BLOGS

Hardwood flooring is beautiful. Having it in your home can add a rustic cozy feel to your home. Or it can give a modern and sleek design to your home. Different woods and their patterns will give you a different look and feel to your home. How do you know which one is the right one for you though? There are many things that one needs to consider when choosing hardwood flooring. A few of the many things to think about is the wood species, hardness, and finish.

1. Wood Species

The type of wood you have for your hardwood flooring is very important. It isn’t just about the color of the wood or the look of the grain that we are talking about. Those features are important though because you do want to like what put in your home. The biggest factor when it comes to picking the wood species is the fact that different types of wood are harder or softer than others. So, if you have dogs or kids softer woods will become scratched and easily damaged. Therefore, it would be important for you to get a harder type of wood. Each wood will vary in hardness, grain patterns and color. Wood such as cherry will darken over time as the sun hits it. There are many variables to consider with your choice of wood. Think about each variable and which will be the best pick for your home.

2. Hardness

As stated before each type of wood will have a different type of hardness. Red oak is one type of wood that will withstand wear and tear brought on by pets and kids. However, pine is a softer type of wood that tends to show scratches. Then there is a choice between engineered wood and solid hardwood. There are pros and cons to both. Most times it is going to depend on the type of look you want and how much time you really want to spend on maintaining your floors. Solid wood floors do tend to scratch but the up side is that they can be sanded out and refinished as many times as you want. Always choose what is best for your family though and not necessarily on what color looks the best.

3. Finishes

Finishes to hardwood floors are important because they protect the wood. In addition to this it adds color and personality to the flooring. There are two types of woods you can have finished which is the engineered type and the solid wood. When you go to pick your wood have in mind that most woods are prefinished. This finish allows for less color options but easier installation. Another advantage to buying wood flooring that comes with a finish on it is that they have a longer warranty and their finish is more durable. However, if you’re not liking any of the colors you can always do site-finished floors.

Picking your hardwood floor is tricky because you want to hit a sweet spot where you love the color but it also has the durability that you want. Before choosing a certain type of wood for your home always do research on it to find out if it will work for your family. Think long term not just short term. For example, you may not have kids or dogs right now but are you planning on them in the future. These are important things to consider because it’s not cheap pick and install a different kind of hardwood flooring. Green Haven Home understand what is involved with picking the right kind of hardwood flooring. Take a look at our photo gallery to see what we have put in our homes!