Manchester, N.H. -- The change of seasons brings festive times indeed, but for your home's floors the forecast calls for increased traffic, an army of wet shoes and boots walking in from snow, ice and rain, a greater chance of parties (and spilled drinks) and 100% more kids inside playing on them.

The fall season is traditionally one of the best times to install hard surface floors. For consumers considering taking the plunge to replace their hard surface flooring ahead of holiday entertaining season, Flooring America took a deep dive into one of the market's new innovations: Waterproof hardwood floors.

Water resistant engineered wood flooring has been available for several seasons, but real hardwood floors that are waterproof were introduced earlier this year and have been making a splash across Flooring America. It's tough, durable, strong—and it's undeniably beautiful.

How Can Hardwood be Waterproof? A hydrophobic sealant is applied to the top of the hardwood veneer which protects the plank from water damage. Due to the thickness of the veneer that is wrapped around a Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) waterproof core, water evaporates before damage occurs to the veneer or subfloor. That SPC core is rigid and resistant to impact, then a hydrophobic sealant is applied to the top of the hardwood veneer which protects the plank from water damage.

To test that it is in fact waterproof, the Aquadura H2O line—exclusive to Flooring America—underwent water absorption testing, dimensional stability testing, and 24-hour submersion testing. After 24 hours under water, there was no swelling or cupping. The line also went through a large chamber test that cycled the product through a range of relative humidity and temperatures to mimic the environment of different geographical regions. It also survived the "Cobb Ring:" a 24 hour topical test which forced water through the face of the veneer to determine how much water is absorbed.

At Flooring America, Aquadura H2O comes in 7.5 in. wide planks in 36 unique hardwood looks and several finishes that include smooth, band saw marks, wire brushing, reactive staining, high and low color variation, black and white accent graining as well as the traditional looks.

For more information, visit www.flooringamerica.com.