Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood Flooring: The Best Choice for Your Home

Hardwood flooring is a popular choice for many homeowners. It is durable, beautiful, and can add value to your home. Here are some of the benefits of hardwood flooring:

• Durability: Hardwood flooring is one of the most durable flooring materials available. It can withstand years of wear and tear, and it is even resistant to scratches and dents.
• Beauty: Hardwood flooring is available in a wide variety of colors and styles. You can find hardwood flooring to match any décor, from traditional to modern.
• Value: Hardwood flooring can add value to your home. Studies have shown that homes with hardwood flooring sell for more than homes with other types of flooring.

If you are considering hardwood flooring for your home, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, hardwood flooring is a more expensive option than some other types of flooring. However, the long-term benefits of hardwood flooring, such as durability and beauty, make it a worthwhile investment.

Second, hardwood flooring requires regular maintenance. You should vacuum or sweep your hardwood floors regularly, and you should use a hardwood floor cleaner every few months. With proper maintenance, your hardwood floors will last for many years.

If you are looking for a durable, beautiful, and long-lasting flooring option, hardwood flooring is the perfect choice for your home.

Types of Hardwood Flooring

Though you have many flooring choices resembling hardwood, there are two options delivering real wood: 

• Solid hardwood - Solid hardwood flooring is made from a single piece of wood. It is the most durable type of hardwood flooring, but it is also the most expensive. Solid hardwood flooring lasts a lifetime, works well in most areas of your home, and provides a sturdy feeling underfoot. 
• Engineered hardwood - Engineered hardwood flooring is made from multiple layers of wood, including a top layer of solid hardwood. It is less expensive than solid hardwood flooring, but it is not as durable.

How to Choose the Right Hardwood Flooring for Your Home

When choosing hardwood flooring for your home, there are a few factors you need to consider, including:

• Durability: How much wear and tear will the flooring be subjected to? If you have a busy household with young children or pets, you will need a more durable type of flooring.
• Style: What style of flooring do you want? Hardwood flooring is available in a wide variety of colors and styles. You can find hardwood flooring to match any décor.
• Budget: How much are you willing to spend on flooring? Solid hardwood flooring is the most expensive type of hardwood flooring, while engineered hardwood flooring is less expensive.

Hardwood Flooring Appearance

Wood floors are often mimicked in other flooring materials for a good reason. For instance, the variety of hardwood flooring looks available gives you the freedom to find hardwood floors that go with your existing decor. 

Consider how you want width, tone, color, and grain pattern to visually impact your home. Darker finishes and intricate grain patterns can add coziness and drama while light-hued or cool grey finishes on wide plank hardwood flooring can give the impression of a contemporary open space. 

Wide Plank Hardwood Flooring

Width is another choice you're faced with when shopping for hardwood floors. Standard width planks run between 5 to 6 inches, while wide plank hardwood flooring can span 7 inches or more. Not only do wider planks help a space feel bigger and more open but they’re also easier to install since they have fewer seams. 

Care and Maintenance of Hardwood Floors

Wood floors are among the most durable natural surfaces that you can install in your home. Even though your floor's durability will depend on the wood species you choose, you can rest assured that all hardwood options can gracefully pass the test of your active household. In fact, the eventual patina that comes over time can add character and charm.

Maintaining wood flooring takes a little attention but in the long run, it's worth it. Like all floors, you can clean hardwood regularly by sweeping or vacuuming using the wood floor setting. If a spill occurs, clean it up quickly to prevent swelling and other damage. Refer to the manufacturer documentation for care instructions specific to your new floor. 

Hardwood Flooring Lifespan

When it comes to solid hardwood floors, you get out what you put into them! Under optimal conditions, hardwood flooring can last up to 100 years or more, but the life of your new hardwood floors is largely up to your choices. A few factors can lead to a long life with your hardwood floors, including: 

• High-quality wood and materials
• Proper installation
• Routine maintenance and care that follows the manufacturer's guidelines
• Average level of wear and tear 

Warranty protection like what Carpet One Floor & Home offers can give you peace of mind and ensure you have beautiful wood floors to enjoy for years to come. 

Hardwood Flooring Installation

Hardwood requires a strong, precise installation, which is why it’s best left to experienced professionals rather than a DIyer. 

Depending on the type of subflooring your home has and the density of the species you choose, wood flooring can be nailed, stapled, or glued down. The most straightforward method is a floating installation, which involves interlocking individual planks over the subfloor, often with no adhesive needed. 

Pros and Cons of Hardwood Flooring

It's worth weighing the pros and cons of an investment like flooring to help you decide. Hardwood floors have some obvious advantages, like:

• Durability
• Natural beauty that complements any design style
• Recoup a big portion of what you spend when you sell
• Can last a lifetime when maintained properly
• Unique look in every plank

There are only a few disadvantages to hardwood flooring, such as: 

• Upfront cost 
• Not good for high-moisture areas like bathrooms, mudrooms, or below-grade basements
• Can scratch or gouge, especially with pets' claws

Hardwood Flooring Cost

Opting for genuine wood flooring means increased property value and a lifetime of beautiful, resilient flooring, though it does come at a cost. Solid hardwood is one of the more expensive flooring materials you can choose, with prices varying by species.

Solid Wood vs. Engineered Hardwood Flooring

It might be hard for you to tell the difference between solid hardwood flooring and engineered hardwood at a glance because you're seeing genuine wood with both. The difference is in the composition. 

• Where solid hardwood consists of milled wood only, engineered wood has a few manmade layers beneath a natural wood top layer. 
• Though solid hardwood offers the aesthetic appeal and sturdiness underfoot, engineered wood is more resilient, water-resistant, and easier to install. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best type of hardwood flooring for my home?

The best wood flooring really depends on your needs, both from a durability and design perspective. The hardest and most durable wood is hickory, followed by white oak and red oak. Other wood species, including birch, ash, and walnut, are just as suitable wood flooring options.

What is the most popular wood floor color?

As you may have seen, light, natural hardwood has become a trendy look in modern home builds, likely because it makes smaller spaces appear larger and more open. Ash, birch, and red oak are a few wood flooring types with naturally lighter hues, but if you don’t have access to those products, you can always apply lighter tones of finish to another species.

What is the best way to clean hardwood floors?

The best way to clean hardwood floors is to vacuum or sweep them regularly and to use a hardwood floor cleaner every few months. You should avoid using harsh chemicals on your hardwood floors, as these can damage the finish.

How often do I need to refinish my hardwood floors?

The frequency with which you need to refinish your hardwood floors depends on the amount of wear and tear they receive. If you have a busy household with young children or pets, you may need to refinish your hardwood floors every few years. If you have a low-traffic home, you may only need to refinish your hardwood floors every 10 years or more.

Update Your Floors With Carpet One Floor & Home

At Carpet One, we take pride in our extensive selection of high-quality hardwood flooring options, backed by our expertise and dedication to customer satisfaction. We believe that every customer deserves the best, and we are committed to delivering exceptional products and services tailored to your specific needs. We know how important it is for you to feel confident in your flooring selection. We strive to ensure the floor we've created together is as beautiful as the one in your dreams. If not, we'll replace it for free. That's what we call the Beautiful Guarantee.®*.

If you're ready to shop and transform your space with stunning and durable hardwood floors or if you simply want to learn more about our hardwood flooring, please don't hesitate to contact us or get a free estimate.