This is a question I hear a lot from clients. Most of the time people are worried about refinishing being a dusty, smelly and toxic project in their home. There’s been many stories from the past of clouds of dust filling your home. Smelly toxic finishes being applied that fill your home with noxious fumes and force you out of your home. Also because of the off gassing these finishes were known to make you stay out of your home for long stretches of time so you couldn’t move back in for a week after. These are all a thing of the past.
Let’s talk about some advancements made in floor refinishing.
Vacuums
A vacuum is attached to every sander that will be on your floor. These catch 95%-98% of the dust
We vacuum the floor multiple times throughout the day
While vacuum systems are becoming more standard, what isn’t as well known is how well they work. They capture about 95% to 98% of the dust created from the sanders. Of course that means they do not catch 100% of the dust. So we vacuum the floors multiple times a day to capture any dust left on the floor. We can also put up some plastic around some sensitive sections, although this practice is hardly needed anymore. So those dust storms from refinishing you may have heard about are a thing of the past. We also do a final clean up and wipe down of any excessive dust from the project.
Advanced floor finishes
Non toxic, no more nasty fumes
Dry faster
More durable
The industry has definitely heard the client loud and clear and non toxic durable finishes are at the forefront. There are many options to choose from but it seems the standard now a days is water based finishes. You can get single component are two component finish if extreme durability is your need. These are all low VOC, non toxic and low odor. Also since they are water based they dry and cure much faster than finishes from the past.
So what you get are finishes that won’t stink up your home for a long amount of time and you can move your furniture back into place much quicker.
So through a few meaningful changes there has been a lot of progress made. The clouds of dust that find their way into every nook and cranny of your home are non existent nowadays. Your home being filled toxic fumes and not being able to be in your home for a week are long gone.
The truth is that with vacuum systems and water based finishes, you can live in home through out the whole project. Like any renovation project it will be nosy and somewhat inconvenient, so you may choose to leave your home but I never tell my clients that they have to leave. At the end your floors will look like new and you’ll have made a good investment into your home.
Anyone who is into interior design knows about hardwood flooring. They have always been popular, and they are here to stay. Modern homes seem incomplete without them, and more and more homeowners are upgrading their flooring to wood flooring.
Besides being timeless and elegant, these floors are an easy option for taking your interior design up a notch. They enhance the appearance of a home and look exquisite. Plus, they are pretty low-maintenance, too.
This article will unveil a total of eight reasons why hardwood flooring has taken interior designing by storm, but first, let’s have a little introduction.
What Are Hardwood Floors?
Usually, hardwood floorings use oak, maple, walnut, mahogany, hickory, ash, or other wood species since they are all pretty rigid and elegant. These are all slow-growing trees and hence develop a high degree of hardness that gives them their durability.
A skilled contractor will use suitable materials for their installation to combine wood planks and give the desired look. And talking of looks, hardwood floorings come in two basic shades:
Light Wood
Maple and oak are lightly colored woods and give very modern and minimalistic vibes to a décor. They brighten up the space and pair exceptionally well with sleek and contemporary furniture. Furthermore, they camouflage dust and scratches, making them ideal for families with kids or pets.
Dark Wood
Dark flooring gives a rustic look, and designers usually recommend heavier and chunkier furniture with them. Hickory is the toughest of all dark flooring hardwoods. Walnut, mahogany, cherry are also excellent alternatives.
8 Reasons Why Hardwood Flooring Is So Popular
And now to answer the burning question. Why are hardwood floorings the must have for so many homes? Why do we rarely see any other kind of floor in modern homes now?
Whether someone buys a home for the first time or wants to redecorate their property, hardwood floorings are now almost compulsory. So, here are the top eight reasons that seem to increase their fame amongst homeowners.
They Look So Chic
There’s hardly any house where hardwood floorings look bad. They give the whole space an incredibly chic and modern look. With the natural wood texture and several shades of brown, white, and yellow in a single plank, these floorings are a sure-shot way of making a fine first impression of a designer’s skills.
Plus, there are a thousand wood species, colors, and textures to play with to achieve an interior design masterpiece. So any homeowners looking to revamp their décor, hardwood floorings are a shortcut to show poise!
2. They Go With Almost Any Theme
Scandinavian, modern, rustic, nautical, or vintage, there’s a type of wood that goes with every home décor theme a homeowner wants to try.
Lighter hardwood usually couples with modern, nautical, contemporary, and similar themes. In contrast, the darker shades are more suitable for a rustic look.
Moreover, their versatility allows experimenting with the home decor, furniture, curtains, and other accessories every once in a while. Their natural look doesn’t clash with any combination.
Oak hardwood floor installed
3. They Require Minimal Maintenance
What contributes the most to making these hardwood floors so famous among most homeowners is that they require very little care and maintenance. They usually only need a sweep, a vacuum cleaner, or a mop for cleaning and don’t need any hard scrubbing as carpets do.
Plus, they take spills, scratches, and moisture pretty well and are not easily damaged. Now that’s not something a lot of flooring styles can provide. Tiles, for instance, are somewhat fragile and hard to change once you don’t like the colour or style.. On the other hand, carpets are hard to clean and mostly retain stains even after a thorough cleaning. So if someone wants their flooring to last long without putting a lot of effort, hardwood flooring is the way to go.
4. They Are Economical
What? Now that’s something new!
No, hardwood is not the cheapest flooring option to go for, but it is undoubtedly economical in the longer run. Installing these floors will save maintenance costs since they don’t need much. Then, these floors are pretty rough and tough and can last a good amount of years. So there’s no chance of having to change them every few years. Lastly, even when they start wearing off their finish, they only need a touch-up or refinishing, not the whole replacement.
5. They’re An Investment
When people opt for hardwood flooring, they think of them as an investment in their house. When the said person wants to sell the house, they add the initial installation cost with a margin to benefit the house’s total cost.
Usually, homes with hardwood floors have more net worth than those without them. People also tend to like and buy houses with hardwood floorings. So they are a terrific way of adding value to one’s property.
6. They Can Change Colors
Yep, that’s right! A hardwood floor can easily change its color by simply being refinished. A homeowner has to hire a trustworthy contractor and let them know of their color in mind. The contractor will sand the floors and refinish them with the color and texture of choice.
So even after years of installing them, these floors can still be the most trending color.
7. They Affect A Room’s Vibe
An interior decorator can easily play with the feelings and vibes by adding a suitable shade of wooden flooring. Looking for a bright and lit-up room? Use a light, pale shade of wood. Want a cozy and snug feeling space? Install darker wooden planks with a warm hue.
Since the floor is the most visible surface of a room, it is bound to have the most effect on its appearance.
8. They Fit Into Many Color Palettes
Whether a designer prefers a neutral palette of whites and grays or likes bright contrasting shades of yellows and blues, the wood floors will complement any color. They can lay low and let the furniture or accessories shine through the space or be the most striking piece of the whole area. It all depends upon the designer’s imagination and skills.
They can shift the focus to the most artistic piece of design, whether it’s the flooring itself or some accessory in the room.
Methods Of Installation
There are tons of online tutorials for doing it yourself; however, hardwood floors are tricky to install and usually require the skills of an experienced professional. They are attached to the subfloor in one of the following methods;
Nails
The wood planks are nailed directly to the sub floor.
Glue
Flooring is attached to the sub floor with a full spread of glue. Glue is standard for engineered hardwood floor installation.
Glue and nail
This method is used at times depending on the width of the flooring boards, and if recommended by the manufacturer.
Floating
Nothing keeps the wood attached to the floor beneath; instead, only the wood board is glued together and placed in the room. Usually, a layer of padding lies between the floor and the wood to fill up the hollow space that traps moisture and produces unnecessary noise.
Conclusion
Modern interior designing trends and typical choices of homeowners have put hardwood floorings on top of the flooring choices across most homeowners. It is hard to find a modern house that doesn’t have a wooden floor.
These are easy to install, quick to clean, and effortless to maintain. And on top of that, they look phenomenal in almost every decor setting.
One of the most important parts of flooring installation is deciding what type of hardwood is right for you. Before choosing solid wood, engineered wood, or laminate flooring it’s crucial to look at all the facts, so I have compiled the following list showing 10 differences in types of hardwood.
