. They never rush you and in fact take time out to visit your home or project aso every attention to detail is placed and done right the first time. His team is wonderful and super friendly. They all make you feel like part of the family and much more than just a customer. Kim is a superb gal, knowledgeable,and a fun kick to work with. just a sweetheart. I give them 5 stars for overall customer satisfaction and product knowledge and on time excellent service . They back up their warranty without hesitation if a problem arises. I'LL BE BACK!!

R. Perlot

20:50 07 Sep 18

Bathroom remodel by The Showroom was definitely a class act. Thanks to John and Kim for helping us design and plan our project. Their input was valuable! John checked in during the remodel to ensure we were happy. We have had a wonderful working experience with them during this recent and previous projects. We have consistently been very happy. I recommend The Showroom, with their very hardworking, honest and professional team to help you with any home projects. Thanks John and Kim!

Hank Schmoe

20:03 12 Oct 18

The staff and crew of The Showroom not only produced two beautiful and well crafted bathroom remodels for us, they were a pleasure to work with. John and Rhonda ensured that all details were addressed and the schedule was adhered to. We could not be happier with the outcome! We now have two bathrooms that are completely functional and classicly stylish.

Bettie Cochran

18:00 08 Nov 18

Highly recommend The Showroom Interior Solutions in Yelm, Wa. We did a shower remodel and floor tiling projects in 2 bathrooms. The communication with the customer was excellent. The Showroom offers a wide selection of beautiful quality materials. They offer professional assistance in choosing products to meet our needs. Working with the Showroom we felt we received a great value for the quality of the materials we chose. The installation staff couldn’t have been better. They also worked within the timeline that was set. The end product is one that we are very proud to show our family and friends. We are highly satisfied with our beautiful shower and flooring.

Nick Lankford

20:18 28 Nov 18

We recently finished our upstairs space with the help of The Showroom. They helped us complete a new galley kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and home theater room. Working with John and Kim was a wonderful experience! They were great in helping us pick out the right finishes that would carry forward the look/feel of our downstairs space, while at the same time giving it a fresh, more modern appeal. When tough decisions on timeline/material arose, they were both out in front of it and provided close communication and a willingness to make sure my wife and I were happy. We are simply THRILLED with our newly finished space, and I couldn’t recommend The Showroom more highly. Thanks again!!

Dana King

23:50 07 Dec 18

FANTASTIC!!! I can't say enough great things about how The Showroom Interior Solutions made my sleepy little kitchen a Show Stopper! John listened to my vision of a kitchen with an old world feel - then made it a reality. From demo to completion, he kept me informed on what to expect each day of the project. All the people who worked on this project (you know who you are :) ) are very skilled at what they do. For anyone researching a company to manage a remodel project - look no further! This company is the best!

Paula Sahms

02:55 20 Feb 19

My husband & I had just started planning a kitchenremodel, when we stumbled across Showroom Interiors in Yelm. They were awesome! Best kitchen cabinets and design we could have found. The quality, professionalism and attention to detail was incredible. Would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for first class customer service and the kitchen of their dreams!

Amy Aitken

03:55 25 Mar 19

I love my new kitchen! After water damage, John and his crew helped me pick out the perfect combination of cabinets, counter top, paint color, and flooring. The whole process went smoothly and I couldn't be happier with the results.

Rennie Cornish

00:15 23 Apr 19

If you’re expecting excellence then you’ve found the right place! We just completed a major remodel of our kitchen and guest bath. New floors, moved and replaced our island cabinets, new granite, sinks and more. The Showroom guided us through the remodel process and made it fun. John, Kim and the fabulous crew were always professional and respectful towards us and our home. The schedule was honored, a great relief to know workers would show up and clean up. We HIGHLY recommend the Showroom! We couldn’t be happier with the end results and look forward to the next project with them.

James Nakauchi

19:48 24 Apr 19

We learned about Showroom Interior Solutions from our neighbors after moving into our new home and seeing their beautiful shelf/cabinetry. From the moment we walked into Showroom’s place of business to the completion of their professional installation process, John and Kim were professional, friendly, very knowledgeable and extremely helpful in assisting us put together the perfect shelf/cabinetry at a price we could afford. They even followed up with us after the installation was completed to ensure we were totally satisfied. We couldn’t be happier with the quality and fabulous look of our new living room shelf/cabinetry!

Jenny G

22:54 12 May 19

Before I begin the flattering description of the excellent craftsmanship of Showroom Interiors crew, working under John Sullivan, I’ll just mention that I am simply the secretary on our church’s Flooring Committee.At Yelm Community United Methodist Church it was decided upon to put in new flooring in the entire church. Mark headed up the project with people that had previously hired Showroom for our Library floor. The Library Flooring is beautiful but we needed a more industrial Flooring for the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen. So Mark met with John and his professionals. What a kind, honest and humorous man!! He listened carefully and they took careful measurements and notes.Within a matter of days John had 3 proposals with various samples. They discussed the time frame our Church’s congregation and Pastor were wanting the new flooring completed by.The Flooring Committee chose their choice of sample based on important criteria and it was then that John and his crew got down to business. The beginning day was agreed upon and it was a Wednesday. They had availability through Saturday if they needed it. Folks, they were finished Friday late morning!!The men who carefully and professionally performed their Craftsmanship did it very well!! We were there much of the time for other reasons.That Sunday when the people came in the doors their faces lit up! The adoration heard over and over again was so tremendously thoughtful the entire Flooring Committee wished that the people of Showroom Interiors could have been there!!We highly recommend this Company and we hope to be able to do business with Showroom Interiors again in the future.

dorothy a pierce

18:48 17 May 19

We had our kitchen done one year ago in January, we are so pleased with the quality of the service. Time frame was right on choosing the correct materials was made easier with John and his staff helping out at every turn. Everyone was a joy to work with and did a superior job. Thanks again to The Showroom Interior , for our beautiful kitchen.. 5-18-2019 The second project just got done by the Showroom 5=16-19 our two bathrooms were up dated. The workers were very professional and fun to have in our home. John and his staff are very pleasant and caring. I would give them a 10 if I could , and recommend The Showroom Interior solutions to anyone and everyone .

Lolo D

22:37 29 Aug 19

The Showroom really is the very best! With a personal interest in the project, they were our partners to achieve a beautiful home. John is amazing and we will never go anywhere else! Wish I could give more than 5 stars because they definitely deserve it!

Gerry Meisner

22:00 20 Sep 19

After getting a number of bids for our master bath remodel we chose The Showroom. And we're so happy we did. From the initial design, through project changes and the actual work they couldn't have been a better company to work with. Deanna did a great job helping us design the room. John was outstanding at making sure everybody kept to the schedule. And the craftsman did beautiful work. We will definitely use The Showroom again the next time we want to update our home.

Gent Welsh

02:15 06 Dec 19

In Nov 2018, we lost our 3000sf home to a catastrophic fire. We contracted with Bob Howard, Jr construction in Yelm for the rebuild project. Without hesitation, Bob recommended John Sullivan and The Showroom for our interior hardwood, tile, cabinets and countertops. Having a well-stocked showroom with more choices than we thought possible, and extremely knowledgeable staff with the latest in design technology in the South Puget Sound area was a tremendous stress relief during our rebuild process. The staff at The Showroom was simply fantastic to work with through our entire rebuild. Not only do they have an extensive selection of choices/options for everything we needed, their level of customer service and personal level support was outstanding. It's nice to work with a local builder....it's even nicer to have access to top quality materials, installation services, and reliable subcontractors in a local company. Being on a rather tight timeline, John was able to pull together superior materials quality and a fantastic installation team on time and on budget, a huge relief for us in the process. We can't thank and endorse John and his team enough.

Stephanie Ehinger

18:18 14 Jan 20

Genuine Customer Service:We had water damage in the kitchen and living-room after a dishwasher failure. John did a great job helping us through navigating the insurance claim as well as picking out new high quality flooring. His company then did a superior job installing it. In addition to the quality workmanship, I was most impressed by his genuine customer service. He meant it when he said that he wanted us to be happy with the work and process. When there was an issue with a sub-contractor John resolved it. End of story. When something does not go as planned you find out how good a contractor really is and John passed with flying colors. To sum it up, working with John was a good experience and I highly recommend him and his team. Stephanie Ehinger

Russ & Mary Pitkin

23:25 24 Jan 20

We purchased a 1986 home that needed significant updating, mainly the kitchen. After spending a considerable amount of time investigating contractors with the best reputations from online lists and by word of mouth recommendations, we selected First Finishers as general and Deanna Delacruz with The Showroom Interior Solutions as the interior designer. Deanna, is first and foremost a great listener, extremely personable, and very knowledgeable about every aspect of kitchen design, cabinet options, and finish materials. We were impressed with her level of professionalism and focus on great service. She provided intuitive options to fit our needs rather than pushing us in one direction or another. Deanna was simply the best choice we could have made, and the kitchen shows it. We love our kitchen! The next item is the master bath and we will be working with Deanna and First Finishers for that as well.

Valentin E. Fyrst

15:49 03 Mar 20

If you are considering undertaking a remodel in your home. A kitchen, a bathroom or other living spaces. This should be your starting point. They have all the materials you could dream of, professional design expertise and they will even organize installation of everything for you.

Bob Sheldon

22:32 14 Dec 18

Great place for all your interior design needs. Beautiful showroom.

Paula Brinkman

21:17 23 Apr 20

After purchasing our home, we quickly decided to “fix” the kitchen. The way it was laid out just wasn’t working. I had no clue where to begin so started looking into local contractors, and came across First Finishers. Kai, the owner of FF, quickly sent us to The Showroom and Deanna. We went in knowing what we didn’t want which made her job even more difficult. Deanna proved to be the best decision we could have made. I had ideas and dreams and she helped me make them come true. Her knowledge and experience was just what we needed. If you are thinking about a remodel and need a local company to help with design, I would highly recommend The Showroom. They are knowledgeable and best of all, friendly and helpful and local!!

vester martin

22:59 03 May 22

We have used Showroom in the past but this this time we opt for the entire kitchen and more flooring to be renovated. The process started with the planning until fully executed. We knew this job was going to be a long and timely process. The guys came in and did the job with in the time frame and it looks marvelous. I have posted pics of the finished job.

Carey Finn

2018-06-10T14:27:00+0000

This review is of our bathroom remodel experience provided by both the Showroom and First Finishers who did the install. >>> First Finishers should absolutely be your first consideration if you want a first rate and thoroughly complete first class result. When you hire First Finishers you can expect, without exception, a professional and personable team of highly skilled crafts people to deliver fast, complete work that is artwork and function wrapped together in one package.Seriously, the short experience of having the crew in your home for a mere 5 weeks for a remodel is something that you wish might have lasted longer! Why would I say that? It’s said because the crew is so darn personable and skilled. It was our pleasure to have known them for 5 weeks.How does it sound to you to have a remodel done in just 5 weeks? It should sound terrific and it is. It is a great benefit not to have to give up your lifestyle for a longer extended time. Your benefactor who oversees the 5 week timetable is the one and only John Sullivan. John owns the SHOWROOM in Yelm and helps you design and pick out all the amenities, products and accoutrements you will want and need. John is also your point man, tour director, concierge, consultant, schedule manager, problem solver, coordinator, story teller and someone who is your friend throughout and perhaps beyond your remodel experience. John will always keep you up to date and tell you in advance what and who is coming next to get the work done.Your end result will be something that you will love and be very well done by skilled and friendly craftspeople in timely fashion. To cap off the relationship we entered into with First Finishers and John Sullivan was a $100 “Thank You” certificate from them to enjoy at a great restaurant. John presented a certificate to us for Ricardo’s Restaurant in Lacey. We went there about 6 months after our bathroom remodel was completed. It was fitting that this fine restaurant was on a par with the first class treatment and result provided to us by First Finishers and John. Thank you, John and the entire team at First Finishers.Carey and Pamela FinnOlympia, WA.

Lyndsay Liedtke

2017-07-31T20:38:49+0000

The Showroom interior solutions was an incredible experience. Kerstin was knowledgeable, and helpful. She has great taste to bring our kitchen and living room all together. Communication was essential to us, and Kerstin never left us out of the loop. The timeline of ordering and install was 2 weeks. Could not be more happier when everything else was hectic or negative. Thank you so much. Should have gone with The Showroom from the start. We will definitely be returning customers!!! The prices were from what you can afford to the top notch products. I strayed away to go to big box stores. When The Showroom was the best solution just in town. Great showroom for products and Designs.

Buying and Installing Hardwood Floors: The Complete Guide

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