Author: Ashley Simpson
Prepare for Flooring Installation
A smooth flooring installation in Charleston comes down to more than just picking the right material. It depends on how well the home is prepared before the crew ever arrives. Because Charleston’s humidity means certain flooring materials need to acclimate on-site before installation even begins, a little planning upfront can be the difference between a… Read more
Common Flooring Mistakes
When it comes to buying flooring in Charleston, the most costly mistakes have nothing to do with picking an ugly color or the wrong finish. They come from choosing a material that wasn’t built for this area’s humidity, foundation types, or housing stock—a mistake that won’t show up on install day, but six months or… Read more
Best Flooring for Waterfront Homes
Waterfront properties on Kiawah and Seabrook face a more extreme version of coastal conditions than even a typical beach-adjacent home. Direct water access, docks, and marsh-front or oceanfront lots mean higher ambient humidity year-round, more consistent exposure to moisture, and — since these are often higher-end homes — an expectation that the flooring look as… Read more
How Humidity Affects Hardwood
If you have hardwood floors in a Charleston-area home, humidity isn’t something you dealt with once at installation and moved on from — it’s an ongoing factor your floors respond to year-round. Understanding hardwood and humidity in Charleston means knowing what’s actually happening beneath the surface as the seasons change, not just noticing a problem… Read more
Charleston Flooring Trends
Scroll through any national design site and you’ll find the same flooring trends recycled for every city in the country. Charleston flooring trends look a little different when you’re actually the one installing floors in homes across Daniel Island and Mount Pleasant every week — some national trends hold up beautifully here, and others don’t… Read more
Engineered vs Solid Hardwood in Charleston
Should I go with engineered hardwood or solid hardwood? It’s one of the most common questions Charleston-area homeowners ask—and it’s a harder call here than it is in most of the country. Humidity changes how each flooring option performs, which means the usual pros-and-cons lists you’ll find online don’t always apply once you factor in… Read more
Best Flooring for Coastal Homes in Charleston, SC
Choosing beach house flooring in Charleston means solving for a set of conditions mainland homes never have to face. On Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, and Kiawah Island, flooring has to stand up to constant humidity, corrosive salt air, tracked-in sand, and — if the home doubles as a vacation rental — a steady stream… Read more
Choosing Flooring for Summerville Homes
If you’re building or buying in Summerville right now, chances are you’re choosing flooring for a Summerville home that didn’t exist a year ago. With communities like Nexton and Cane Bay growing fast, most homeowners here are picking flooring for a brand-new slab foundation — a very different decision than refinishing floors in an older,… Read more
Best Flooring for Charleston’s Humid Climate
If you’ve lived in the Charleston area for more than a season, you already know the air here does something to a house that drier climates never have to deal with. Choosing the best flooring for Charleston’s humidity isn’t just a style decision — it’s a practical one, and getting it wrong shows up months… Read more
Return of Rustic: How to Recreate the Style with New Floors
Not long ago, every home improvement show seemed to center around a rustic design for their dramatic home makeovers. One of the most prominent features in a rustic design is the floor, which typically runs throughout the entire home (or at least the main living areas). While some interior designers prefer more smooth finish floors… Read more