3 Things to Consider When Choosing Wood Flooring for Your Staten Island Home
Whether you’re constructing a new home or remodeling an old one, you’ve got plenty of decisions you have to make. When it comes to your flooring, you’ll want to save as much time and energy on making the choice as possible. However, even if you already know you want wood flooring, the choices can still be overwhelming.
To expedite the process, it can help to think of exactly what you’re looking for in your hardwood flooring. Here are three things that are important to consider when you’re making this decisions:
1. Hardness of the Wood
Every kind of wood has a rating on the Janka Hardness Scale. This scale measures the wood’s ability to resist denting and other wear-and-tear. On the softer side of the scale, you have white pine, and one of the hardest is Brazilian ebony. Hickory is about in the middle of the scale.
Look at how hard each different type of wood is, and see which types are within your price range. If you have pets or children, you’ll probably want a harder wood. But if you’re mainly interested in the appearance, softer woods may be better.
2. Engineered Vs. Solid Wood
A lot of people prefer engineered wood flooring for one, simple reason: it’s the cheaper option. Engineered wood is also easier to control and will handle changes in temperature and humidity better than solid wood. Engineered wood won’t become cupped or distorted with moisture damage, and it’s easier to work with and can be installed more quickly because they come pre-measured and finished.
However, engineered woods cannot be refinished, which can mean that their lifespan is shorter than solid woods. Once this flooring has worn out, it’ll have to be replaced. Most homeowners find that solid woods wear much better than engineered woods.
3. Dark vs. Light
When it comes to whether you should choose a darker or lighter wood, it’s almost completely dependent on your preferences. It is worth noting that dark floors will show more dirt than lighter floors. You’ll also be able to see more scratches on the surface of dark floors than on lighter floors.
Whatever you choose, our wood flooring experts can help you with the installation, maintenance, and repairs. And if you have more questions about your choice, our professionals will be able to answer them.
Remember, no matter what you end up choosing, the most important thing is that you take proper care of your flooring. Make sure you don’t let any water settle on the floor, or you could do significant damage. Clean up any spills as quickly as possible. And put protectors on the legs of any furniture you have to prevent scratches.