What Can I Expect From Hardwood Flooring?

Hardwood flooring - also referred to as 'real wood flooring' or 'solid wood flooring' - is typically composed entirely of solid boards of hardwood, such as oak or pine. Unlike laminate flooring and engineered wood flooring that consist of a composition of different materials, hardwood is unique in that is the simplest most natural form of wood flooring on the market. The benefits of using this kind of floor solution in your home or business are numerous, and as experienced DIY enthusiasts and renovators will tell you, there are a number of things you can come to expect as a consumer with any high quality hardwood floor.

Firstly, there is the issue of value for money. Many consumers looking to replace the floor in their home or renovation property are cautious of using hardwood flooring predominantly because of the cost. Whilst in general, it is more expensive than most types of laminate flooring, the product itself is actually incredibly good value for money for a number of reasons. First of all, thanks to it being a natural material - like natural stone flooring - it improves with age and develops more and more character as its life progressives. This not only adds to its beauty, but also makes it a very desirable and popular flooring solution, and as an estate agent will tell you, a feature that adds value to any property. In addition to this, hardwood flooring is also very robust and hardwearing, so you can expect it to last for about as long as your house does!

Another unique benefit of hardwood flooring that is not shared amongst other wood flooring solutions is that it can be sanded down many times either by hand or with a professional sander. This is thanks to it being a natural, solid material with no composite layers (unlike engineered wood and laminate flooring). This again not only increases the product's value for money, but also adds to its potential life span. You may wish to sand down your floor for either cosmetic reasons or to perform useful maintenance in the event of surface damage such as scratches etc. Sanding down just 2-3mm will remove the top layer finish that gives the floor its aesthetic quality and feel. This is of tremendous benefit since you can quite easily and simply change the finish by applying a different stain, varnish or wax - and voilà! You have a brand new floor.

One extra very welcome benefit that you can expect from hardwood flooring is a very robust and stable floor. While it may sound obvious, some kinds of flooring including wood flooring can be more prone to warping, buckling and much worse depending on the material used and care with which it is maintained. Hardwood flooring is a very low-maintenance, endurable solution that can actually withstand more mistreatment than many other types of wood flooring, since there is less that can change with the material due to its solid nature. It is worth mentioning that hardwood flooring should not be used in areas where it is certain to be exposed to significant amounts of water or temperature changes, as this will undoubtedly push the flooring to its limits and possibly beyond.

To conclude - hardwood flooring is an exceptionally good choice of not only wood flooring, but also flooring in general. It is great value for money and low-maintenance, as well as being a hard-wearing product. A good quality hardwood floor will be something you can enjoy and watch develop for many years to come.