Authorized Dealer
We're an authorized Appalachian and Mullican dealer. That means factory-direct pricing, real manufacturer warranties, and grade-A lumber — not the off-spec seconds the big-box stores get stuck with.
— Hardwood · Central Ohio
Hardwood floors, installed right.
Real hardwood and engineered hardwood from the brands we trust — Appalachian, Mullican — installed by Buddy himself in London, Plain City, and beyond.
Authorized dealer
What we install
Solid hardwood — oak, maple, hickory, walnut
Engineered hardwood — basements & slab
Appalachian & Mullican — authorized
Nail, glue, or float — method by subfloor
2-yr workmanship warranty
The Hardwood Difference
Hardwood is forever flooring.
Real hardwood outlasts every other flooring product on the market. LVT lasts 20 years if you baby it. Carpet is gone in 10. A properly installed solid-hardwood floor lasts 50 years, and because you can sand and refinish it three or four times over its life, it gets a second life every 15 years without ever ripping it out. That's why the old farmhouses in Madison County still have the same oak floors they had in 1920 — and why we'd rather install one floor that lasts than replace cheap flooring twice.
The real question isn't hardwood yes or no — it's solid versus engineered. Solid is one piece of real wood, 3/4" thick, nailed down to a plywood subfloor above grade. Engineered is a real-wood top layer over a plywood or HDF core — more dimensionally stable, so it handles basements, slab-on-grade, and humid kitchens without cupping. We carry both, and on every job we take moisture readings before we recommend one over the other.
Where most shops cut corners is the install itself. Skipping acclimation, ignoring subfloor moisture, nailing into a subfloor that's still wet from the roofer — all of it shows up six months later as gapping, cupping, or squeaks. Buddy handles acclimation, moisture, and nailing discipline himself on every hardwood job. Twenty years in the trade and he still sweeps the subfloor before the first board goes down.
How It Works
From the showroom to the final nail.
Four steps. Buddy and Natasha handle them all — no subcontractors, no hand-offs, no finger-pointing.
01
Showroom visit — sample selection
Start at 55 W High Street in London. Natasha walks you through Appalachian, Mullican, and the species we stock — oak, maple, hickory, walnut — so you can see grain, color, and sheen side by side under real light. Take samples home, lay them against your trim and cabinets for a day or two, and decide without the showroom pressure.
02
Natasha measures + moisture check
Natasha measures the rooms, accounts for waste factor and pattern direction, and Buddy reads subfloor moisture with a meter. If the subfloor is too wet for solid hardwood, we'll say so — and steer you to engineered or a dry-down plan before ordering anything. You get a firm quote with square footage, material cost, and labor spelled out line by line.
03
Acclimation — 48–72 hours on site
Hardwood expands and contracts with the humidity of the room it lives in. Before a single board goes down, the flooring sits in your home for 48–72 hours so it matches your ambient moisture. Skip this step and you get gaps in the winter and cupping in the summer. We don't skip it — even when the calendar gets tight.
04
Install + finishing
Buddy nails every board himself on solid jobs — correct fastener spacing, expansion gaps at every wall, threshold transitions cut to fit. Pre-finished hardwood is ready to walk on day one; site-finished gets sanded, stained, and sealed with two coats of poly before we leave. Final sweep, baseboard touch-up, and a 2-year workmanship warranty on top.
Why Buddy's for Hardwood
Three things that separate us from the big-box install.
Hardwood is unforgiving — the mistakes show up late and they're expensive to fix. Here's how we keep your floor square, tight, and flat for the long haul.
Owner-Installed
Buddy nails every board on solid hardwood jobs himself. No sub-crew, no rotating install teams, no "the guy who quoted you isn't the guy doing the work." Same hands from first board to last.
Subfloor Discipline
Moisture reading on every job, full acclimation period, subfloor prep before anything gets fastened. It's the step every rushed install skips — and it's why our floors don't cup or gap a year later.
“
Buddy installed 1,200 sq ft of oak in our main floor. Three years later it still looks like day one. The guy knows hardwood.
Google Review · Plain City, OH
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Common Questions
Answers from Natasha.
Solid vs engineered — which do I need?
Solid hardwood is one piece of real wood, 3/4" thick, and lasts 50+ years because you can sand and refinish it multiple times. Engineered is a real-wood top layer over a plywood core — more dimensionally stable, so it handles moisture swings better. If you're installing over concrete or in a basement, engineered is usually the right call. Above grade on a plywood subfloor, solid hardwood is the long-term winner. We take moisture readings on both the subfloor and the ambient air before we recommend one over the other.
What hardwood brands do you carry?
We're an authorized dealer for Appalachian and Mullican — two of the most respected American hardwood mills. Both source responsibly, grade their lumber tightly, and stand behind their finishes. We also rotate in other brands depending on what the job calls for, and we stock samples of everything in the London showroom so you can see grain, color, and sheen side by side before you commit.
How long does hardwood installation take?
Most residential hardwood jobs run 2–5 days total. That includes a 48–72 hour acclimation period where the flooring sits in the room so it matches the home's humidity, plus the install itself and any site-finishing if the wood isn't pre-finished. Square footage, species, and subfloor prep all move the timeline, but for a typical main floor we plan on about a week from delivery to final sweep.
Can you refinish existing hardwood?
Yes. If your existing solid hardwood has wear, surface scratches, or a finish that's looking tired, refinishing is usually a better move than replacement. We light-sand the existing boards, patch any damaged planks, and lay down a new stain and finish. It's a fraction of the cost of a full tear-out and it extends the life of the floor by another 15–20 years easily. Call Natasha at (614) 301-1958 and we'll come out to take a look.
— Start at the Showroom —
Ready for real hardwood?
Stop by 55 W High Street to see Appalachian and Mullican samples under real light, or call Natasha and we'll measure your space this week.
Prefer to dial? (614) 301-1958
Buddy's Flooring LLC · 55 West High Street, London, OH 43140
Mon–Fri 9 AM–2 PM · (614) 301-1958 · Family-owned since 2019
Mon–Fri 9 AM–2 PM · (614) 301-1958 · Family-owned since 2019