Wood Flooring Options

Installing wood flooring can add value and beauty to your home if it is done right. There are many options available if you are seeking to add wood flooring to your home, so take a little time to find out what the best choice for your home and lifestyle would be.

Wood Flooring Durability

In general, a hardwood floor is more durable and more resistant to damage from the wear and tear that comes with daily use. However, if you maintain your softwood floor carefully, it should last just as long as a hardwood floor. While wood flooring may not be the most durable of all flooring materials, it will still outlast much of the competition.

The Hardwood Floor

A well installed and properly finished hardwood floor is as good as it gets when it comes to wood flooring. It’s one of the best looking flooring solutions on the market; it’s durable and when it does start to show wear, you can re-finish it to look like new. Oak is one of the most durable hardwoods, with a tight, dark grain. It is by far the most popular material when it comes to installing wood flooring in homes.

Maple is the second most popular hardwood. Maple has a lighter color and a less pronounced grain than oak, and gives a room a lighter, softer look. Ash is also popular as a hardwood floor, and is known for its uniform light texture and consistent grain.

Softwood Flooring

From a durability standpoint, softwood just isn’t as resilient as hardwood alternatives. It’s going to show more scrapes, dents, and wear over time than a hardwood floor. If properly maintained, however, it can still last a lifetime. It can always be refinished to restore it like new, and many homeowners like the western feel, and fresh scents, that come hand in hand with softwood flooring.

Popular Softwood Flooring Choices

Pine flooring is perhaps the most popular softwood sold as flooring material. It is often found in older homes because it was more widely available and less expensive than hardwoods. If you’re worried about durability, consider the fact that there’s an 800-year-old church in Brno, Czech Republic that still has its original pine floors intact and in excellent shape. There’s no better testament to the possible longevity of a well-maintained softwood floor!

Birch is a popular softwood similar to pine. It tends to have more knotholes and thus more character than its pine counterpart. Fir is the other common softwood. It has large patches of dark grain that many homeowners find attractive, though it is certainly the least durable softwood used in flooring applications.

Other Wood Flooring Options

• A hardwood floor and softwood flooring aren’t your only choices when it comes to wood flooring options. Bamboo flooring is taking the flooring industry by storm as of late.
• Bamboo is actually tougher than traditional hardwood, and comes from a renewable resource, unlike hardwood cut from felled trees that take centuries to re-grow.
• Laminate flooring is also a very cost effective option, if you’re strapped budget-wise. Made from composite materials, it can be almost indistinguishable from the real thing.
• Engineered wood flooring combines the best qualities of solid wood and laminate flooring, but can be a bit expensive. On the plus side, it may be able to be refinished if the wood veneer is thick enough.

Wood Flooring Contractors

To discover the best wood flooring option for you, talk to a wood flooring contractor about which material will best suit your budget, your home, and your personal preferences. No matter which type of wood you ultimately choose, you can be sure that it will be more beautiful than any carpet or vinyl tile floor while increasing your home’s value.

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