Expectations are really important with large purchase items like Carolina Wood Flooring. This is also true with hardwood floors. There is no question that a new hardwood floor will add a dimension of beauty and warmth to your home. Many consumers do not know that hardwood flooring has some unique characteristics making it not the perfect option for everyone. This post is in no way intended to discourage you from buying a hardwood floor, but you do need to take into consideration these four little known facts about hardwood floors before buying:
1) Wood Floors are Certain to Scratch
There are numerous finishes that manufacturers put on wood flooring to ensure they are more scratch resistant. The most common finish nowadays is Aluminum Oxide. Wooden flooring also typically comes with a wear warranty from 5 to 50 years in length. Wear warranties, however, usually only guarantee that a wood’s veneer won’t wear completely through. There are no anti-scratch warranties within the wood flooring business. All wood floors, no matter the finish treatment or expertise of the wood, will likely be susceptible to surface scratching. With that in mind, make sure you prepare your home for a wood floor before the installation. It’s smart to use furniture protectors, floor mats, and area rugs to guard your wood floors from scratches. Also, you might want to consider installing tile in your entry ways, since it’s the area in which the heaviest traffic usually occurs. If you can find large pets or children in the home, you may be thinking about checking out a laminate floor, which is more resistant to scratches.
2) Wood Floors are Sure to Indent
Wood floors are by no means a soft product, nevertheless they may be vunerable to denting from heavy use or drops. No wooden flooring is dent-proof, but different species of wood will have different levels of hardness. The Janka Test is utilized to measure the hardness of any varieties of wood. Using this test, wood species are given a score based upon the force required to embed a steel ball into the wood. It is said that the higher the score, the higher the species of wood reaches withstanding denting and wear. Northern Red Oak, the most frequent varieties of wood found in flooring, is definitely the standard which all the other species are measured against. It features a score of 1290. You will find types of wood that score over 3000 on this test, even though they may wear better with everyday use, they still will likely dent if something heavy like a hammer or can of food is dropped on the wood. Should you be really concerned with your floors capacity to withstand indentations, you have other available choices. You will find “wood-look” high-pressure laminate and porcelain items that are far more immune to pressure and wear. Additionally, a distressed or hand scraped wood floor is going to do a better job at hiding dents along with other wear on the floor.
3) Wood Floors are Guaranteed to Age
Aging with a lot of floor coverings typically pertains to how a floor loses its luster over time because of wear and tear on the floor. Basically If I were to say, “Your carpet has aged”, you would think the time had come to obtain new carpet. However, certainly one of most unique attributes of LVP Flooring is its capability to actually look better as we grow older. Wood floors already come with a lot of natural character and beauty. With proper maintenance, normal use and traffic should just boost the beautiful character of the wood floor. A real wood floor can also be refinished to restore its original luster and shine. This really is a thing that can’t be completed on wood-look products like laminate, vinyl and porcelain.
They are all nice attributes, but a few things i genuinely wish to touch on within this section is definitely the photo-sensitivity of wooden flooring. Wood is likely to change color over time when exposed to sunlight. In fact, some wood floors can take as much as a year as well as a half to mature into full color. Other floor coverings, on the other hand, might be at risk of fading or discoloring when subjected to prolonged sunlight. So while sunlight makes other floor coverings look older overtime, it beautifies wood floors, allowing them to reach their true color. This is an important attribute for consumers to know, just because a freshly-laid wood floor might not necessarily look like the sample you saw inside the showroom, that has been permitted to reach its full color.
Consumers also must be conscientious about moving their area rugs and furniture periodically to avoid discolorations. Exotic hardwoods and hardwoods using a natural finish on them are usually the most photosensitive. Most hardwoods darken and turn into bolder over time, but some woods like Santos Mahogany actually get lighter from sunlight. In case you are really concerned with sunlight’s impact on your floor, invest in a hardwood that has been colored having a darker stain or buy a species like Northern Red Oak which is actually a less photosensitive species.
4) Wood Floors are Sure to be Afflicted with Moisture
Wood floors are extremely responsive to moisture. Which includes alterations in surface moisture, subfloor moisture, and humidity. Damages from moisture related problems can lead to wood planks cracking, cupping, or buckling. It vuylpr essential to hire a specialist installation team that is familiar with wood as well as its response to moisture. Proper maintenance from the consumer is essential. Standing water needs to be wiped up immediately, as well as the wood floor needs to be kept in a climate-controlled environment.
One way to combat the consequences of moisture on your own floor would be to choose an engineered wood floor. Engineered Rubio Monocoat is a much better choice over a solid, because its construction adds dimensional stability towards the planks. The layers of plywood under the veneer are laid cross-ways, decreasing the wood’s capability to expand and contract across the grains should there be a change in moisture levels.