You invest your time, efforts, and money altogether while making selection of flooring range from wood flooring suppliers. There is no denial that hardwood floors are long running product as they positively charge your environment with warmth and tradition. Hardwood floorings have been existed in the world since centuries even if these are prone to damage from wear and tear and unexpected flooding. Since hardwood is an organic material, the damage is magnified when it is compared to ceramic or vinyl flooring. The cellular structure of wood can be break down easily when expose to moisture or humidity.
However, you can prevent such damage with proper care and maintenance and make them long-lasting for decades to come without spoiling their beauty.
Understand the types of wood flooring available in the market
There are two kinds of wood floorings you can get from supplier, i.e. engineered and solid.
Solid hardwood flooring is build with 100% natural wood without using additives. Though manufacturers and suppliers do use some finishing products over them to enhance their lifespan, yet the product all below the coating is natural hardwood.
Positive – Solid hardwood offers excellent resale value as home buyers never miss the real, solid hardwood flooring.
Negative – Solid hardwood flooring can be damaged if exposed to moisture or humidity for longer time.
Engineered hardwood flooring is different because it is a layered product that includes the use of plywood. So, if you get an engineered wood for yourself, you get 95% of plywood. The top and the bottom are made of pure wood.
Positive – Engineered wood flooring delivers stable performance under extreme climate conditions and minor flooring.
Negative – You can only lightly sand engineered wood flooring for few times in its lifetime.
Other than this, some suppliers also provide laminate flooring options. Laminate floorings are just like hardwood in appearance since its top layer is a photographic image that gives it a look of real hardwood. There is a coating on the top of the flooring that acts as a shield.
Positive – Laminate flooring is a cost-effective product and you don’t need professional to install it.
Negative – While laminate floorings add better look to your place, there are home buyers show disinterest in laminates. This slides down the resale value for laminates as compared to solid and engineered hardwood.
How to protect and maintain the hardwood flooring?
When you think of maintaining and protecting your hardwood flooring, you simply doing good to add life to your flooring.
Things to remember while installing hardwood flooring-
- Protect them against moisture-
- Never install your hardwood flooring in high moisture areas like bathrooms
- Apply mats where moisture may form
- Mope up spills immediately
- Close the doors or windows during rains
- Take care of main coat
- Never let raw hardwood be exposed- coat it immediately
- Treat scuff area with reapplication of coating
- Protect from wear and tear
- If you have pet, clip the claws to avoid scratches
- Use area rugs wherever and under furniture
You can always count on wood flooring suppliers to avail maintenance services for your wood flooring.