5 Things to Consider When Installing Hardwood Flooring in Your Homes

In 2022, wood flooring renovations give the highest ROI to homeowners with 80%. Choosing the correct flooring options for your home can raise its value and selling price without the lack of interested buyers. Hardwood flooring installation and refinishing are in top demand in the market. While having hardwood floors reap lots of benefits, there are still some things you need to consider before starting your flooring installation project. This will help ensure you make the best decisions for your home's value and interior. Here are five wood flooring factors you need to know before installing hardwood floors. 

1. Hardwood Flooring Type

Hardwood floors have been in the industry for decades and are one of the oldest flooring options in the world. Traditional hardwood flooring consists of solid and thick hardwood planks. However, newer and more affordable hardwood flooring is entering the market.

In recent years, engineered hardwood flooring has become an ideal alternative for solid hardwood planks. Unlike the latter, engineered hardwood is a veneer layer on top of durable plywood. This design allows the flooring more stability and flexibility. Moreover, it’s the cheaper choice for people who want hardwood floors on a tight budget.

Engineered hardwood flooring is ideal for basements and apartments that have concrete subfloors. Instead of installing hardwood over two plywood layers, homeowners can glue them directly into the concrete or soundproofing mat. They also have higher water resistance than solid hardwood planks. The downside of choosing engineered hardwood is the limited number of times you can sand and refinish them.

While more expensive, solid hardwood floorings have unique qualities, depending on the wood species you will use. Homeowners can also feel them underfoot and tend to be quieter than engineered hardwood. Moreover, you can sand and refinish them any time you want. 

2. Your Lifestyle

Hardwood floors are low maintenance and long-lasting. With regular cleaning and refinishing, hardwood floorings can still look good as new after a century. However, there are instances where your flooring’s longevity and appearance can be at risk.

Although not many homeowners consider it before a hardwood floor installation, your lifestyle can wear and tear your hardwood floorings faster. Floors in homes that get heavy foot traffic have regular exposure to large amounts of dirt, grit, dust, and water.

People who work heavily outdoors bring back more grit that can get stuck on the hardwood floors despite their routine cleaning. Households with young children or pets can add wood scratches that can be irreparable. Moreover, frequent house parties can also add scratches, dirt, and cases of prolonged light and water exposure.  While most hardwood floors feature strong floor coatings that can handle light and average wear, they need a consistent maintenance routine to stay nice and shiny. 

3. Prefinished or Site-Finished Plank

Often, you can buy solid hardwood planks with a raw face that your chosen hardwood installer can finish on-site. But there are now prefinished planks with stains and topcoats for remodelers who want to install the floorings themselves.

The benefit of prefinished wood planks is you know what floors you will have. These hardwood planks are also faster to install because you don’t need to apply colors or sealant after installing them.

On-site finished planks allow homeowners to customize their floors to suit their style or taste. Unlike prefinished planks, they tend to be smoother and more detailed.  However, doing a site finish can be tricky. To ensure you end up with the hardwood flooring of your dreams, you need to hire the most suitable hardwood flooring services. 

4. Plank Width

In recent years, different sizes of hardwood planks are becoming available in the market. Unlike before, people are not limited to two to three-inch wood planks. Wider planks are now in trend and give your floors a higher sense of luxury and more expense.

Today, average planks can range from four inches to seven inches in width. The size of the hardwood plank can also affect its price, and the wider options often cost more. There is also a higher chance of seams being more prominent when the hardwood expands and contracts. 

5. Type of Hardwood and Floor Finish

One of the reasons for the hardwood floor’s comeback is the increasing number of wood species now available in the market. Homeowners and remodelers have more choices than the usual oak and maple hardwood.

Exotic hardwood species are now trending for several reasons. Some of these are its unique color and pattern and special features. Unlike traditional wood species, most exotic wood has higher water resistance. You can also forego flooring stains and finishes with these kinds of hardwood.

But if you’re leaning into oak hardwood floors, finishes are essential to keep them strong and pretty. There are two categories of hardwood finishes: oil and polyurethane.

Oil finishes penetrate the wood better and help it look soft and natural. They tend to scratch easily but applying them can make the scratches less noticeable. Moreover, an oil hardwood finish is easier to apply if needed.

Polyurethane finishes are more durable and resilient to wear and tear. This makes them an ideal option for high-trafficked floors. However, you may need to replace a damaged plank and recoat the entire flooring. 

Looking Into the Factors Before Hardwood Installation

Hardwood floors are now the hottest house must-have. Because of its several financial benefits to homeowners, many people are renovating their floors. However, changing your flooring into hardwood isn’t easy. You need to check on certain factors to ensure you will get your money’s worth from your remodeling project. In doing so, you will have wooden flooring that matches your house’s style and avoid spending more money than you should.

Get a consultation with a professional hardwood installer by contacting Kelly’s Hardwood Floors today!

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