Three Things to Consider When Choosing Hardwood Flooring
Whether you’re remodeling your home or building a new construction, you’ll have plenty of decisions to make throughout the process. When it comes to the flooring in your home, you’ll want to be able to save as much time and energy on choosing the materials as possible, but if you’re looking to add hardwood flooring to your home, the choices an be overwhelming.
At Prestige Home Experts, our Charleston flooring contractors can work with you to find the perfect hardwood flooring materials for your home. To make the decision a little easier, you should consider the qualities that you’d like your hardwood floors to have. Here are three important considerations to make before you choose hardwood floors:
The Hardness of the Wood
Each kind of wood has a rating on what is called the Jank Hardness Scale, which 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 in your Charleston home, you’ll probably want a harder wood. But if you’re mainly interested in the appearance, softer woods may be better.
Engineered vs. Solid Wood
Many homeowners prefer engineered wood over solid wood for their flooring, if only because it is the cheaper option. Engineered wood is also easier to maintain, and it will handle changes in temperature and humidity much better than solid woods. Engineered wood won’t become cupped or distorted with moisture damage, and it’s easier to work with and can be installed in your Charleston home 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. Solid wood floors are generally considered higher quality than engineered woods, and they will have a much longer lifespan, which can mean that they’re a better investment.
Dark vs. Light Woods
The benefits that you’ll get from either dark or light wood are almost completely aesthetic, so the choice really comes down to your preferences and your Charleston home. 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.
Our professionals can work with you to decide on the right wood to use for your flooring, and we can also provide you with a high quality installation.