Hardwood flooring is beautiful and classy and continues to be one of the most popular flooring options today. Whether you want a rustic appearance or a minimalist look, hardwood can help you achieve your desired aesthetic. This type of flooring will never go out of style and is a material most homeowners gravitate towards because of its beauty and sophistication.
Hardwood flooring is the perfect combination of clean lines and a sleek appearance and combines timelessness and style into one beautiful look. No matter what your design preferences may be, hardwood flooring can enhance your home’s aesthetic and transform your space.
Why Install Hardwood Flooring in Your Home?
There are many reasons why most people gravitate towards hardwood flooring, including its classic good looks. Hardwood can set the stage for a beautiful design, and this is true regardless of the style you are trying to achieve. While looks are certainly important, hardwood flooring offers a number of other benefits as well. This type of flooring is incredibly durable and can withstand heavy foot traffic, which makes it a great choice for high-traffic areas like living rooms, for example.
Hardwood flooring is also resistant to stains, scratches and wear and is a great long-term investment. You will pay a little more than other flooring materials, but this is a wise investment as hardwood can increase the value of your home because it is a desirable feature many buyers will look for.
Additionally, hardwood flooring is also easy to clean and maintain, and if you experience spills, all you have to do is wipe it up. Hardwood floors can be easily swept or vacuumed, and spills can be cleaned up fast. This makes hardwood a hygienic choice and is especially great for people with allergies or respiratory issues.
Finally, hardwood flooring offers a wide range of design possibilities because there are several wood species, finishes and textures to choose from, which means homeowners can create a unique and personalized look for their home. Whether you want a rustic home, a weathered appearance or a sleek and contemporary feel, hardwood flooring will allow you to create your desired aesthetic, and you will love the results.
Factors to Consider when Choosing Hardwood Flooring
Type of flooring
Solid flooring is a great choice and is milled from a single piece of wood which offers unmatched beauty and durability. Solid hardwood can be sanded and refinished several times, which makes it a great investment. It is a great option for living rooms and bedrooms because it is best suited for above-grade installations.
Engineered hardwood is another option you can consider which consists of multiple layers of plywood topped with a wood veneer. This type of construction offers enhanced stability and is less susceptible to moisture and temperature changes than solid hardwood. This type of flooring can be used for below-grade installations like basements.
Wood Species
This aspect will affect the appearance of your hardwood flooring because every wood species has unique grain patterns, colours and hardness levels. Popular choices include:
- Oak: Known for its durability and beautiful grain patterns, oak is available in two varieties, including red oak and white oak, and each has its own distinct appearance. Oak is a widely used and versatile hardwood species, and red oak offers a reddish hue and pronounced grain, while white oak has a slightly golden colour and a more subtle grain.
- Maple: This type of flooring offers a light appearance and the room will appear brighter. It consists of a fine and consistent grain and is highly durable and resistant to wear. It can be left natural or stained to achieve different shades.
- Cherry: This type of hardwood flooring is known for its rich and reddish-brown colour that darkens with age and exposure to sunlight. Cherry hardwood has a smooth and satiny texture along with a distinctive grain pattern and will add warmth and elegance to any space.
- Walnut: This type of hardwood flooring features a rich and dark brown colour with a beautiful blend of straight and wavy grain patterns. Your home will look luxurious and sophisticated, and many homeowners choose walnut because of its unique character and depth.
These are just a few examples of hardwood flooring types, and you have to understand the characteristics and appearances of each to select the best wood species for your home.
Appearance
Do you want your hardwood flooring to stand out or blend in? You will have a lot of options when it comes to appearance, and you have to first determine the aesthetic you want to achieve. Hardwood floors are available in a wide range of colours, and lighter colours will make a space feel bigger, while darker hardwood colours will make a space feel warm and cozy.
Grain pattern must be considered as well. This refers to the visible lines and textures in the wood, and some species, like oak, have pronounced grain patterns while others have a more uniform appearance. You have to determine if you prefer a more distinctive and rustic grain or a sleeker and minimalist appearance. Finally, you’ll have to consider texture as hardwood flooring can have various textures like smooth, hand-scraped, distressed or wire-brushed.
Finishing
Prefinished hardwood flooring is factory-finished with multiple coats of protective finish applied, and this type of flooring is ready to install, which makes it convenient. They have a wide range of finish options you can choose from. Unfinished hardwood flooring is installed raw and will have to be sanded, stained and finished on-site. You can customize the colour and finish based on your personal preferences.
Hardwood Floors: Ready for the Beauty?
Are you ready to enjoy the beauty of hardwood floors? Milton Hardwood will help you select the perfect hardwood flooring for your home! We will listen to your preferred aesthetic and the look you want to achieve and will provide you with professional recommendations.
We serve customers in the Milton, Burlington and Oakville areas and have a beautiful selection of hardwood floors. We specialize in installation and always provide our customers with professional and perfect results. Contact us today to choose the perfect hardwood floors for your home!