Choosing a lighter or mixed tone floor can help minimize the appearance of dust, dirt, and scratches.
When you look in any “Look Books” or style magazines you will notice the ongoing trend of dark floors. Designers are parking while accessories with dark flooring and while these floors give the home a classy appeal, dark floors should not be attempted in every space. If you are thinking about installing dark hardwood flooring in your home, there are several things you should consider before installing them. Let’s take a look!
Dark Wood Problems
Imagine your favorite black t-shirt. After five minutes of wearing that same shirt, it is covered in lint, hair, dust, and crumbs. Now imagine that same shirt covering your home’s floors. That is what your dark hardwood flooring will look like. Dark woods are notoriously hard to keep clean. Every scratch, smudge, and speck of dust will show up on your flooring. Even extra hard dark woods will show the scratches and dust on your floors. It is only natural your floors will show scratches, scrapes, and nicks from general living in your home and unfortunately there isn’t a hardwood floor hard enough not to gain some scratches. Light color flooring can hide these marks but dark wood will show them.
Glossy Flooring
When picking out a flooring finish, you may be tempted to pair your dark hardwood flooring with a glossy or semi-gloss finish to brighten up the space. But this is a major “No-No”. Glossy finishes are usually reserved for gyms or banquet halls because of the upkeep that must be performed to keep them scratch and dust-free. But when you pair your dark floors with glossy finishes, your floor’s nicks, scratches, scrapes, and dust will show even more than with another finish.
Be Honest With Yourself
It is important to be honest with yourself about your cleaning habits. While you may be a good housekeeper in general, there is a difference between cleaning your home every day for dust and footprints and giving your home a weekly once over with a duster. If your life is hectic like so many of our lives are, your chores could fall behind. But with dark flooring, your floors will need continuous care in order to stay clean. If your life is at a slower pace and you have time to clean regularly, dark wood might be worth the investment for the style you would like in your home.
Although these floors are modern and can give your home a sleek appearance, they are not without their problems. If you and your family have time to take care of these floors properly, it might just be that one element of your home that makes it stand out from the crowd. But if your family is always on the go, choose a lighter option flooring that will be timeless and least likely to show dirt in your home. For more information on flooring colors and finishes, contact your flooring specialists at John K. Eareckson & Co. Hardwood Flooring!
John K. Eareckson & Co.: Baltimore Custom Hardwood Flooring
At John K. Eareckson & Co., we pride ourselves on providing the best quality and craftsmanship in the Baltimore-Washington area, from custom hardwood installation and repairs to refinishing. So if you are interested in a new look to your hardwood flooring, pick up the phone and give us a call today!
If you have any questions about New Hardwood Floors, please contact John K. Eareckson & Co. by calling 410-788-4200 or visit JKEHardwoodFlooring.com today for a free quote regarding any of your hardwood flooring needs.