Mark Popiol is manager of Chicagoland Flooring Inc. in Chicago, a family-owned business that has been in operation for more than 20 years. Chicagoland Flooring has been part of the National Wood Flooring Association since 1995.

“We have a genuine desire to help homeowners have a more successful flooring experience,” Popiol says.

The company’s philosophy has paid off with Angie’s List members; Chicagoland Flooring received the Super Service Award in 2003 and every year since 2005.

We asked Popiol to give his insight on the installation and maintenance of hardwood floors.

What do I need to know about installing and caring for a hardwood floor?

Popiol: The most important thing is finding the right contractor. Very often, I see homeowners making wrong choices based mostly on pricing. They try to compare a few contractors without taking into an account if they have general liability and workmanship insurance, proper training and industry-recognized certifications.

When the discussion is only about price and not about risk, it's easy for homeowners to go with the lower cost because they don't fully understand what they are getting for their money.

A contractor should have professional training and follow job-site conditions as described by the National Wood Flooring Association. It always surprises me that people assume that all contractors are properly trained and know proper installation techniques and job-site environment conditions. Having a nice website and buying flooring machines is just the first step in becoming a flooring contractor. You should ask for certificates of seminars, technical schools offered by NWFA and other major flooring organizations or manufacturers.

The wood flooring professionals certified through the NWFA have proven their expertise. They are among the best in the industry and will help you achieve a high-quality job that will last for the lifetime of your home.

If you have water damage, you want a contractor with the proper technical knowledge and special tools to test suspicious areas for the presence of water and moisture. They can determine the proper course of action from this evaluation. Always find the source of water first, then floors can be dealt with.

It's best to have the contractor purchase the wood materials from a reputable local flooring supplier. They know how to properly store wood products in special controlled environments. If there are questions or issues with the flooring, there's someone locally available for help. If you buy wood online, there will likely be nobody to help you.

Most hardwood floors should be periodically maintained by adding an extra finish layer, known as recoating, every three to seven years. You should also use commercial grade felt protectors under all furniture pieces.

For cleaning, you should normally only dust, mop or vacuum floors. Use proper hardwood cleaner instead of soaps, wax or silicon products, as they can build residue. Solid hardwood floors have life spans of more than 100 years, so most of the time only repairs are needed.