Hardwood floors are among the features that homeowners often look for when purchasing a house. However, purchase and installation of hardwood flooring can be costly, with regular maintenance proving to be challenging. Hardwood flooring options come in three varieties: board, strip, and parquet. The unique segments in hardwood strip flooring are often about 1.5 to 2.25 inches wide. Board flooring strips are bigger, whereas tile floors are made of single squares that form a geometric pattern. Unfinished hardwood flooring offers homeowners the opportunity to finish the product with a preferred stain that is a great match to the existing design. If you are unsure of whether to fix hardwood flooring on your surface, here are some of the pros and cons of hardwood flooring in your home for you to make an informed decision.
The Pros of Hardwood Flooring
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Simple Maintenance
Hardwood floors are long-lasting and have sustained the test of time. Older homes can still maintain the original flooring through proper care and maintenance. They just require vacuuming or sweeping and occasional cleaning with a hardwood flooring cleaner.
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Value
Homebuyers are ready to spend a top dollar for homes with hardwood flooring surfaces. Additionally, homes with hardwood flooring tend to sell much faster than homes with wall-to-wall carpet flooring. Interior designers consider hardwood flooring to be an upgrade and do not charge any extra for carpet.
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Many designs Available
Hardwood flooring matches with every decorative design, from custom to contemporary. It is accessible in numerous types of woods like cherry, oak, and walnut; they can also be stained and sanded to suit the homeowner’s taste. When you change your style, you may also change the appearance of your hardwood floors.
The Cons of Hardwood Flooring
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Cost
Hardwood flooring is a costly option. Materials may be a sale from $3 per square foot for the unfinished hardwood options to slightly more than $12 per square foot for the more exotic hardwood types. The flooring has to be placed over subflooring, with installation being a greater task for many homeowners to handle. Additionally, the cost of labor would vary from time to time.
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Needs Occasional refinishing
In addition to installation, scratched and scuffed floors need to be refinished. The softer the hardwood flooring variety, the more susceptible it is to scratch and blemish. Hardwood floorings installed in high traffic areas with pets and kids running around; it would be prone to showing signs of damage. Occasional refinishing of hardwood flooring by a professional would cost an average of $1.25 to slightly more than $4.00 per square foot, depending on the room layout, type of floor and other elements. Refinishing creates dust and fumes from sanding and polyurethane coating.
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Noisy
Walking on a hardwood flooring sometimes creates snapping, crackling, or popping sound that could annoy neighbors downstairs for one living in an apartment complex. Putting an area rug on the floor can assist to muffle the sound. Adding rugs is also a great idea for homeowners with kids as it acts as a cushion.