Having a vacation home on the water generally means more carefree days, creating memories with family and friends, and overall, enjoying a simpler lifestyle, even if it’s only for a few weeks or months out of the year.

So, your floors should reflect that lifestyle and lend a casual style to your coastal home, so you can relax when the kids and dogs track in the sand on those wet feet. Wood floors clean easily, wear beautifully and they just feel right in a Beach House.

Classic Hardwood Floors, like those you find in beautiful old beach cottages are constructed of solid wood. Each board of solid hardwood flooring is made from a single piece of hardwood that’s about ¾” thick.  Hardwood floors come in a wide range of species, with Oak, Maple, Hickory and Pine leading the pack as the most popular. Hardwood floors can be prefinished or unfinished and then finished on site.  Hardwood can also be sanded and refinished many times making it a long term investment. However, there is an enemy of Hardwood floors...moisture.

Azalea Cottage's Original Hardwood Floors were refinished to a more modern, medium brown.

Engineered Wood is made up of a core of high quality plywood with a thin layer of hardwood on top. Because the wood is pressed in alternating layers, Engineered Flooring is much more resistant to the ever present moisture along the Lakeshore and the warping, contracting and expanding that happens when moisture is present. The wood is real, so that warm, welcoming look and feel is still there, making Engineered Floors your best choice for wood floors when your live along the Lake.

This homeowner selected dark engineered wood floors to really set off the fun colors in her bunkroom.

A few other thoughts in picking the perfect hardwood floors….

Avoiding a darker stained floor will help hide the wear and tear of kids and dogs, wet feet and beach toys. Head straight to the light to medium stains and you’ll have more time for playing and less time with clean up.

What direction is the best direction to run your planks? Whenever possible, run them the length of the house, from the front to the back, using the longest planks possible. This will give your floor and your rooms a more expensive and high quality look.

Most often, Coastal Cottages are designed for a casual, relaxed lifestyle. By selecting wider planks,  a rustic hickory or a hand scraped texture you will naturally give your space a more laid back, casual style.  

This happy beach house is all about warm neutrals, including the beautiful hand scraped floors!

Finally, relax and enjoy the warmth and beauty of your new gorgeous wood floor!

Our favorite Hardwood Floor Suppliers: