5 Facts About Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are some of the most popular flooring preferences of homeowners and people in the market to buy a home, and for good reason. Not only do hardwood floors instantly add value and elegant appeal to your home, but this investment can lead to decades of use with minimal care and occasional maintenance.

But perhaps best of all, hardwood flooring is one of the only flooring options to exist that will retain (and in some cases even accrue) value with age, as opposed to depreciating significantly like some other less expensive options. Now see if your linoleum floors can do that.

So what are the most important things you should know before you purchase hardwood flooring? Is it worth the time and expense? Can hardwood flooring fit into our budget?

Here are the hard-hitting facts and things to consider if you’re interested in having hardwood floors installed.

1. Real Hardwood Flooring is Really Unique.
   Hardwood flooring is a natural and traditional flooring option throughout the county. But crazier than that is the fact that no two floors are alike. Just like fingerprints, no two trees are alike and thus, no hardwood floors are ever identical to another. Whether it’s grain pattern, color, mass or anything else, you’ll never find identical trees or wood. Each species of hardwood is distinct and completely unique. The type of species and part of the tree the wood is cut from can determine the shade and the grain pattern, all of which are unique to your floor.

2. What About Pre-Finished Hardwoods?
   Most homeowners purchase wood floor that are pre-finished. This eliminates an entire step during installation. Pre-finished hardwood floors appear sanded, screened and already pre-stained. Multiple coats of polyurethane mist are distributed over the boards, which are then naturally dried to create a long-lasting finish. A benefit of this type of hardwood is that it can be recoated to rejuvenate the finish and revitalize the natural look. Several years down the road when your wood is finally worn, you’ll have the ability to sand it back down and give it a new stain. Remember, however, natural wood floors can only be stained so many times before they lose their bright surface.

3. The Effects of Direct Sunlight, Humidity, Moisture, and Temperature.
   All hardwood floors will fade or change shades over time, all depending on the amount of direct sunlight the floors receive over the course of a day. Exposure to sunlight greatly accelerates this process. More importantly, since wood is porous natural material, it expands and contracts according to temperature changes. Depending on the severity of those changes, shifts in temperature can result in hairline change in appearance.

4. Hardwood Floor Maintenance and Repairs.
   Maintenance and care for hardwood flooring typically entails sweeping and dry mopping. Wet mopping and steaming should be avoided, just to reduce the amount of drastic fluctuations in temperature. Underneath hardwood floors, no sub floor is perfectly level. Cracks, valleys, dips, and bumps can occasionally occur in your home due to the sub flooring. This can be especially true with older homes.

5. Budgets for Hardwood Flooring?
   While hardwood floors are certainly more expensive than some other flooring options, most buyers tend not to take the overall lifespan of the floors into account during their purchase. Hardwood flooring can range between $6-$15 per square foot compared to half that for carpeting. But the biggest difference is in the durability in hardwood flooring. For the upfront cost, properly installed hardwood floors can last for decades with minimal care and maintenance.

How do you feel about hardwood floors? Would you highly recommend them or never install them again? Tell us what you think and contact Smart Carpet and Flooring for your next hardwood flooring installation in New Jersey, Staten Island or Eastern Pennsylvania!