Reasons Why Hardwood Floors are Popular in Homes
Wooden floors improve the aesthetics of the home and its value. Here are the reasons why hardwood floors are popular in homes.
There are different species of hardwood trees. Familiar hardwood trees include cherry, oak, walnut, maple, hickory, teak, Douglas fir, birch, pine, beech, alder, and mahogany. The type of tree species determines the hardness and the lifespan of the wooden floor. That does not mean that some wooden floors are weak because they are generally long-lasting. Special chemical is used to treat the fresh wood after harvesting to keep away termites. Moisture and liquids cannot damage the wood because a protective, smooth layer that is non-porous is used to cover the wood.
The floor is friendly to the environment. It protects the environment from waste. Debris of tiles and concrete floor do not decompose when the renovation is done. When renovation the house, the wooden floor remains decompose and become humus thus adding nutrients to the soil. There are many different ways of reusing the wooden remains after renovating the floor.
Different designs of the hardwood floors are created to meet the taste of different people. There are species of the hardwood trees that produce wood that has unique tones. You can pick between unfinished and finished designs of hardwood floors. Varnishing, staining, and tanning alters the tones of the wood into dark and lighter shades. The wood can also be painted.
Maintenance costs of hardwood floors are minimal. The floor lasts longer if it is exposed to less scrubbing and abrasive detergents because they wear out the protective layer quickly thus exposing the wood to liquids and moisture. Cleaning dirt ad tough stains from the hardwood floor is easy.
The floor is easy to install; hence renovation and repair costs are quite manageable. You can have the home installed with random, straight, diagonal, parquet or herringbone patterns of hardwood floors. Installing a hardwood floor is better than installing tiles and cemented floors because you have to wait a few days for the cement to dry and the tiles to stick whereas you can move in immediately the hardwood floor has been installed.
The hardwood floor prevent warm air from escaping the house thus the house remains warm in cold seasons. You need floor heaters when you have concrete and tiled floors because they are cold in winter, thus exposing your family to pneumonia.
You can lay carpets on the hardwood floor because it is not slippery. The hardwood floor minimizes the risk of accidental falls that are caused by slipping on the floor.