Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Wood Floors (Matching older wood floors)

We have wood floors in our dinning room and breakfast nook. We are wanting to take up the carpet and put a wood floor down. Should it match what we already have? If we can't find the right color how should we proceed?

Finding a pre-finished wood floor to match exactly will be a challenge. All woods tend to acquire a patina (change color) as they age. For a closer match, you can install unfinished hardwood. When sanding to finish the new floor, sand off finish on older floor and then finish all floors the same at the same time.

Why not use the change in floor color as a design feature? Change the direction, add a pattern, add a border in a different color. A turn-of-the-century (1902) house I once owned had different hardwood floors (or just different borders) in every room. For example, if you have red oak floors in your existing rooms, and bordered the remodeled room with walnut, then filled in most of the room with oak that doesn't match the original, it will look (and be) intentional.

If you try to match the original, and miss by just a little, it will be obvious.

Solid hardwood should be laid perpendicular to joists, so changing directions may pose some installation issues. Matching new with old floors poses a challenge. A border, as recommended, is an option. There are no rules that state adjoining rooms have to match, although continuity is often the most desired. An exact match is usually difficult to achieve, but chances are greater if you finish both old and new at the same time as unfinished wood.

I'm a little confused by your statement "solid hardwood should be laid perpendicular to joists". In older construction, the subfloor was usually 1 by 6, or 1 by 8 boards laid perpendicular to the joists, or at a 45 degree angle. The hardwood was then usually laid perpendicular to the subfloor (except in the 45 degree case). In more recent construction, 3/4 t&g plywood is often used as subfloor under finish floors. With a plywood subfloor, I don't see a compelling reason to stick with perpendicular to the joists.

The joists support the weight of the hardwood flooring that rests across it for greater support.