Oct 09 2009
The Pros and Cons of Hardwood Floors for Your Home
One of the most popular features that new buyers look for in a home is hardwood flooring. Keep in mind, however, that despite its popularity, there are some definite advantages and disadvantages to this type of flooring.
Nowadays, you can choose from many different types of hardwood flooring: from different makes of wood to different patterns and installations. If you don’t want to choose a pre-made color, you can even get unfinished planks that allow you to pick out the exact stain you want. However, when it comes to choosing this type of flooring in your home, it’s important to consider all the pros and cons of having hardwood floors in the home.
Pros of Hardwood Floors
There are many benefits to hardwood flooring, but the greatest one by far is its look. Most people agree that hardwood flooring is beautiful and much more attractive than carpet or tile. Even better, you can choose from a variety of different woods, such as oak, cherry, and even bamboo.
Wood is a neutral that goes with any style, which makes it much easier to match furniture to hardwood than carpet whether its Arts & Crafts style oak furniture or contemporary dining room furniture. What’s great about hardwoods is that if you do decide to redecorate, you can easily change the style of the room and the floor will still match—unlike some carpets and tiles that only match certain themes and styles.
When it comes to cleaning, hardwood flooring tends to be very low-maintenance. To keep them clean, all you need to do is a simple vacuuming or sweeping with a duster every few days. Then about once a month, use a wood cleaner on the floor to help keep its shine. Hardwood floors are certainly much cleaner than carpet, which is especially beneficial if anybody in your home has allergies.
Finally, with the popularity of hardwood floors these days, it may be easier to sell your home than if you have carpet. Hardwood is considered an upgrade by most home builders and contracts, and thus may allow you to increase the price of your home.
Cons of Hardwood Floors
One of the biggest drawbacks to hardwood floors is the price. If you go with real hardwood flooring, not the laminate stuff, it can get pretty expensive. Furthermore, unless you’re able to do the installation, you will have to call in a contractor, which will probably cost you a great deal more.
Another caution with hardware flooring is if you have pets. After all, cats and dogs are notorious for scratching hardwood flooring. Think of how heartbreaking it would be to have a beautiful hardwood floor with scratches all over it. The same holds true for high-heeled shoes, which can also leave dents and scratches.
Hardwood flooring is also much colder than carpet, particularly when it’s installed on the ground floor of homes that are built on slabs. This can be a major deterrent for people who live where the winters are cold. You can get rid of some of the chill with area rugs, but then you don’t get to see the beauty of the wood as much.
Finally, there are some important considerations for those with small children. After all, hardwood floors don’t always make the best play area. Obviously, this type of flooring is much harder than a soft carpet and can be tough on crawling babies, not to mention those who are attempting to walk and are falling quite often.
As with any type of flooring, installing hardwood floors has its pros and cons. By looking at and assessing your own situation, you should be able to determine the best choice for your house.