Custom Made Flooring

(ARA) - The idea of creating your own custom wood floor is an unusual new way of adding uniqueness and personality to your home. Like custom kitchens and baths, you can now specify your own custom wood floor including the wood species, the finish it will have, its surface texture, whether the boards will be wide or thin, random or consistent lengths and even whether the wood is reclaimed or antique.

T. Morton & Co. Custom Wood Flooring is one of the few wood flooring makers that offers truly custom created wood flooring. And, like anything that is made especially for you, this is an opportunity to be completely involved in the decision-making process.

When beginning to think about custom wood flooring, be sure to do your homework. Ask yourself what you want out of your wood floor. Be sure to visit Web sites and home furnishings magazines to research custom flooring options. Talk to people (especially interior designers and custom builders) who have gone through the process of choosing custom wood floors.

Once you've checked resources, it's time to connect with a flooring design specialist - someone who will guide you through the entire process from inspiring your initial ideas to installing your new floor. T. Morton certified wood flooring specialists can answer your questions and give you guidance on how to select the best options. The flooring design specialist will be able to refer woods and finishes that are more or less durable, as well as help you order samples to compare various finishes and textures.

Solid or Engineered - Wood Profile or Platform

The first consideration should be the wood profile or platform, solid or engineered. Solid boards are the wood's natural cut and can be laid into any floor. Engineered boards, however, feature a 100 percent wood construction assembled in multiple layers. The wood layers are permanently bonded together in a cross-ply construction for superior strength and dimensional stability. The floor platform decision will impact your next decisions, specifically wood species and color.

Wood Species and Color

Choosing wood species and color is the next step when selecting your custom wood floor. From T. Morton, for example, there are domestic and exotic species of wood from which you may choose. They offer various domestic species from the forests of Canada, New England and Pennsylvania including Maple, Oak, Cherry, Walnut and many more. Exotics, from around the world, include Bubinga: a beautiful pink-red hardwood, also known as African Rosewood that has a mix of straight and interlocking grains and matures to a deep burgundy red. The list of exotic species is virtually limitless.

When selecting your wood species you will be making decisions about durability, texture, and color. Some species may dictate what your color options are. The wonderful advantage of custom flooring is the ability to decide to stain, paint or "go natural" when deciding on color. Many choose a custom color to match existing furniture or cabinetry.

Widths and Lengths

Another benefit of purchasing custom flooring is the selection of widths and sometimes depending on the species, you may be able to choose longer lengths, or customize your floor with random widths and/or lengths. "Larger spaces with wide width planks have been the hip wood floor look as of late," says Joe Guarino of T. Morton & Co. Custom Wood Flooring. "There are always a few trends that garner a lot of attention in wood flooring at any given time. We are seeing a lot of custom coloring and custom sculpting going hand in hand with the attraction to the wider wood planks."

Surface Treatments and Textures

The appointment or treatment can change the look and feel of each wood to better match a unique style. There are numerous appointments to consider - handsculpted, wirebrushed, or French Bleed to name a few, or you might choose not to treat the floor at all. Surface treatments are visual and tactile options that can be important to setting your wood floor apart from all others.

With custom wood flooring you are the one in control. Unlike stock products, custom wood flooring eliminates the frustration of not getting exactly what you want. The result is a gorgeous hardwood floor, designed by you and is yours alone.

For more information on purchasing custom wood flooring, visit www.tmorton.com.

Note: This article was submitted by a second party and the contents are subject to our disclaimer.