Hardwood flooring is the dream flooring for a lot of people. It is long-lasting, majestic, and beautiful when properly maintained.
Pros
Beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but right now, hardwood floors are considered one of the most beautiful flooring types. There was an era where our parents and grandparents covered them up with shag carpet, but they’re back. You cannot watch an HGTV program without someone demanding wall-to-wall hardwood.
Durability. In most scenarios, hardwood floors are very durable. Because they’re a thicker and stronger type of flooring, they can withstand a lot of jumping, sliding, dancing, etc.
Repairs. Unlike some other types of flooring, repairs are possible. Instead of ripping up the entire floor, you can more easily replace one or two planks or sand down the floor and re-stain. This gives you options beyond replacing the entire floor. You can fill minor dings with a wood filler and reseal with polyurethane.
Ageless. Hardwood floors, like a good two-button suit, never go out of style. People have been using them for hundreds of years. And, in some cases, the same floors have been used that long. With proper care, good hardwood floors will last centuries with needing only a few repairs here and there.
It is worth mentioning that those century-old floors are not the type you buy at a hardware store. It still proves the test of time claim though.
Cons
Regular Maintenance. In order to keep your flooring looking good and lasting a long time, you have to refinish it every five years or so. If your floors have higher wear than normal, you may have to do additional coats of polyurethane between refinishes as well. I’d recommend runners and area rugs in your high traffic areas, if possible.
Tend to Show Scratches. If you have a dog, many types of hardwood flooring will show every scratch your dog’s nails make. Same with kids who like to push toys around or play sports indoors.
Sun Bleaching. The sun can actually bleach your hardwood floors. In order to prevent this, you should put a UV protective film on your windows.
Hardwood Flooring Maintenance
Regular maintenance is a must. This involves regularly cleaning. However, you should be careful not to use too much water. Hardwood can absorb moisture and expand. Expanding floors will buckle and cause more permanent damage. A broom and a Swiffer or moist cloth is sufficient to clean your floors. You do not need to apply water directly to them.
Additionally, you need to clean up any spills as soon as possible. If a kid leaves a wet jersey on your floor, it can cause damage.
Moreover, I recommend an oil soap for regular cleaning. Fortunately, you can obtain that at any grocery or hardware store.
Finally, if properly maintained, your hardwood floors should last you 20-30 years. However, even after those decades, you may not need to replace the floors.
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