3 Things To Consider Before Purchasing Hardwood Flooring

Posted on: 25 March 2016

Purchasing hardwood flooring for your home is a great way to increase home value and even make your home seem more elegant and appealing. However, before purchasing hardwood flooring, you should consider a few things that will ensure that you purchase the right hardwood flooring for your home. Here are three things to consider before the purchase:

Engineered or Solid: 

There are two types of hardwood flooring to choose from. One would be engineered flooring, which is more affordable. However, the downside is that this is a type of hardwood floor that consists of layers of the wood. This means it cannot be refinished as often since eventually it will wear down to the other layer of wood, which may not be the same type of wood as the wood that is shown on the first layer. Solid flooring may be more ideal even though it is more expensive because it is made of one thick piece of wood. You can refinish it as often as you want, which is ideal for homes with heavy foot traffic, kids, and pets. 

Species: 

There are many wood species to choose from. If you choose the wrong species, you can be left with hardwood flooring that you are not satisfied with. Not all wood types provide the same look that you were hoping for. This is why it's important to bring home samples of different species. There are three sections in which wood is divided. Light woods make rooms seem more open while medium woods make rooms seem more cozy and warm. Finally, there are dark woods, which make rooms seem more elegant. You should also ask about the durability of each wood species. If you have kids and pets, for example, you want to choose the most durable species. 

Sheen: 

When it comes to additional appeal, you are probably going to want to choose the right sheen for your flooring. When you have the flooring installed in your home, the professionals can finish it with a type of sheen. A sheen is nice because it helps reflects light; however, choosing a high sheen is going to easily show small scratches that eventually surface. A little sheen is ideal if you have pets or kids that can scratch the flooring. If the flooring won't get much use, though, a high sheen is definitely something you will be happy with. 

When you consider these three things, you can be sure that you get the best possible results from your newly installed hardwood floors. Use this link to check out other great flooring options.

Share