Hardwood Floors, Friend or Foe?

       You favorite little nephew comes over and spills your wine or juice on the floor. Okay there is a new huge ugly stain on the carpet. Oh and if the glass breaks, it is downright dangerous now.

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       If you have enough money saved or have started a job that pays well, you are probably thinking of getting your own place. Mmm! Sounds tempting! But remember that time you went to that amazing party in a mansion and saw hardwood floors and thought, ‘one day! I will walk on my own hardwood floors.’ If you haven’t had that thought, I am sure now you do. Or even if you want to install hardwood floors in your house now, is a great idea to make you place look a hundred times better.

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       Frankly speaking, carpets are so 1990s. With the modernization of everything, it is no surprise that architecture and interior designing is also on the bloom. Especially hardwood floors are now replacing carpets. To be honest, carpets have many disadvantages that hardwood floors don’t. These are a few benefits of hardwood floors;

• Do not stain as carpets, can be cleaned like any other surface.
• Do not need replacement every few years, will probably last for decades.
• Unlike carpets, is free from dirt particles and allergens and does not cause any allergies.
• Installing hardwood floors in your house will also increase its value.

Hardwood flooring and laminated floors:

       Both of these, hardwood and laminated floors are a great alternative to carpets. Both are different.

• Laminated floors:

Laminated floors give the appearance of hardwood floors however, they cost less. This is built by pressing together wood at high temperatures which is then placed on composite wood to make it look like hardwood floor. Although sometimes they may look artificial.

• Hardwood floors:

These are harvested from trees. Since they have to be made from trees, therefore their prices vary according to the exotic quality of the trees the wood has been obtained from. This will give your home a great aesthetic appealing appearance, improving your home.

Types of Boards:

       There are majorly two main types of hardwood used to make hardwood floors. Both of these are manufactured from one hundred percent wood. Hence both have their own advantages and disadvantages. The two types are;

1. Solid Hardwood:

As the name suggests, the solid hardwood boards are made up of solid wood. Every board of hardwood is made from one single piece of wood. A solid hardwood board is usually 3/4^th of an inch in thickness. Although there is the option of it being sanded and refinished as the need arises. Solid hardwood boards are permanently fixed to a sub-floor made from plywood or a similar material.

Although solid hardwood give a gorgeous and unique finish and make the place look a lot better however there are certain drawbacks too, since the hardwood floors are made from wood, they expand and contract according to the temperature and humidity.

• Engineered Hardwood:

Engineered hardwood is easier to install than solid hardwood and is also a lot cheaper too. A single board of engineered wood is built from several types of wood. Usually three to five types of wood are bonded together to form layers.

Unlike solid hardwood, engineered hardwood does not expand or contract depending on temperature and humidity. So it can be installed in any part of the house. It may not be as appealing as hardwood but it certainly is more functional and cheaper.

Finding the right type of hardwood flooring for your house and according to your requirements is not hard. If cost is an issue, then do a little survey before getting your house all pretty with hardwood floors. And to answer the question above, hardwood floors, definitely friend!