Do you feel a little overwhelmed with all the flooring options on the market today? You are not alone. If hardwood flooring is one of the options you are considering let us give you some pointers as to why you should choose hardwood flooring.
Hardwood is Safe & Clean
Because solid hardwood is all-natural it doesn’t hide any harmful particulate matter, making for a healthier, safer living environment, especially for allergy sufferers. Generally, hardwood floors cost more than carpeted floors, but they also require less maintenance, last longer, and can be“repaired” (instead of replaced). Especially in older homes, hardwood floors can be draftier and colder. But a well-selected area rug typically remedies this problem.
Low Maintenance
Comparatively, hardwood floors require minimal maintenance – in terms of both effort and equipment. Consider, simply, the difference in price between a mop and vacuum. Hardwood floors are also much more resistant to spills and stains. Hardwood floors do get scraped, scratched, scuffed, dented, and damaged – especially in high traffic areas. However, wood flooring can most often simply be sanded, smoothed, and refinished by West Coast Floor Company. It is rarely necessary to replace a wood floor.
Sustainable
Since wood is a naturally occurring resource, which can even be reforested, hardwood floors are also a quality ecological choice. Wood flooring is the most abundantly renewable flooring material available. The U.S. Forest Service states that the annual net growth for hardwoods is greater than the average annual removal rate. This means that trees are growing faster than they are being used today. In addition, wood remains the largest carbon sink on land for CO2 emissions, as well as one of the major sources of oxygen, comprising the air we breathe. Wood floors also use less water and energy to produce and can be burned as fuel or recycled at the end of its life cycle, making it an extremely sustainable product. They not only bring beauty and value to a home, but they last hundreds of years and are easier to maintain than most other flooring options.
One popular and very sustainable trend in flooring today is reclaiming wood from old barns, factories, warehouses, landfills, or even river bottoms to use for wood flooring. This type of wood is extremely unique and possesses a certain history that makes it charming and somewhat enchanting with variations in character, color, and mineral variations. Not only is the irregularity of the wood attractive, but it is much more dimensionally stable than new hardwood flooring. The lifespan of the reclaimed wood has exposed it to air for many years and makes it less susceptible to changes in humidity that could cause swelling or shrinking.
Unsurpassed Beauty & Value
Perhaps the number one reason to choose a hardwood floor is for aesthetic reasons and the return of investment. Hardwood is natural and one of the oldest flooring materials there is, and it never goes out of style. Because of the large variety of trees and wood types, a world of colors, consistencies, designs, grains, and patterns are available. Hardwood floors last for a lifetime and can be restored many times to restore them to their former beauty.
Whereas many new homeowners will remove carpeting upon purchasing a house, viewing it as an additional expense. Unfortunately, this would be ill-advised as hardwood floors have been proven to improve the value of a home and are thought-after by home-buyers.
In Conclusion:
With proper maintenance hardwood floors are a sound investment that pays off for a lifetime and brings beauty to any room. Reach out if we can be of assistance.