Hardwood Flooring: Top Benefits and Why It’s the Right Choice for Your Home

Hardwood flooring has long been a popular choice for homeowners, and for very good reason. With its classic elegance, durability, and versatility, it is easy to see why so many people opt for hardwood floors in their homes. In this article, we will explore the top benefits of hardwood flooring, as well as why it’s an excellent choice for your home, compared to other flooring options like laminate flooring.

Hardwood Flooring Gallery

Before we can talk about hardwood flooring, let’s get right to the images. Beautiful hardwood floors that will give you some inspiration.

With the many different hardwood flooring options available, hardwood flooring may seem like an out-of-reach expensive option. However, hardwood flooring still remains the best possible choice in having a living space that is safe, clean and has low maintenance.

Now onto the benefits of hardwood flooring.

1. Enhanced Aesthetics and Timeless Appeal

There’s no denying that hardwood flooring adds a touch of sophistication and warmth to any space. Its natural beauty and timeless appeal can make a home feel both elegant and inviting. Furthermore, hardwood floors can make a room appear more spacious, which can be especially beneficial for smaller rooms or apartments. In contrast to other flooring options like laminate flooring, wood flooring provides a unique look and character that can complement any design style, whether modern, contemporary, rustic, or traditional.

1.1. Wide Selection of Wood Species and Finishes

Hardwood flooring is available in a variety of wood species, such as oak, maple, cherry, bamboo, walnut, ash, mahogany, and others. Each species offers a distinct look and feel, allowing you to choose the perfect option for your home’s aesthetic. Additionally, hardwood floors can be stained or finished in various ways, providing even more customization possibilities. This versatility in design makes hardwood flooring a great choice for any home.

2. Durability and Longevity

One of the key benefits of hardwood flooring is its durability. When properly cared for and maintained, hardwood floors can last for decades. In fact, many older homes still have their original hardwood floors in excellent condition. Unlike other flooring materials that may be easily scratched or dented, hardwood floors can withstand heavy use and still look stunning.

2.1. Engineered Hardwood Flooring

If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly option without sacrificing quality and durability, engineered hardwood flooring might be the right choice for you. Engineered hardwood flooring has a real wood surface layer on top of a plywood substrate, making it look very similar to solid hardwood flooring. It offers the same durability and longevity as solid hardwood flooring, but at a more affordable price point.

3. Low Maintenance and Easy Cleaning

Hardwood floors are surprisingly low-maintenance and easy to clean, making them an ideal choice for homeowners with busy schedules. They can be swept, vacuumed, or steam-cleaned to remove dirt, debris, and allergens. Moreover, hardwood flooring is stain-resistant, so spills can be wiped up easily without causing any damage. This ease of maintenance sets hardwood flooring apart from other options like carpets, which can harbor dust mites and pet dander, and require more frequent cleaning.

4. Improved Home Value

Investing in hardwood flooring can significantly increase the value of your home. Potential homebuyers often view hardwood floors as a desirable feature, making your home more attractive and valuable in the real estate market. In fact, the National Association of Realtors reported in 2019 that homeowners can recoup 106% of their investment in hardwood floors, with the average cost of installation being around $4,700. This return on investment makes hardwood flooring a smart choice for those looking to boost their home’s value.

5. Better Indoor Air Quality

Hardwood flooring is a healthier choice for your home’s interior, as it does not have grout lines, fibers, or embossing that can trap allergens like dust, pollen, and pet dander. This makes hardwood floors an ideal option for allergy sufferers or those looking to improve the indoor air quality of their home. In comparison, carpets can harbor allergens and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

6. Enhanced Acoustics

Hardwood flooring can improve the acoustics in your home by reducing hollow sounds and vibrations often associated with other flooring materials. This is why many dance and music studios choose hardwood floors for their spaces. With hardwood flooring, you can enjoy a quieter and more peaceful living environment.

7 Versatility in Design

Hardwood flooring is highly versatile and can easily adapt to any interior design or decoration theme. Regardless of how often you change your home’s accents or color scheme, hardwood floors will seamlessly blend with your aesthetic preferences. Additionally, hardwood flooring is available in various shades and species, adding even more design possibilities to your home.

7.1. Unique Patterns and Customization

Hardwood flooring offers unique patterns, colors, and shades that cannot be replicated by manufactured materials. This adds a personal touch to your home and sets it apart from others with similar flooring options. You can also choose from different installation patterns, such as diagonal, herringbone, chevron, or parquet, to create a truly customized look for your home.

8. Environmental Sustainability

Hardwood flooring is an environmentally friendly choice, as it is made from a renewable resource. Many wood species used for hardwood flooring, such as bamboo, can be harvested and regrown quickly, making it a sustainable option for your home. Additionally, hardwood floors have a long lifespan, meaning they won’t need to be replaced as frequently as other flooring materials, reducing waste in the long run.

9. Easy Refinishing and Restoration

If your hardwood floors become scratched or damaged over time, they can be refinished and restored to their original beauty. This process involves sanding down the surface and applying a new finish, giving your floors a fresh and revitalized appearance. This is a significant advantage over other flooring materials like laminate flooring, which cannot be refinished and may require replacement if damaged.

10. Noise Reduction

Hardwood flooring can help reduce noise in your home by absorbing sound and minimizing echoes. This creates a more comfortable and peaceful living environment, especially in multi-level homes or buildings. If you’re concerned about the noise levels in your home, consider installing hardwood floors to help create a calmer and more serene atmosphere.

In conclusion, hardwood flooring offers numerous benefits, making it an excellent choice for any homeowner. With its timeless appeal, durability, ease of maintenance, improved home value, and contribution to a healthier living environment, hardwood flooring is a worthwhile investment for your home. Remember to consider factors like your budget, design preferences, and environmental concerns when selecting the perfect hardwood flooring for your space.

About Tom Adams Windows and Carpets

Tom Adams has been beautifying homes since 1955. Fast-forward to today, and we are now one of the largest home improvement companies in the Philadelphia-Allentown area. We owe our success to our friendly, yet professional, knowledgeable employees who sell and install high-quality windows, doors, siding, flooring, and carpeting from the top manufacturers.

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Glossary of Terms – Hardwood Flooring

Above the Grade
A floor that is above the level of the surrounding ground on which the structure is built.

Acrylic Urethane
A slightly different chemical make up than Polyurethane with the same benefits. Acrylic urethane is typically water-based

Aluminum Oxide
Aluminum oxide is added to the urethane finish for increased abrasion resistance.

Beveled Edge
These products have a very distinctive groove in them. Beveled edge planks lend themselves to an informal and country decor.

Buckle
When the humidity is higher, wood will expand and gaps will disappear. If there is too much moisture it may cause the wood planks to buckle.

Ceramic
Advanced technology that allows the use of space-age ceramics to increase the abrasion resistance of the wear layer.

Clear
A quality of oak. Clear Oak has no visual blemishes or knots.

Cross-ply Construction
Engineered wood plies that are stacked on top of each other but in the opposite direction is called cross-ply construction. Cross-ply construction allows the plies to counteract each other which will stop the plank from growing or shrinking with the changes in humidity.

Cupping
A type of warping with a concave condition where the sides are higher than the center.

Eased Edge
Each board is just slightly beveled. Eased edges are used to help hide minor irregularities, such as uneven plank heights.

Engineered
One of the three common types of wood floors. (Others are Solid and Longstrip Plank.) Engineered wood floors are generally manufactured with 2,3, or 5 thin sheets or plies of wood that are laminated together to form one plank.

Finish in Place
Finish in Place, or unfinished hardwood, is installed in the home and then sanded. The stain and 2-3 coats of urethane finish are then applied. The urethane finish, brushed or mopped on, is known as a “floor finish” not a “furniture finish”. Finish in Place floors may be screened and recoated to rejuvenate the finish and revitalize the floor’s natural beauty.

Floating Floor Installation
With the floating installation method the floor is not mechanically fastened to any part of the subfloor. A thin pad is placed between the wood flooring and the subfloor. Then a recommended wood glue is applied in the tongue and groove of each plank to hold the planks together.

Glue Down
The recommended mastic or adhesive is spread on with the proper sized trowel to adhere the wood flooring to the subfloor.

Graining
Each wood species has its own unique graining and texture. The graining on the boards is determined by the way it has been cut. Natural variations in the color and grain are normal and to be expected.

Knot
On a piece of wood, the round, harder, usually darker in color, cross section of where the branch joined the trunk.

Laminate
Laminate is a manufactured product that simulates the look of hardwood, ceramic tile, natural stone and many other types of flooring.

Long Strip Plank
One of the three common types of wood floors. (Others are Engineered and Solid.) Long Strip Plank floors are similar to Engineered floors and have several wood plies that are glued together. The center core is generally a softer wood material and is used to make the tongue and groove. A hardwood finish layer is glued on top of the core. The top layer can be almost any hardwood species and is made up of many smaller individual pieces that are laid in three rows.

Moisture Cured Urethane
A similar chemical make up as solvent-based urethanes, but this finish needs the humidity (moisture) in the air to cure.

Moldings
Are used to cover expansion joints and to enhance the performance and appearance of the hardwood floor.

Nail Down
This method is typically used with the 3/4″ solid products, however there are adapters available for thinner flooring sizes as well. 2″ nailing cleats are used with a wood flooring nailer and mallet to attach the flooring to the subfloor.

Number 1 Common
A quality of oak. Number 1 Common Oak has more knots and more dark graining.

Number 2 Common
A quality of oak. Number 2 Common Oak has more knots and more dark graining.

Plank
When shopping for a hardwood floor you will see boards in various sizes. The narrower board widths are referred to as “strips” and the wider units as “planks.”

Polyurethane
A clear, tough and durable finish that is applied as a wear layer.

Pre-Finished Wood Floor
Pre-finished hardwood flooring comes ready for installation in your home. The hardwood boards have already been sanded, stained and finished at the manufacturing plant. In many cases this can provide a harder, better- protected surface. Several coats of urethane are sprayed on the boards and then they are UV dried for a very durable finish. Pre-finished floors offer a wider variety of wood species and save hours of labor and cleanup.

Rotary Cut
Each species has its own unique graining and texture. The graining on the boards is determined by the way it has been cut. Rotary Cut is a cutting process that displays a larger and bolder graining pattern.

Solid
One of the three common types of wood floors. (Others are Engineered and Longstrip Plank.) Solid wood floors are one solid piece of wood that have tongue and groove sides. Solid wood floors are sensitive to moisture and because so they are used in nail down installations and are not recommended for installation below ground level, or directly over a concrete slab.

Solvent-Based Urethane
Oil is used as part of the chemical make up of the polyurethane finish.

Square Edge
The edges of all boards meet squarely creating a uniform, smooth surface that blends the floor together from board to board.

Stapled Down
With this method, staples are used versus nailing cleats to attach the wood flooring to the subfloor.

Strip
When shopping for a hardwood floor you will see boards in various sizes. The narrower board widths are referred to as “strips” and the wider units as “planks.”

Tongue and Groove
The joining of two boards, one board having a tongue on its edge that fits into a groove in the edge of the other.

Un-Finished Wood Floor
An Un-Finished wood floor allows you to have a custom job – you choose the wood species and it’s sanded and the stain is applied on site. With Un-Finished you also have the chance to level the surface of the entire floor after it has been installed.

UV Cured
Factory wood finishes that are cured with Ultra Violet lights versus heat.

Water-Based Urethane
Water is used as part of the chemical make up of the polyurethane finish.

Hardwood Flooring: Top Benefits and Why It’s the Right Choice for Your Home by Tom Adams Windows and Carpets.

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