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.
Hardwood flooring never goes out of style. Since 1885, it continues to flourish in designing homes and establishments!
There are millions of reasons why you definitely want to choose hardwood flooring. First, they add elegance, charm and classic vibes in your home interiors. The natural colors and beautiful marks on the wood planks create this unique and inviting appeal to the eyes. Second, it requires low maintenance. Because hardwood floors are sealed with protective layers of finish, they are more stain resistant. Cleaning will never be easier! Third, they are sustainable. What better way of helping the environment than to cut emissions and support sustainable development? Wood flooring uses less water and are fit for recycling when being replaced. It definitely steps up the fight towards a greener environment.
Red oak hardwood flooring ready to be installed
While there is a great number of reasons why we prefer hardwood floors, there is also a great number of health benefits in choosing it!
They improve indoor air quality.
Hardwood floors are carbon-neutral products. They are designed to take action in removing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Increasing carbon dioxide emissions is one of the rising human problems today. It continues to intensify as fossil fuel and other modern industries continue to flourish. With this detrimental problem, we humans can do something.
Even if hardwood floors are already manufactured, they continue to store up carbon during their service lives. Products which absorbs carbon from the air is a great help to maintain the balance between carbon and oxygen in the atmosphere. This can help in creating a good air quality. Instead of investing in carpets and other types of flooring which adds up to carbon emissions and bad air quality, wise buyers can lean on to hardwood flooring.
Research also shows that hardwood flooring greatly reduce the accumulation of toxins that improves indoor air quality. You are not only investing into a sound home, you are also investing to a greener environment. Cheers to going green and quality indoor air!
Hardwood flooring do not harbor allergens and microorganisms.
Allergens and harmful substances are found everywhere. They exist outdoors and indoors, affecting many people every day. While we can’t totally control allergens existing outdoors, we can minimize the presence of indoor allergens. Choosing hardwood floors is one of the best options. Wood floors decrease the accumulation of allergens over time because of the absence of fibers that traps substances. That’s why they’re known as “hypoallergenic”. This type of flooring can play a significant part in the lives of people who are infected with allergies and asthma.
According to Asthma UK, there are 5.4 million people with asthma in the UK, which means asthma affects one in every 11 people and one in five households. Every 10 seconds someone is having a potentially life-threatening asthma attack in the UK. Every day, the lives of three families are devastated by the death of a loved one due to an asthma attack. The situation is dire indeed but two thirds of these deaths are preventable.
On the other hand, asthma affects more than 24 million people in the U.S. – including more than 6 million children as reported by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
See, if we create better decisions in designing our homes, we can get away with severe and infuriating illnesses. So if you have thought of carpets as the best type of flooring, it is advisable to think again.
It attracts less dust and bacteria.
Researchers and scientists report that the exposure of children to microbes in the outdoors establishes stronger and more robust immune system in young children. A lot of people actually believe in this but what they tend to overlook is that overexposure to germs and bacteria will cost the health of a young one. Still and all, overexposure to bacteria and germs can lead to infections and diseases.
Loba Impact Oils
As much as we love to keep track of our kid’s hygiene, we also need to keep track of their environment. Creating a healthy and safe home is one secret to a healthy and happy family. This is supported by the fact that hardwood flooring does not collect huge pack of dusts and bacteria unlike carpets and other types of flooring.
When you have kids at home, it is very important to invest in a good type of flooring. Kids being kids, crawl their way out to anywhere. Kids also like to play in wide spaces like floors and backyards. Hence, they are exposed to a multifold number of dusts, bacteria, and irritants. Kids also like to suck their thumbs. Think of all those germs and bacteria being sucked by kids. They are literally covered with microbes when playing.
Hardwood flooring aside from being easier to clean, is also more resistant to dusts and other particles. It is a more sanitary option compared to other flooring types. So if you care for your kids and their health, hardwood flooring is the best option for you.
They are proven low in VOC finishes and adhesives.
Volatile organic compounds or VOCs are gases that are harmful to humans. Some health effects include eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination and nausea. They are found in paints, sprays, supplies, preservatives and many more manufactured products. These pose danger to human health.
The good news is that hardwood flooring is proven low in VOC finishes and adhesives. Hardwood flooring compared to other types of flooring like carpets, linoleum and vinyl flooring was found to have very minimal amounts of volatile organic compounds. It does not only prevent you from acquiring adverse illnesses, low VOC content also aids in creating better indoor air quality.
Protect your family with a health-friendly flooring!
“Design is a private, intimate process and you have to embrace the many twists and turns it takes to create an exciting, inspiring, but ultimately livable space”
– Kit Kemp
A good-looking home without proper home interiors is a lost in the long run. Choosing Hardwood flooring can assure a happy and healthy home for you and your loved ones!
7 Reasons Hardwood Floors Increase Home Value Compared to Vinyl and Laminate
There are a lot of factors in the value of the home. How big is it? Does it have a fireplace? Is it well maintained? Does it have a sizable backyard for the kids and pets to play in? All of these make a big difference in the value of a home.
And, one of the most important factors is right underneath your feet: hardwood flooring. Just think about it. Natural hardwood floors provide warmth, age, uniqueness, and style to all the central living spaces in your house. They draw attention from any potential homebuyer. Plus, for those who just want to add a piece of luxury to the home, hardwood flooring is where it’s at in home renovations!
So why don’t people switch to hardwood floors?
Unfortunately, most homeowners hesitate when it comes to the price tag. And when there are cheaper flooring options like vinyl and laminate out there that can mimic the aesthetic of hardwood flooring without the price, why make the investment?
But remember, it’s an INVESTMENT that’ll do wonders for increasing your home’s total value when you decide to sell. Just to prove it, here are 7 reasons hardwood floors increase home value when you’re renovating or selling your home!
Stain samples
7 Solid Reasons to Install Hardwood Floors
1. Nothing Compares to Natural Hardwood!
Technology has come a long way, but there’s nothing like natural aesthetics. Hardwood floors come from the trees of the earth. The beauty of the wood helps us stay in touch with the natural world. Every plank is one-of-a-kind, rich in beauty, and full of life.
On the other hand, vinyl and laminate flooring are man-made, artificially produced from synthetic materials like compressed petroleum and fiberboard. They’re made to mimic the look and feel of hardwood, but they can’t replace what we know and love from Mother Earth herself.
2. Every Hardwood Floor is Unique in Design & Texture
Another beauty of hardwood flooring comes from the unique texture and design. There are so many species of trees available for hardwood flooring! You can choose the plank width, pattern, texture, stain color, and more—so you have endless options when it comes to the looks, the price point, and the durability of your floors.
Vinyl and laminate also come in a variety of designs to compete with popular hardwood varieties. However, it is just an image or design. It may be comparable from a distance, but most people can distinguish between the real thing and a fake in a home.
3. Hardwood Floors Can Last Several Generations
Just like in nature, hardwood can last for several generations. Some homes from as far back as the 1800s still have glorious hardwood floorings that have only become more beautiful with age. And with proper maintenance and refurbishing, most hardwood floors can last a hundred or so years before needing to be replaced.
When you compare that to vinyl and laminate flooring, there’s just no contest. These cheaper alternatives can only last 5-10 years before needing to be replaced. They’re not made to sustain years of use and abuse. So, you’ll be paying more over the long haul if you expect to keep the home for many years to come.
4. Hardwoods Can Resist Damage and Maintain High Durability
This will ultimately depend on what species of wood you decide to use for your home. Certain woods like oak, maple and cherry are preferred because they are more impact resistant. But if you decide to go with a more exotic variety, then you may have to sacrifice durability for appearance. But in any case, you can refinish your floors to get them as good as new.
Vinyl and laminate often have a protective coating to prevent the surface from getting scuffed and scratched like hardwood. However, the coating isn’t as impact resistant. So once that coating is breached from a hard fall or scrape, you can’t undo the damage.
5. Home Renovations are Easy with Hardwoods
The most rewarding benefit of including hardwood floor to the interior design of your home is how easy it is to refurbish and refinish it. Hardwood flooring keeps its aesthetic even after you sand it down and add a new finish to it. So, even if it gets scuffed and scratched over the years, you can always repair it.
You can’t achieve the same effect with vinyl or laminate. Their hardwood design stays at the surface level. So once that becomes damaged beyond repair, it’s going to cost you a whole new floor to fix.
6. Stay Environmentally Friendly with Hardwood Floor Installation
Hardwood floors come from a reusable material—trees! Wood is biodegradable and won’t harm the environment if you discard it. It is also non-toxic and won’t off-gas any harmful chemicals into your home. Modern manufacturers produce wood in a sustainable, eco-friendly way.
The opposite can be said for vinyl and laminate flooring. Because they come from synthetic building materials, they don’t break down naturally as waste. They will fill up landfills for centuries to come. And worst of all, they can even give off volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can harm family, pets and the environment!
7. Guests and Future Home Buyers Can Tell the Difference!
And finally, no matter how much you try to replicate the look and feel of hardwood flooring, people will always tell the difference. Future homebuyers will always be willing to pay more for all-natural wood floors. It has so much more value attached to it both aesthetically and monetarily.
Vinyl and laminate may look great overall, and they do have their own benefits. However, they do next to nothing to increase the value of your home. In fact, they might even lower its net worth on the market!
Get New or Refinish your Hardwood Flooring
Looking for hardwood floor installation or refinishing? If you need an experienced, reliable crew in the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver area, Evergreen Hardwood Floors is here to help.
Get ahold of our contractors today at (604) 557-6738. Plus, you can follow our blog to learn other tips and tricks for your next home renovations project!
Just imagine that you have decided to rip out the old carpet or laminate in your home and install some nice hardwood floors. You go through the process of finding and choosing a floor that you like. Then you go through another process of choosing someone to install the floor. Now you are really looking forward to the finished product!
What you expect
But you look around and notice a few mistakes in the install, some attempts to hide them, and then a few more and what is with that big hump in the middle of the living room! Uh oh!
Recently I had the (dis)pleaseasure of taking a look at a floor just like I’m describing, it was clearly not done by professionals.
I’ll show you some pictures from the floor and describe what you are seeing.
Here they used filler to “hide” some gaps. Hardwood floors need expansion gaps all around the walls as the hardwood will move. It expands and contracts as it takes in and releases moisture. Not enough gaps will cause problems.
BUT these gaps should be covered by baseboard or mouldings. This was not done here. They should have taken the extra time to remove the baseboards and undercut the doorway. This would hide the needed expansion gaps and leave a clean install.
Filler is not a substitute for craftsmanshipSERIOUSLY?!Again, filler is used instead of doing a proper install
Some don’t remove the baseboards and this is perfectly fine if the flooring is installed properly. Then the EVEN gaps are covered by a moulding.
Using moulding to cover bad cuts
They tried to do that here BUT just on this one wall. This must be done throughout the house, and the expansion gaps should be fairly even, usually around 1/4″, for it too look good. What was done here was to hide some imperfections with moulding and then some with filler. So this one wall with a shoe moulding really stood out, in a bad way.
A hardwood flooring install should be seamless. Meaning there is no need for transitions, unless the hardwood is meeting another material, such as tile or carpet. The flooring should have just continued on here, through the doorway. Perhaps they added hardwood to this bedroom at a later date. The solution for this would be to lace in new flooring into the existing, leaving a seamless transition. To be honest, I have no idea what anyone was thinking in the picture below.
WRONG!
While it is hard to see in the picture, there was a very noticeable hump in this living room. You may be able to tell with the light and shadows.
Hump in the floor
This was due to not doing any sub floor prep. That would mean making sure the sub floor is flat and clean. Sub floor prep can make a huge improvement to any flooring installation. Imagine walking over your newly installed floor and drastically dips into the corner of a room. We would discuss any needed sub floor prep with you, and go over your options.
So while these examples are some of the worst work I’ve ever seen, it does highlight that fact that it is always good value to hire a pro. Make sure that anyone you are hiring is a professional at what they do. Flooring seems to get lumped in to a “so easy anyone can do it” category, but this post and other installs I’ve seen prove that having a professional handling your hardwood flooring project is well worth it.
So how do you do find a reputable professional? Search online for reviews, pictures of their work, and meet with them. Ask questions, they should be happy to answer questions you may have.
This will ensure that the work is done properly, and that it will look good for a long time. Your floors should last as long as your home is standing.
