Your hardwood flooring can look beautiful for several years to come, especially if you follow some key maintenance tips!
Finding the right hardwood floors often involves choosing between different priorities. Sometimes that means the right design. For some, it’s the perfect price point, but usually, it’s how practical that hardwood flooring is actually going to be. You want to keep them looking new and clean, so having rigorous maintenance demands can be a real drag. There is a vast range of options out there, but when thinking about what hardwood flooring is right for your home, you’re going to want to keep these maintenance concerns in mind.
The Color of Your Floor
While you may have a design already in mind, whatever color you end up choosing can impact maintenance. Darker colors tend to scratch easily and can end up showing stains or dirt. If there are rooms where furniture isn’t often moved or the room is generally not used much, darker colors are usually a better pick.
Lighter colors can work better in other rooms, though. They hide dust and dirt well, but if that’s a big concern, you may want to think about multi-tone colored hardwood flooring, which can really help disguise stains or dirt.
Resistance to Humidity
Any wood is going to struggle with humidity, especially if you live in a particularly humid climate. That ends up making wood wear out: all that contracting and expanding can cause wood to lose its shape, color, or form. Many types of wood boards are resistant to humidity, but one of the best options are engineered woods, which are designed to prevent warping. Just make sure you’re choosing an option with a thick enough scratch-resistant wear layer.
Pick a Finish
Hardwood flooring relies on a finish to help keep it looking like you want for as long as possible. This could be matte, gloss, or satin, depending on your style, although glossy finishes aren’t popular these days despite being easy in terms of maintenance. Oil-based polyurethane can add a glow to your wood and can also help resist the natural movement that wood floors are going to have. Acrylic urethane finishes, also known as water-based finishes, make the resin resistant to scratches but aren’t resistant to heat or solvents. Oil-based finishes are often used to keep wood in good condition for a long time.
Ready for a Beautiful Hardwood Floor? Trust John K Eareckson & Co.
When you work with John K Eareckson & Co., Flooring, we will ensure your hardwood floors undergo a stress-free acclimation process and that they sparkle for years to come; from a seamless and beautiful installation to years of maintenance, John K Eareckson & Co. Flooring has the expertise to care for your home’s hardwood floors. For a consultation and more information, visit us online or give us a call at 410-788-4200. You can also look for us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr.