Should You Install Hardwood Flooring?
Questions to Ask Yourself Before Installing Hardwood Flooring
With hundreds of flooring options available on the market, the selection process can be a bit overwhelming. How many hours have you spent considering if you should go with carpet? Or maybe laminate? Or vinyl?
We understand how confusing it can be to navigate through the wide selection of flooring options. In fact, one of our most commonly asked questions is about which flooring is best. So, to help you out, we are answering if you should install hardwood flooring (or at least consider it).
Should You Install Hardwood Flooring?
Are your design tastes constantly changing?
If you love keeping up with trends, you’ll love hardwood flooring for a few reasons
- It’s the most popular flooring option in new homes
- You can refinish it to become any color or texture your heart desires
Maybe the grey floor you installed a few years back no longer brings you joy? No worries! Just refinish it to that warm brown shade that’s been trending on Pinterest for the past few months.
Does sustainability matter to you?
When eco-friendly flooring is mentioned, it’s usually in relation to hardwood. But do you know why?
- It comes from a renewable resource
- Its manufacturing uses very little energy compared to other flooring options
- Its carbon footprint is minimal (75% less than concrete or steel)
- It’s longevity-focused and can last for hundreds of years
Do you have allergies?
Did you know that a floor’s materials and construction significantly matter if you or someone in your household has allergies?
To avoid further allergy symptoms, it’s best to install flooring types with an easily maintained, disinfectable flooring surface that doesn’t trap contaminants. Hardwood flooring is one such option.
Hardwood flooring is designated as hypoallergenic and can actually improve air quality over time, according to the EPA. Hardwood’s easy-to-clean surface also doesn’t trap allergens, unlike many other flooring materials such as carpet.
According to the EPA, “Carpet acts as a reservoir for dust, dirt, pollen, mold spores, pesticides and other materials … releasing significant quantities of particles into the air during the course of daily activity.” This is due to carpet trapping dust, dirt, and other debris in its fibers.
So, if you or your family have allergies, hardwood flooring may be the best flooring option for you.
Are you planning on selling your home in the next few years?
While installing new flooring isn’t typically considered as part of readying a home for market, it should be. Studies have shown that hardwood flooring increases a home’s value as well as makes it more desirable to buyers.
For luxury homes, 87% of buyers want a home with hardwood flooring – a percentage that goes up as home values increase. So, should you install hardwood flooring if you are planning on selling your home? Probably.
Do you have kids or pets?
For high-energy households, hardwood flooring is usually a perfect fit! Its durable composition means that it’ll hold up to everyday wear and tear. And when it starts to look a bit more worn? Just refinish it! You’ll have it looking brand-new.
To read more about hardwood flooring and pets, click here or here
Do you want a low-stress, low-maintenance floor?
Unlike most other things in your home, your floor should mostly be an afterthought with minimal care requirements. In fact, most of the effort is preventative and put into avoiding things that can damage your floors (spills, high humidity, abrasive debris)
If you prefer keeping your floors as an afterthought, then hardwood flooring may be the right flooring fit for you.
Finishing Up On If You Should Install Hardwood Flooring
Even with hundreds of other flooring options available on the market, hardwood flooring is popular among the masses for a reason – it’s durable, versatile, eco-friendly, and long-lasting.
So, should you install hardwood flooring? While we can’t answer that for you, we can make a strong suggestion – Yes!
If you still have questions or would like to chat with one of our trained design team members, contact us here. We look forward to helping you