Hardwood Flooring Blog

I started working at Ralph’s as a boy. It was my father’s business, and he..

Distressed flooring can be all-in-one: practical, visually appealing, and..

Real hardwood floors are durable and beautiful to look at, but there are now..

While trends may come and go, hardwood flooring is timeless. But that doesn’t..

Pets don’t have to crush your dreams of a hardwood-floored house. Hardwood..

We love our dogs and cats, but our furniture and floors won't, unless we take..

More and more people are choosing hardwood floors with a color that’s not..

Wood Floor Business, the leading trade publication for the hardwood floor..

In this time of the global pandemic, it is natural that you are more concerned..

During an inspection of a home you are looking to buy, be sure to check every..

Many people who are building a new home with hardwood floors—or thinking about..

Anyone who knows me even a little knows that I’m passionate about hardwood..

If you're building a custom home, you'll have to decide on the flooring, and..

Concerns about climate change and nature preservation are increasingly causing..

Making sure your home’s  hardwood floors stay in good condition involves not..

The COVID-19 virus has left many of us isolated at home—a circumstance that can..

Because trees are a natural plant, humidity has a significant impact on..

The timeless beauty of solid-wood hardwood flooring can last for generations...

People ask us all the time if there is a `right wood`for hardwood floors. They..

With the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), killing germs on surfaces around the..

Hardwood floors are not your average floor. They come in a variety of styles,..

If you’re in the market for vinyl flooring, you may be wondering whether to use..

Customer service is supposed to be something that serves you as a customer;..

Hardwood floors have been the stuff of legend for a long time, and in the past..

Most homes are family homes, and it stands to reason that families will spend..

Durability is one of the most important benefits of hardwood flooring. Hardwood..

I love working with companies that do business like we do.

Our floor-finish..

Reclaimed hardwood flooring uses materials from dilapidated buildings to create..

All hardwood floors have grades—names used to explain the amount of color..

A couple we served, Mark and Michelle, recently shared this nice message with..

If you’re looking to improve the overall value of your building (be it a..

Hardwood floors have been a staple of high-end and high-quality floors across..

Hardwood floors have long been a hallmark of gorgeous homes with style. Their..

I always look forward to The International Surface Event (TISE) in Las Vegas,..

One way to retain the natural beauty of hardwood floors is recoating, which is..

Once you envision the home of your dreams, it’s time to make it a reality. To..

Subflooring is one reason inexperienced DIYers shouldn’t try to install their..

Installing hardwood floors in a room or your entire home always brings up..

When it comes to hardwood-floor options, you can choose to use either wide or..

Many people have traditions on Christmas Eve. As a child, my memories of..

For many people, formal is still important. Even though as a society we have..

When you're choosing the type of hardwood-floor boards for your floors, it’s..

I love it when Ralph’s can help restore old floors into flooring that looks..

In flooring, both hardwood and softwood are used, but many people don't know..

When building a custom home with hardwood floors, many people neglect to..

Every job is special to us, but some stick in my mind because of the nature of..

Stone and hardwood are a timeless combination that can really make a home look..

After World War I, the 1920’s was a time of economic prosperity (you’ve..

Oak is one of the most common North American tree species that’s found its way..

In recent Out of the Woodwork posts, I’ve taken a look at the history of..

Contrast is one of the most important concepts in interior design. Without it,..

A guest blogger describes a childhood experience distressing floors with his..

In my past two Out of the Woodwork posts, I discussed the history of hardwood..

Living with dust and pollen allergies or asthma can be a nightmare, especially..

Looking at pictures of the White House, the room we most often see is the Oval..

Homeowners often opt for tile flooring in the kitchen, but hardwood floors are..

Hardwood floor styles are constantly changing. What’s popular now may not be 10..

Trends tend to come and go. However, some choices you make when installing your..

Site-finished hardwood floors require sanding when they’re installed. Hardwood..

Mixing and matching different hardwood species and colors within a home can be..

In the 80’s, some would say I was missing the six-pack abs that many of my..

Before you choose a species for your hardwood floor, you have an important..

Choosing the color of your hardwood floors will have a significant impact on..

As I entered adulthood, I wasn’t sure I was going to get into my father’s..

You’ve always wanted to have beautiful hardwood floors, and you have finally..

Just like whitewashed jeans, whitewashed floors are back in style!

People are..

A vacation home is a place where people go to relax and spend anywhere from a..

With its timeworn, antique look, distressed-looking hardwood flooring has a..

Every homeowner will have slightly different reasons to get hardwood floors...

My father—Ralph’s founder and namesake—once traveled to Alaska to do a hardwood..

When you’re renovating or building a new home, determining a budget and..

You have so many decisions to make before you get to the part where you have..

Ralph’s never would have been around for more than 50 years without the great..

Current home design trends can be an excellent guide for the undecided, but..

A rose is still a rose by any other name, and we'd still be the same quality..

Many homeowners appreciate the ambiance and character of hardwood floors and..

To DIY or not to DIY? It’s a question every homeowner inevitably asks..

It can be a long path from the customer’s consideration stage to the decision..

If you’re building a new custom home or renovating—and you know you want..

I admit it, I’m a geek—a hardwood floor geek.

According to Merriam-Webster, a..

We often hear that water and hardwood floors don’t mix, and this is true to..

A couple recently visited our showroom with a vision of how they wanted the..

A trend currently transforming the flooring industry is luxury vinyl. It’s a..

Every March, when the NCAA college basketball tournament rolls around, I’m..

Building someone’s new home comes with a lot of pressure. Ralph’s is..

After you’ve installed your brand-new hardwood floors, it’s time to move on..

Every year in New London, the Shamrock Club of New Dublin holds a Grand Parade..

There’s always a debate between which type of flooring is the best. Since..

I’m a fan of the term “circle of growth.”

It essentially refers to the..

Hardwood floors can last a very long time with proper care. But that doesn’t..

New hardwood flooring is a thing of beauty, and even more so when it fits..

I’m often asked, “How much will hardwood flooring add to the value of my home?”

Hardwood flooring is a popular choice among homeowners because of its..

Choosing to install hardwood floors is only the beginning of the..

Homeowners who look at interior design trends for inspiration when remodeling..

When I went to college, I decided to major in computer science. I had been..

One of the best things about hardwood floors is their versatility. Whatever..

It was the end of the day for our crew, and it could have been the end of the..

Durability is one of the reasons many people choose hardwood flooring for..

At our company Christmas party in 2000, a lot of babies and toddlers were..

Sometimes, while in the middle of a project, a client will call and say, “Hey,..

One of the many traditions I love about Christmas is the family food.

It’s not..

Because wood is an organic material, hardwood flooring will react to its..

“See a need, fill a need.”

That well-known saying was uttered by Bigweld,..

My Dad passed away in 2014,  but I’ll always have my memories of him. One of..

When we interview applicants for a job at Ralph’s, we of course want to know..

At Ralph’s Hardwoods, we like to keep things local. 

We’re happy to be..

Hand-scraped hardwood floors have a unique look. Although they have gone in..

Labor Day is one of those holidays whose meaning is often forgotten.

For..

New hardwood flooring is a beautiful investment that can give your home a..

When I was 27 years old, working as a computer programmer, I came home one..

After installing hardwood floors, taking proper care of them is imperative..

We had just unloaded our equipment at the shop at the end of a difficult..

Customer service is a cornerstone of Ralph’s business philosophy, and it has..

Travis Shepard couldn’t imagine being glued to a computer all day.

“I’m not..

Are you thinking about a hardwood floor project? Magazines and websites will..

Dance teacher Marcia Fellows loves having a hardwood floor for her students..

When I was in my high school 4-H Club, each member had to do a special..

Have you seen our latest commercial? If not, take a look now. You’ll see how..

Probably everyone has had an experience when “the lightbulb” goes off and..

Hardwood floor finishes protect the flooring, but they do much more than..

I wasn’t planning on a career as a hardwood floor guy.

Hardwood floors had..

If your hardwood floors are getting old, they don’t have to be replaced. ..

Local home builders have been telling me lately that business is good. And as..

Hardwood floors are highly durable and can last for decades, but they do..

Bruce Deadman first met my father, Ralph Lorenz, at a home show in 1984, where..

Made of strong wood with finishes that are more protective than ever, h..

April Fool’s Day is a day you shouldn’t forget about. If you do, you might..

“Stability” is a hardwood-flooring term that all buyers of hardwood flooring..

One of the many cool things about hardwood floors is that they’re extremely..

Portside Builders has been using Ralph’s as its hardwood flooring..

A clear trend in hardwood flooring is toward floor colors a bit lighter than..

It’s a disappointment any time Green Bay doesn't win the Super Bowl, or at..

Even after an installation or refinishing job is complete, Ralph’s..

Since my father founded Ralph’s Hardwood Floors in 1965, we’ve been located..

Like Thanksgiving, Christmas is a holiday when we should appreciate our good..

My family has a special Christmas tradition we look forward to every year: W..

Something that sometimes gets me upset enough that I need to vent is … well … 

One of my favorite things about fall is the smells and tastes coming from..

Calling someone by their first name can get confusing among the staff at..

Ralph’s Hardwood Co. and Van’s Lumber and Custom Builders share a common..

Pictured from left to right are Roberta Lorenz(back to picture), Ralph..

In Wisconsin, many people will say they are going “up north” for the weekend...

I’ve been working in the hardwood floor industry since I was a little boy,..

In my thinking, the point of a business isn’t just to survive, maintaining the..

When my dad, Ralph Lorenz, started Ralph’s Hardwood Floors in 1965, he was..

In 1977, when Jeff Maiman bought the building he turned into The Wheelhouse..

I look forward to Mother’s Day every year. It’s a chance for me to express how..

Luxury vinyl tile is the new star in the flooring world.

Ralph’s has recently..

Some people are just “good with their hands.”

We’re looking for these people.

Grey isn’t usually something we associate with vibrancy and excitement – gray..

It's a brand new year and many of you have resolved to update your living space..

It is said a picture is worth a thousand words and so here are several thousand..

There are a lot of stories about my Dad. We’ve published a few in this blog and..

I love the smells of Christmas. Gingerbread, eggnog and even the smell of snow,..

As Americans prepare to gather around the dinner table tomorrow and give thanks..

The demand for hardwood flooring installers is growing. I know this firsthand..

Our showroom renovation has been an exciting project and as much as we could..

Here at Ralph's, we believe you should take any opportunity you can to put..

I was thinking about it the other day and realized Ralph's has over 500 years..

Hardwood is what we do best at Ralph`s and most of the time it is the..

We are in the midst of renovating our showroom and I am really looking forward..

I am consistently amazed how many people come to Ralph’s and tell me they..

We really love our hardwood floor showroom. Not only is it a great place to..

In this two-part blog we explain how a beautiful tree in the forest becomes..

In this two-part blog we explain how a beautiful tree in the forest becomes..

Here at Ralph's Hardwood, we love wood and we think all wood floors are..

Who says a workout space has to feel like a sweaty gym? All parts of a home..

For as long as I can remember, American red oak and American white oak have..

One of the great pleasures of working at a hardwood flooring company is..

Without question, conversion varnishes—also known as a “Swedish finishes”—are..

Choosing the right hardwood floors for your home is a very personal thing...

Manufacturers of prefinished hardwood flooring like to tout the decades-long..

More and more new homes being built these days feature open floorplans, and..

When customers come to us looking for new hardwood floors for their home, we..

Ten years ago, if someone asked us about whitewashed hardwood flooring, we..

There’s a tendency for customers to think of “customer service” as something..

Kitchens are a great place for hardwood flooring. They’re also a perfect..

It wasn’t so many years ago that I used to steer customers away from..

When we install hardwood floors, we occasionally get requests to orient the..

For centuries, you had to use solid plank hardwood flooring if you wanted..

When it’s time for a new vehicle, I love going to the car lot to look at all..

A hardwood staircase is a wonderful accompaniment to a beautiful hardwood..

A great way you can accent your hardwood flooring to reflect your tastes and..

I’m happy to say that Ralph’s is busier than ever.

However, new business..

Keeping hardwood floors clean makes them look more attractive and can be..

If you want to add a little extra visual excitement to your hardwood flooring,..

The “look” of hardwood flooring is something that’s hard to put a finger on...

If you’re looking to install high-quality hardwood flooring in your home, the..

Most people like things that are shiny.

Shiny new cars. Shiny jewelry. Shiny..

A few weeks ago, I wrote about us winning a Best of Customer Service Award..

A recent trend in hardwood flooring is the use of long boards. Homeowners, home..

Like many people, I find myself thinking about romance as Valentine’s Day..

Hardwood flooring planks are growing wider.

Planks just a little over 2” used..

At Ralph’s, we pride ourselves on first-rate customer service. Throughout our..

Winter’s here with a blast, and the cold winds and snow are blowing. Time to..

As trees are sawn into hardwood flooring planks, the way in which the wood is..

Every time I walk through a big-box store and see their selection of..

Do you like the way hardwood floors look and want them in your home, but you..

I stopped by a friend’s condo the other day, and as always when I visit her,..