Hardwood installation in Washougal, WA

Joseph E. C. Durgin established the townsite in 1880, and Washougal incorporated in November 1908, the same year the railroad arrived. In 1910 a woollen mill opened, and Pendleton Woolen Mills acquired it two years later, giving the town an industrial identity it still has. The city sits 18 miles east of Vancouver on the north bank of the Columbia, and the 2020 census counted 17,039 residents.

Wool is a good place to start a flooring conversation here. It is one of the natural, renewable options we like to put in front of clients who care about what their home is made of. Wool carpet and wool area rugs are naturally resilient, they hide soil well, they are warm underfoot, and they age gracefully when they are made and installed properly. They also cost more than synthetics, so we will be honest about where they are worth it, typically bedrooms, stairs and a living-room rug, and where a well-made synthetic is the more sensible choice.

The other local fact is the wind. Pressure differences between the east and west sides of the Cascades turn the Gorge into a wind tunnel, and in winter they draw very cold east winds toward its western mouth. Washougal sits right there.

For flooring, cold, dry outside air matters mainly through what happens indoors. When the heating runs hard through an east-wind spell, indoor humidity drops, and wood floors give up moisture and shrink. Small seasonal gaps between hardwood boards are normal; large ones usually mean the wood was installed too wet or the house swings more than it should. We address that in three ways: letting the wood acclimate in your home before installation, recommending engineered hardwood where the house swings widely, and suggesting a sensible indoor humidity range so the floor stays stable through the winter.

Washougal is a short drive east of our Vancouver showroom along the Columbia. Consultations are by appointment, and we plan the whole job, including removal, stairs and trim.