Throughout the years, hardwood flooring has maintained great popularity for homes as well as commercial applications. Today, hardwood floors are one of the features homeowners and potential homeowners desire most. Other materials have been and continue to be developed that are both less expensive and easier for do it yourselfers to install. Laminates, simulated wood products, and other flooring choices have come a long way in terms of durability and nearly matching the look of solid wood floors. Despite these advancements, the warmth, charm, and long lasting beauty of a hardwood floor is nearly impossible to meet. For some homeowners, there simply is no substitute.
If you are considering hardwood flooring for your next home improvement project, you have a number of varieties and styles from which to choose. There are literally dozens of different species of wood used for floors. Traditional varieties like oak or maple are extremely popular while darker woods like walnut and more exotic woods like koa and bamboo have a strong appeal. While strip flooring is something of the standard, you can easily find plank, wide plank, and parquet with hardly any difficulty. When it comes time to finish your floors or if you want a new look for your existing wood floor, you also have a large number of finishing products you can select. New finishes are introduced frequently that are quicker to apply and longer lasting. The continued popularity of the hardwood floor makes installing a new solid wood floor or refurbishing an existing one more accessible.
If price is your foremost concern, you might shy away from installing a hardwood floor. If your royal palace needs new floors and price is of absolutely no concern, you might want to consider marble tile instead. In terms of hardwood flooring cost, a new hardwood floor is not cheap by most people's definition. Solid wood is going to cost you more than carpeting, vinyl flooring and most laminates and engineered wood flooring products. It will cost less per square foot than most high quality tiles. Even though it is not the cheapest option nor the most expensive, dollar for dollar the beauty, versatility and endurance of wood flooring is virtually impossible to beat.
While hardwoods are practical and versatile, wood floors work better in some rooms more than others. A wood floor is not suitable where direct exposure to an excessive amount of water such as a bathroom is possible. A leaky washing machine, direct sunlight, or flooding can discolor and eventually ruin a wood floor so consider carefully if another flooring option is more suitable. Dining rooms, dens, and living rooms where you receive guests are all usually good candidates for hardwood flooring.
If you have determined that your room is suitable for wood flooring and the price is within you budget, you can begin comparing it against other options. With a small amount of care and maintenance, wood will outlast wall to wall carpeting, resilient flooring and your mortgage. Carpet might last fifteen to twenty years, but by then it will likely look threadbare with any sort of foot traffic and along the way stains, odors and mold may cause major problems. Ceramic tile has a chance of outlasting wood, but it is not as warm or soft underfoot and any sort of damage to a tile can necessitate a complicated repair. Tile can also be quite a challenge to keep clean and looking its best depending on your choices of material and color. You may have to treat or seal it periodically in order to keep it in good shape.
Installing a hardwood floor is not the easiest home improvement project to take on by yourself. Traditional unfinished hardwood floors have to be installed one piece at a time, sanded then finished. Putting down new flooring is also highly disruptive. You have to be prepared to store things like furniture or knickknacks, keep rooms off limits and deal with a mess. Even though it is cheaper financially to do it yourself than to hire a professional, you will pay in sweat and time spent. Your time and effort will pay off of course, but be aware that you might not find it easy.
All of that said, do it yourself hardwood floor installation is something most people with patience and even a moderate level of skill with tools can do. The materials and tools you need are for the most part basic rather than specialized and they are also widely available. If you think you can do it, you probably can.
Whatever type of material and style you choose, once you install hardwood flooring you may be amazed at the result. Rooms can look brighter, warmer, more inviting, or entirely new. Care and cleaning is hassle free and a matter of just sweeping and damp mopping as needed. Whether you install it yourself or hire a contractor, you can have a beautiful hardwood floor that will last a lifetime.
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