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Hardwood Flooring Pro's And Con's
Hardwood Flooring
These particular floors are one of the amenities that home buyers often look for when buying a house. However, the purchase and installation of this type of flooring can be pricey and its care and maintenance can be challenging. Hardwood flooring usually comes in three varieties: strip, plank and parquet.
The individual segments in wood strip flooring are usually about 1 ½- to 2 ¼-inches wide. Plank flooring strips are wider and parquet floors are composed of individual squares that make up a geometric pattern. Unfinished wood floors allow the homeowner to finish the product with a stain that matches the décor. If you are debating whether to install this flooring in your home, first investigate the pros and cons. Pros:
Easy Maintenance Hardwood floors are durable and have stood the test of time. Homes that are more than 100 years old can still have the original flooring if they have been cared for properly. They just need sweeping or vacuuming and an occasional cleaning with a wood floor cleaner. Value Buyers are willing to pay top dollar for homes with hardwood floors. In addition, homes with wood floors tend to sell faster than homes with wall-to-wall carpeting. Think about it: builders consider wood flooring an upgrade. They don’t charge extra for carpet.
Many Styles Available Wood flooring works with all styles of decorating, from traditional to modern. It is available in several types of woods, such as oak, cherry and walnut, and can be sanded and stained to suit the home owner’s taste. When your style changes, you also can change the look of your wood floors. Cons:
Cost Hardwood floors are a costly option. Materials can run from $3 per square foot for unfinished oak planks at a big-box retail store, to more than $12 a square foot for more exotic types of wood. The flooring must be installed over sub-flooring and installation is a bigger job than most homeowners can handle. Labor costs will vary.
Needs Refinishing Occasionally In addition to installation, scuffed and scratched floors will need to be refinished. The softer the wood, the easier it will scratch and blemish. Wood floors in high traffic areas, especially when there are pets or children, will be prone to showing damage. Having wood floors refinished professionally costs between $1.25 and $4.00 or more per square foot, depending on the type of floor, room layout, finish and other factors, according to Contractors.com. Refinishing also creates dust from sanding and fumes from the polyurethane coating.
Noisy Wood flooring can be noisy when walking across it, and can be a nuisance to your downstairs neighbors if you live in an apartment complex. Placing an area rug over the floor can help muffle the sound and provides added warmth to the room. Adding a rug is also a good idea for families with children or adults who are prone to falls, since it acts as a cushion.
Do you have Flooring that could use some work? Would you like to get them in shape but can not stand the mess of traditional wood refinishing or can not pay the price? If you answered yes then you are in luck.
Today many carpet cleaners have started using a dustless wood refinishing system.Read this article for some information on this method of wood refinishing. Wood floors has become increasingly popular over the years. When the wood starts showing age you have two choices. *You can go the traditional route and have someone come in and sand your floors and then apply a new topcoat. This is the most expensive option and can leave your home full of dust and smelly fumes. It can also take days to finish leaving your house in chaos.
The other option is to use a new technique that is now available. Dustless Floor Refinishing. The technician will lightly scuff the floor and use a chemical to etch it and prepare it for the new topcoat.Then they fix any minor scratches and damage to the wood. Finally they apply the new topcoat and are finished without all of the mess.You can have your floors back in a day instead of days.This process is also much cheaper than traditional sanding only costing a fraction of the full price. This process is not for everyone though. If your floors are in very bad shape you might have to have them completely sanded down to good wood. This process is for floors that are worn but not damaged.
If you think you might be interested in having this process done , call a cleaning company in your area that performs it. It should not be too hard to find one. You will thank yourself when you see your wood floors shine again!!
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