Sarah's big-box store Challenge!

Watch as Sarah renovates a rundown house into a stunning design statement… all with items available at Lowe's stores!

Episode 9:

How to get fabulous flooring results in your home

You don't have to settle for cold concrete floors or basic broadloom when you've got a concrete sub floor. Thanks to the construction of pre-finished, engineered flooring, you can layer a beautiful wood floor to suit your style directly on top of your existing base floor, and make your lower level every bit as stylish and sophisticated as the main level of your home. With easy install options to nail down, glue down, or install as a "click" floating floor, you'll be able to enjoy your new floor quickly, with minimum mess and inconvenience.

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Here are a few key elements we used to make this home better than new… and yes, it's all from Lowe's!

BASEMENT BOOST:

Thanks to the marvels of modern manufacturing, a concrete basement subfloor is no longer a barrier to great style. Today's engineered flooring solutions are designed and manufactured to provide a variety of installation solutions that make it easy to get the floor you want at the price you can afford. A "click" floor can be installed as a floating floor, nailed in place over a wood subfloor, or glued directly onto a concrete subfloor, so even your subterranean zones can look elegant and inviting.

TIP: Consider wide plank boards in a hand-scraped finish to add a rustic textured look to your rooms.

CONSISTENCY:

For seamless surfaces throughout an open concept home, consider carrying the same floor finish throughout. In the case of an open living/dining/kitchen layout, uniting all the spaces into one big living area with engineered walnut flooring makes the area live larger, rather than feeling like it's separated into small zones.

TIP: Since the finish on engineered flooring is factory-applied, you'll get a durable family-friendly finish that will stand the test of time.

Kitchen+Living Room + Dining Room floors

AREA RUGS:

If you are trying to decide what size your area rugs should be, the general rule is to leave a band of wood about 14" wide showing around the perimeter of the room. You can adjust this measurement to suit your needs depending on the size of the room and how much floor your want to leave exposed.

TIMELESS CHOICES:

You'll be able to find wood floors in many different colours and tones to suit your style. But for a look that's sure to stay classic and timeless, why not opt for a mid-tone colour range that highlights the natural beauty of the wood without being stained a "colour"? If you choose a wood species such as walnut in a natural finish, the beauty of the floor will be highlighted by the pattern of the wood grain.

EXOTIC FLOORS:

You might think buying an exotic wood floor is beyond your budget realm, but think again. Since engineered floors have a thinner piece of the chosen wood species adhered to a plywood "click" subfloor, you can get more for your money when compared to the price of a solid wood floor. Instead of having to switch to broadloom in the bedrooms, you might be able to stretch the budget and install hardwood throughout.

DURABILITY:

For maximum durability in climates with variable weather, it makes sense to install a stone or tile pad at the entry to your home. Engineered hardwood flooring is durable and well-suited to the interior areas of your home, but tile or stone provides the most rugged surface for the flow of traffic at the front door.