Making the decision to install hardwood floors in your home is a wise investment. Wood floors are beautiful and durable. Another benefit of installing wood floors is that you have a variety of choices. There are many types of materials, installation methods, and coloring or patterns you can choose from. However, with more to choose from, this can make it more difficult for you to choose which wood floor suits you best. Mike’s Custom Flooring will share a few tips or considerations to help determine which floor is right for you and your home.
Best Hardwood Floor for Your Lifestyle
When determining which type of hardwood floor you should install in your home, you really need to look at your lifestyle or your home’s environment. Pets, kids and families that love the large outdoors equals a lot of foot traffic and dirt. Both can cause the wood floor to scratch up quickly and wear down the protective finish faster. Softer woods simply don’t hold up well in these condition either. When installing hardwood floors your home environment must be considered first. Homes with heavy foot traffic, make sure you look into hard woods and avoid softer woods. Additionally, install wood that uses a strong finish or sealer. Some softer woods with mild foot traffic can use an oil based finish. However this is not the case in high traffic homes. When looking around for wood floors look at the wood’s durability rating, what sealer or finish it uses, and long term care.
Hardwood Flooring Cost
Another determining factor is budget. Set a budget of what you can spend on the wood floor. Keep in mind the square footage of the area that you want installed with hardwood floors. Make sure the two numbers meet together. Hardwood floors are most often priced by the square foot. When determining your budget, measure the square foot of the room and how much money you can spend on the floor this will help give a number you can spend per square foot. Keep in mind other material and fees that go along with your budget. Depending on the method of installation the materials vary as well as labor for installation. Make sure to include all material, installation costs as well as the cost per square foot when setting your budget.
Hardwood Floor Options & Trends
Understand and know all of your flooring options. Hardwood floors don’t have to be hard wood. There are also pre-finished, engineered, and laminates, as well as solid hard wood. Each type of material has its own set of pros and cons. Solid wood is actually planks of wood cut from different types of trees. Solid wood is very customizable but does require more care. Pre-finished hardwood floors are a combination of engineered and solid wood that have a sealer on the wood right out of factory. Pre-finished wood does require maintenance much like solid wood floors. Engineered wood is a man-made plank, using several layers of real wood. Engineered wood comes in many patterns and colors and is very easy to install. The same can be said for laminate flooring. Laminate floors are also man-made and is recommend for high traffic homes. They are easy to clean, and very little maintenance is involved with both laminate and engineered flooring.
Hardwood Floor Installation Services & More in Charles Town & Eastern Panhandle of Berkeley & Jefferson Counties in WV | Winchester & Frederick County | Round Hill & Loudoun County | Berryville & Clarke County | Herndon & Fairfax County VA
Keep these three tips in mind when choosing to install wood flooring in your home. Make sure to do your homework and pick the flooring best for your home. If you need more advice or help installing wood floors in your home, contact Mike’s Custom Flooring today.
