If you want flooring that is both affordable and provides a luxurious sensation to your feet, wood is an excellent choice. The natural beauty and warmth of wood entices us to fantasise about having hardwood flooring in our home. It is natural for you to draw towards such flooring since it embodies so much class and elegance. Nowadays, we can discover a variety of flooring materials that can finally rival the grandeur of wooden flooring. However, wood adds a feeling of grandeur and refinement to the entire environment of your home.
Wood flooring is the greatest option if you want a style that is both adaptable and integrates with any sort of design. It adds warmth and charm to both classic and contemporary dwellings. Whether you choose wood flooring in your business or your home, it is an elegant and dependable choice. So, before you get the hardwood flooring placed, let’s go through the benefits and drawbacks!
Hardwood Flooring Benefits
Although the price may be significantly greater during the first investment, with good care, it may last you for more than a lifetime. Regular carpet flooring, linoleum flooring, and laminate flooring, on the other hand, wear and tear quickly.
We’ve highlighted ten advantages of hardwood flooring for you:
A long-term commitment
If properly maintained, wood flooring may survive for more than a century. They may appear to be a large expenditure at first, but unlike other types of flooring, they do not need to be replaced every 10 or 20 years. It also offers an excellent return on investment, since the value of wood flooring rises over time.
When deciding on the sort of flooring you desire, your budget is always a crucial consideration. However, there are now both pricey and low-cost solutions for wood flooring. It is an investment that will pay off in the long run, since wooden flooring will outlast you and boost the market value of your home.
Variety
When choosing wood flooring, you will be given a plethora of options. You can choose one based on your budget and availability. Not a single board is the same tint or tone, which adds authenticity while also improving its visual appeal. If you like, you may dye them if you become tired of the same hue. You might also mix and match the woods to create an intriguing design for the flooring.
Among the several types of wood flooring available are:
- Cherry from Brazil
- Tigerwood
- Cypress from Australia
- Walnut from Brazil
- Teak
- Chestnut of Brazil
- Hickory
- Oak (Red and White) (Red and White)
- Mahogany Santos
Quality that endures
Carpet and vinyl flooring must be replaced after a given amount of time, but wood flooring only has to be refurbished or re-sanded. This helps to restore the flooring to its original condition while preserving its gloss and sheen. Wood flooring is less prone to harm and ages gracefully.
They do not appear old or boring, and the ageless elegance of wooden flooring assures that it is always in vogue. This trend has been employed in houses for a long time, so you can be confident that you will save a significant amount of time and money in the future.
Simple upkeep and hygiene
You can maintain the wooden flooring clean by vacuuming, cleaning, and keeping it dry. Because hardwood flooring is non-electromagnetic, it does not collect a lot of debris, dust, or grime.
The overall upkeep of hardwood floors is rather straightforward, and they are fairly resistant to liquid accidents. Typically, households with dogs have a musty and unpleasant odour owing to spills on the carpeted area, but with hardwood flooring, this is the least of your concerns.
Healthy indoor air quality
Wooden flooring does not support parasites such as fleas, dust mites, or spores. They keep allergens, animal dander, and moulds from attracting and causing allergies. As a result, the interior atmosphere is kept safer than is normally the case with other forms of flooring.
Allergies are more common in households with children, and physicians often prescribe hardwood flooring to allergy patients. It is a healthy choice because it is hypoallergenic and does not absorb bad scents. You may also install an underfloor heating system with wooden flooring, which is an efficient and effective approach to keep the house warm.
Better for infants
Wooden flooring is a common choice for children’s bedrooms. It is non-toxic and safe for newborns who have only recently learnt to crawl. When children are exposed to hardwood flooring, their motor abilities increase. Because hardwood floors are easy to clean and maintain, they are a superior alternative than the others. If there are scratches on the floor, they can be painted or simply sanded down. Wooden flooring is popular among parents because it reduces the likelihood of little objects becoming buried beneath the carpet.
Engineered hardwood flooring
Excellent acoustics
You can avoid any form of vibrations with hardwood flooring. When you are not working in a busy atmosphere, wood flooring is a fantastic choice; otherwise, it might make the room sound like a cafeteria. However, if you enjoy music or your children play instruments, the sound will be clear since it eliminates hollow noises.
Increases the resale value of your home
Although the initial cost of wooden flooring is considerable, it has been shown to increase the value of a home. A house with hardwood flooring sells faster, demonstrating how the choice of flooring increases the value of a property. Finally, it creates a rich appearance as its texture improves with time.
Organic
Hardwood flooring is becoming increasingly popular as the healthiest organic alternative available. If you want biodegradable flooring, wood is a fantastic choice. Wooden flooring helps to decrease environmental impact and aids in the construction of a sustainable house. It is simple to maintain and clean, and its toxicity level is minimal.
Easy Installation
The installation of hardwood is simple, and it may improve the value of your property. Hiring a professional to complete this task is the best option for you, since any mistakes might destroy the whole appearance. Because hardwood planks are often quite thick, even minor variations in floor height may be accommodated, but laminates are not. The highlight is floors, which are normally clipped together and readily removed; you can take it with you when you move.
Hardwood Flooring’s Drawbacks
The downsides of wood flooring are typically unknown, however it is commonly influenced by humidity and temperature variations. The wood is more prone to swelling in chilly and wet temperatures, but shrinks in warm and dry conditions.
We have identified ten disadvantages of hardwood flooring for you:
Cost
The cost of timber flooring is significantly higher than that of carpets or tiles. As a result, this may not be an economical solution for everyone. Hardwood flooring is typically put over sub-flooring, which complicates the installation procedure. The cost of seeking expert assistance may vary.
Prone to termite infestation
Termites eat on wood, and most contemporary homes are constructed with these risks in mind. Infestations of this kind are frequent in several species, including spruce and southern yellow pine. To avoid such issues, it is important to select the proper type of wood. Termites normally consume wood from the inside out, so keep an eye out for minor damage on the floor.
Tap the floor with a screwdriver to see if you hear any hollow sounds. If you do, they are created by termite cavities. When your hardwood flooring gets weakened due to termite infestation, it will creak and squeak.
Avoid contact with water
The hardwood flooring may be cleaned with a mop, but it should not be dripping with water. If there is a seepage, the hardwood flooring will be ruined. When washing the surface, avoid using harsh detergents.
Scratching
Because wood flooring is prone to dents and scratches, regular care is required. If there is a spill, there is also the possibility of discoloration on the floor. This is why you must use extreme caution around children and pets. When opposed to softwood flooring, hardwood floors display imperfections more strongly.
Use is restricted
Hardwood flooring is not a good choice for every area in your house. We do not recommend having it put in your bathroom or kitchen. Because they are high-moisture and spill-prone regions, the wood may be damaged.
Cupping
This happens when the borders of your wood board are higher than the centre owing to moisture content that has caused the wood to expand gradually. Water spills on hardwood floors should be avoided since the water absorbs quickly. Because all of the boards are maintained close together, there is compression in the hardwood flooring as the wood expands. And the board’s edges are damaged as a result of the enlargement.
Crowning
It is the inverse of cupping in that the centre of the wood board rises above the edges. This occurs in humid circumstances with a high moisture content. It can also happen if you begin sanding the edges after seeing cupping, but if the moisture content has not dried off, it leads to crowning. If you do not allow the wood to dry after sanding the edges, the middle of the wood board will begin to rise (crown).
Moulds
If there is any sign of mould or fungus, keep an eye out for water seepage. They thrive in humid and moist environments, and most typically in the spaces between the top and sub-layers of the floor. Moulds may be discovered when they spread and begin to ruin the top layer of the hardwood floor. If mould development is excessive, you may need to replace the wood. Hardwood flooring must be well maintained, thus avoiding water seepage, which creates breeding grounds for mould.
Noise
When the hardwood flooring is finished, it will provide you with a sturdy and noise-free foundation. However, after a few decades of usage, the regular wear and tear, as well as excessive movement, might cause particular areas of the wood flooring to change. As you walk over the surface, you may hear clicking and creaking sounds.
If you live in an apartment, it might be really inconvenient for your neighbours below.
A lot of maintenance
You will need to polish them on a regular basis, such as every 3-4 years, especially in high-traffic locations. It is critical to keep the flooring clean in order to avoid excessive dust and dirt, which can dull the surface and produce scratches.
The floor should only be cleaned with a microfiber cleaning cloth and sprays designed for wooden floors. If you are vacuuming hardwood floors, make sure the model has an on/off brush roll option, and do not leave the brush roll (used for cleaning carpets) operational since this might cause scratches.
Conclusion
Choosing the appropriate type of flooring may be difficult. You will undoubtedly make a sensible selection if you evaluate the advantages and downsides of hardwood flooring.
Your house is your modest dwelling, so choose wisely!