Hardwood flooring
Wide-Plank Hardwood Floors
Wider boards, fewer seams, and more of the wood itself on show.
Wide boards show more of the grain and give a room a calmer, less busy look. They also ask more of the installer: a wide board moves more across its width when humidity changes, so preparation and fastening matter more than they do with narrow strip flooring.
Most of the wide-plank floors we lay are white oak, in engineered or solid form, in widths chosen with you from samples.
Why wide boards need more care
Every board swells and shrinks a little across its width as the seasons change. Across a narrow strip that movement is small; across a wide plank it is several times larger, and it shows up as gaps in dry months or cupping in damp ones.
That is why, for wide planks, we lean towards engineered boards over concrete, check moisture in the subfloor and the wood before installing, and often combine glue and nails over plywood so each board is held along its whole length.
Laying out a wide-plank floor
With fewer, longer boards, each one is more visible. We sort the boards before they go down, spreading colour and grain across the room so no area looks patchy, and we keep end joints well apart from row to row.
In long hallways and open plans we plan the run of the boards from the main entrance, so the floor reads as one surface from room to room.
Living with a wide-plank floor
Wide boards show wear and colour change across larger areas, so felt pads under furniture and rugs at entries go a long way. Keeping indoor humidity steady through the year, with the heating and air conditioning you already have, is the simplest way to keep seams tight.
When the finish wears, a solid or thick-wear-layer engineered wide plank can be sanded and refinished like any other wood floor.
Licensed and bonded — CSLB #625535
How we run the job
- 01Choose species, width and finish from samples.
- 02Check subfloor flatness and moisture.
- 03Sort boards for colour and length before installing.
- 04Install with the fastening method suited to the subfloor.
- 05Finish on site or fit pre-finished boards, then walk the floor with you.
Our work
Wide-Plank Floors: job photos
Questions
Frequently asked questions
- How wide can the boards be?
- That depends on the product and the subfloor. We go through the options with samples and recommend a width and construction that suit your rooms.
- Will a wide-plank floor gap in summer or winter?
- All wood moves a little. Checking moisture before installing, choosing the right construction and keeping indoor humidity steady keep that movement small.
- How is a wide-plank floor priced?
- Describe the job with "Get your estimate". You get a ballpark from our own price list before the site visit, then a written estimate once we have measured and seen the floor.