Wooden floors are materials fashioned from timber that is designed for use as flooring either aesthetically or structurally. Wood is a common flooring option that comes in various colours, species, cuts and styles.

Most homeowners are turning to wooden flooring to enhance the glamour of their homes. It is the most abundantly renewed material for flooring available today. Trees being renewable resources that can be multiplied over and over again, sustainable forest management makes it feasible to incorporate wood into our homes without any serious aftermath on the environment.

All kinds of wooden flooring require finishing. A finishing is a protective coat that conceals the floor against everyday wear and tear. Unfinished wooden flooring is the best option when you are specific about a certain colour and when you desire to emulate the prevailing décor. There are various finishing options available, your installer will sand the wood and apply to finish on the work site. Finished wood requires lesser installation time compared to the unfinished wood, with the process of sanding and finishing completed at the manufacturing facility. The finished floors are ready to step on immediately following installation.

You can have a talk with your designer or your installer regarding the best recourse to ensemble your needs and lifestyle. Some completely overlook wooden flooring, as it seems more expensive than linoleum and carpets, nonetheless, you can reap great benefits that tend to outweigh the additional cost.

Some of the top few benefits are listed below

Advantages of Wooden Flooring

WOODEN FLOORS ARE LOW-MAINTAINANCE AND DURABLE

Wooden floors are easier to maintain since they require little upkeep once installed when compared to rugs. They require a weekly vacuuming, sweeping or dry mopping to eliminate dirt and dust. Even though time tends to leave its marks on the floor, it only gives them patina and character. If your wood is dented, scuffed, scraped or scratched, although it takes a lot to do that, all you need is spot cleaning.

Wooden floors are hard surfaces that last for decades. High-quality wooden floors are certainly amongst the most durable flooring options. Well-maintained wooden flooring is sure to outlast us all! Well, you can rest assured that these floors actually look better with each passing year. However, there is a lot to consider if you want the most durable wooden flooring for your house.

WOOD HARDNESS

It is important to select the right species of wood for your home. If durability is the sole priority then it is good to go for a hardwood like the Brazilian redwood rather than a soft wood like pine because of softwood ding and dents easily.

TOUGH FINISHES

Regardless of the species of wood you choose, you should be aware that the finishing of your flooring is the fundamental and the most vital protection that aids durability. Over the years if your wood seems worn out, you can always re-sand and re-finish which gives a fresh and a brand new look to your floor.

MAINTAINANCE AND CARE

Just like all other floors, treating your wood with care will enhance its life. Avoiding pets, high heels and debris at home will do a great deal of maintenance. Make use of rugs in high traffic areas and try circumventing direct sunlight that fades your wood.

ENGINEERED WOOD FLOORING IS THE REAL WOOD FLOORING

Hardwood floors are classy and warm, but not every room in your home is suitable for traditional solid wood floors. That being the beauty of engineered hardwood, its performance features make it feasible to install them in every space of your home including the basements and bathrooms.

Engineered wood is bonded together and built in layers. The topmost layer portrays all natural characteristics of the chosen wood species, exactly the way you would see with any real wood floor. Under the surface layer are multiple layers of high-density fibre boards that create a greater stability and strength.

High stability of the engineered hardwood floors makes this floor resistant to humidity and changes in temperature. The advantage of this is, its potential to be installed anywhere at home including the moisture prone areas.

Even though engineered hardwood floors are not made of solid hardwood, it doesn’t change the fact that it is still a genuine hardwood floor with all the beauty, warmth and the value it brings to your home. A high quality engineered hardwood floor can last as long and function as well as a solid wood floor and can also be refinished.

WOODEN FLOORS ARE MORE HYGENIC AND AVAILABLE TO ALL BUDGETS

Wooden floors are considered more hygienic than the carpets since they don’t accumulate as much dirt and dust as other floors and carpets. Leading associations of health acknowledge that wood floors are the perfect choice for healthy homes.

There are a lot of horror stories that elaborate on the parasites that carpets can harbour. These allergen producing dust flees and mites create a chaos in allergy sufferers. Wooden flooring completely eliminates this discomfort, which is most relevant to cat and dog owners.

Wood is always considered available only to the wealthy. Modern methods of production can produce wooden flooring for a lesser price making wooden floors accessible across all budgets.

PARQUET WOOD FLOORING – A GREAT CHOICE!

Parquet wood flooring is the most popular types of flooring these days. It is made by selecting different kinds of grains of wood and placed together to create a pattern. There are no bounds as to what type or size of pattern can be placed in a room, which results in more options than the standard grains for the homeowner to choose from.

Parquet floors have a sophisticated look which can counterpart any lifestyle and since the pieces of wood are arranged to create a pattern you can choose what appeals the most to you to bring your room together. This flooring is also budget-friendly, because of the wide variety of options that are available when it comes to types of wood and the finishes available, having a low budget is not a constraint. So, if you are planning to revamp your flooring then parquet flooring is a great choice.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS

Although the phrase wooden flooring expresses the practice of chopping trees down which leads to deforestation if not controlled well. Most of them are not cognizant that the average annual net growth of hardwood is much more than the average annual harvest, besides harvesting trees has minimal impact on the environment, since for every cubic foot of trees harvested, 1.66 are regrown. While taking 40-60 years for a hardwood to mature, the inventory planted this day won’t be required for the next 100 years or more.   Therefore there’s no reason to fret over the thought that you could be contributing to deforestation.

Wood is neutral carbon product that stores carbon and mass-produces oxygen during its life. A research by the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggests that production of wood flooring has very minimal emissions of carbon dioxide and no emissions of nitrogen oxide and methane. Hence the process of converting wood into flooring doesn’t contribute to global warming in any way.

Wooden flooring consumes less energy and water to produce than the other options available for flooring. Considering energy saved on utilization, you directly contribute to the conservation of energy and saving energy promotes a greener environment. Towards the end of their lives, wooden flooring can be recycled or burned as fuel.

Wooden floors are the most sought-after amenities in a home. Wood is timeless and beautiful because of its warmth and natural appearance. Your home gets a premium edge from the look of wooden flooring. You only have to be realistic and review the pros and cons of your lifestyle, which includes considering lifestyles priorities like having pets, kids or high footfall, the amount of sunlight entering the space and many more which may influence your decision. Homes with wood as its floor also sell faster and for a price higher than the houses without!