Health Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors can bring a natural element of beauty to any home. But they also have many benefits to your health and wellness.

You can easily find a hardwood style that complements your home. The key is understanding the different wood species, colors, grading, and grain. Then you can make an informed decision on the best wood for your home. Click Here for more information.

Hardwood floors are tough enough to resist stains, scratches and dents. They can withstand a lot of wear and tear from kids, pets and daily activities. They can also be sanded and refinished over and over again, which can cover up minor imperfections and continue to look good for years. Preventive measures like placing doormats at entryways to trap dirt and grit and encouraging family members and guests to remove their shoes can help extend the life of your hardwood floors. Area rugs can also reduce the amount of debris that ends up on your wood flooring, helping to prolong its lifespan.

The type of hardwood you choose can impact its durability as well. When choosing a hardwood flooring material, make sure to consider its Janka hardness rating to ensure it can stand up to the rigors of everyday life. The Janka hardness test measures how much force is needed to embed a steel ball into a piece of wood. Harder species of wood such as red oak, cherry and hickory are more durable than softer ones such as pine, fir or cedar.

In addition to wood species, the sheen of your hardwood floor can have a big impact on its durability. A matte or satin finish will better camouflage surface scratches and scuffs, while a glossier sheen can reflect more light which makes scratches and dents more noticeable.

When it comes to selecting a solid or engineered hardwood, the thickness of the planks will determine its durability as well. A thicker 3/4 inch hardwood plank is more durable than a 5/16 inch version. The thickness of the planks can also be affected by the construction method. Solid hardwood is nailed to the subfloor, while engineered hardwood is bonded together with multiple layers and can be installed over a variety of substrates including radiant heating elements.

Aside from the thickness and sheen of your hardwood, the color and grading of the planks will influence its overall durability. Darker hardwood colors, such as walnut, hickory and mahogany have a natural beauty that lends itself to more traditional or domestic styles. On the other hand, lighter colored hickory, maple and ash have a more contemporary appeal.

Easy Maintenance

When you choose hardwood floors for your home, they add a timeless look and feel. They’re durable, easy to maintain, and increase resale value. However, like any flooring choice, they require regular maintenance to keep them looking their best.

Hardwood floors need sweeping or vacuuming regularly to eliminate dust and dirt. A damp mop or cleaner with a pH-neutral solution is also effective. It’s important to dry the floor after mopping to prevent water damage.

The type of wood you select and its finish will also affect how easily your floors clean. Solid hardwoods come in various domestic and exotic species. The harder the species, the more durable your hardwood floors will be. Choosing hickory or oak over soft pine will provide a tougher surface to resist scratches and scuffs. It’s a good idea to lay runners and doormats in areas that receive high amounts of foot traffic or can suffer spills, such as entryways and hallways.

When deciding on a wood finish, oil-based polyurethane provides the best protection from scuff marks. While it takes longer to dry than acrylic urethane, it is more resistant to heat and solvents.

While you can use hardwood in most rooms, it’s recommended to avoid placing heavy furniture on the hardwood floors. The weight can cause dents and scratches. Placing felt pads on the bottom of furniture legs can also help protect your hardwood floors from damage.

If you do choose to place furniture on your hardwood floors, remember to re-arrange it periodically to even out the wear and tear. Some species of wood can also react to sunlight differently, fading the color over time.

If you’re looking for a low maintenance flooring option that still offers the warmth and beauty of wood, consider luxury vinyl tile (LVT). LVT is highly scratch-resistant and waterproof. This makes it a great flooring choice for areas that may encounter water or mud, such as kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and mudrooms. It can also withstand heavy foot traffic. Unlike real wood, LVT can be sanded and refinished once or twice in its lifetime, making it a budget-friendly option for homeowners.

Versatility

Hardwood flooring is versatile in that it can fit a wide variety of decor styles. With its innate beauty, hardwood floors can complement classic home designs with timeless elegance, or they can enhance modern and contemporary aesthetics with sleek lines and refined finishes. Depending on the species of wood, the coloration and grain pattern, and other details like sheen, you can personalize your hardwood floors to create an aesthetic that matches your personality and fits your home.

With a little imagination, you can experiment with unique installation techniques and widths to create a custom look for your floors. You can also play with stain colors to create a look that’s completely your own. For example, light-colored stains and matte finishes can create a modern feel, while darker stains and glossy sheens can give your hardwood floors a more traditional style.

Whether you choose solid or engineered hardwood, you can further customize your floor by choosing the size of your planks. The standard thickness of solid wood is 3/4 inch, while engineered hardwood typically comes in thinner planks. Compared to traditional solid wood, engineered hardwood offers greater stability because of the multiple layers that are glued together during manufacturing. These layers can also reduce the occurrence of gaps or warping that is caused by changes in temperature and moisture.

In addition to varying widths and lengths, hardwood floors can be installed in many different ways. You can choose to lay your floor in a herringbone or diagonal pattern, or you can opt for an intricate design that features different boards of varying sizes. Other options include installing your wood in a parquet format, or you can even try out different edge treatments such as beveled edges.

While the traditional hardwood choice is solid planks, you can also explore exotic hardwood options such as hickory and brazilian cherry. Each species of wood has its own characteristics, such as color and brightness, grain pattern, and strength. Exotic woods can offer a more dramatic effect in your home, while traditional hardwoods can complement a range of interior decor themes.

Eco-Friendly

As a natural, renewable resource, hardwood floors have a low environmental impact. Unlike synthetic carpeting and linoleum, wood floors don’t require the use of chemical-laden adhesives or sealants. Hardwood floors also require less energy to manufacture than other flooring types and can be reclaimed and reused at the end of their lifespan.

One of the most environmentally friendly characteristics of wood flooring is that it actually helps to offset carbon emissions by absorbing them during its life. In addition, the raw materials used to make wooden floors — trees — can grow back twice as fast as they are harvested.

The most popular hardwood species for residential use are oak, maple, and cherry. These three types of hardwood are well-known for their versatility and beauty and can be matched to a wide variety of design styles. Oak in particular is a very durable and cost-effective choice for high traffic areas and can hide most scratches and scuff marks well.

While solid hardwood requires more of the tree to be harvested than engineered wood, both types are sustainable choices for eco-friendly homeowners. When buying wood flooring, be sure it is sustainably sourced and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC-certified wood ensures that the timber is legally sourced from forests that are managed in a responsible manner to avoid overharvesting and help the environment.

Domestic tree plantations are another sustainable option. These farms create timber from native trees without damaging the surrounding forests and can reduce the need to harvest timber from natural forests, which reduces overall carbon emission levels.

Lastly, you can purchase eco-friendly hardwood that is already finished in a factory. This eliminates the need for finishing work to be done in your home and reduces the amount of chemical fumes that are released into the air. Look for floor products that are GREENGUARD certified, which is recognized by the UL Environment and meets the highest indoor air quality standards in North America.

In addition to being a beautiful and timeless design choice for your home, eco-friendly wood floors are a great investment in the value of your property. Real estate professionals and potential buyers often place a premium on hardwood floors over other flooring options, especially when the flooring is sourced sustainably.