For the kind of luxurious, authentic, and timeless look that develops and enhances with age and is specifically good for high-traffic regions like lounges, kitchens, and hallways, it is hard to look beyond solid wood flooring.
After all, you will hardly get the warmth, durability, strength, and, not to forget, the beauty of real hardwood in any other flooring material. As such, smooth, clean, and hard – Oak solid wood flooring is popular for more reasons than one.
So, if you want solid wood flooring and are still not sure about Oakwood, here are a few things that will convince you for sure.
#1 The undeniable durability
Solid hardwood is durable, which ensures its long-term value and is the main reason why homeowners love it.
As opposed to other types of flooring, the look of the hardwood tends to improve with time. Any professionally installed hardwood flooring tends to last generations. The character and color will not fade away, and the dedicatedly maintained tiles are not going to splinter or buckle. Once you lay the flooring, the oak remains happy and stable in that environment. Also, it ensures good resistance for any impact – even those pretty stiletto heels.
Now, in this regard, you might think that Pine is equally beautiful and warm, but it’s soft. Amber-colored Douglas Fir has almost similar qualities. However, there are very few flooring materials that can rival oakwood in beauty, hardness, and durability. On top of that, the modern-day floor seals offer good resistance to scratches. Water-based polyurethanes and hard wax coils help to align flooring styles with the atmosphere of the property.
#2 Oakwood floors tend to be more hygienic
Natural oakwood floors, being organic by nature, tend to be more hygienic compared to other flooring materials. The smoother surface avoids dust collection, foul smell, and to some extent, even bacteria. This is unlike chipped ceramic or peeling laminate because it retains a beautiful and hard surface.
The nature of hardwood is such that it ensures there is a major respiratory health benefit as well. Apart from keeping allergy and asthma-triggering dust and parasites away, oakwood absorbs carbon. It helps to maintain a healthy balance in the air in busy areas.
The sanitizing and non-toxic qualities of oakwood floors make them a good choice for families with young children, pets, and babies, who spend a lot of time on the floor.
#3 The appearance and aesthetics of oakwood floors
Oakwood is warm and timeless. There are loads of options available. So, you can be assured that it is not going to look old-fashioned or stiff. On top of that, hardwood flooring comes in a wide range of finishes and shades to match the kind of look you want.
Considering the nature of oakwood, while uniform planks and tiles are made to fit your floors, every plank has shades, grain characteristics, and swirls that are unique and distinctive for your home.
As such, solid wood flooring gets you the chance to be more creative with the interior design. For instance, a kitchen is going to convey more warmth and depth with a cool-toned hardwood floor rather than a disguised concrete or solid ceramic floor. The subtle warmth contrasts an all-white or beige kitchen wonderfully.
#4 Increase the value of the home
As any homeowner with oakwood floors will tell you, the long-term value of such solid wood floors makes them worth the investment. As time passes, the ease of maintenance and durability of solid wood floors is going to reduce the cost of repairing and cleaning.
Prospective homeowners are not keen on carpets, especially something that belongs to someone else. Features like oakwood floors and underfloor heating are in demand in real estate. These factors can considerably boost the selling speed of the house.
#5 Good medium for the underfloor heating feature
Underfloor heating happens to be a highly efficient way to heat up the space. In fact, loads of homeowners ask for it during renovations. The best part is that you can install this feature without needing heating vents or unsightly radiators.
Wood tends to be hygroscopic. But when installed properly, the contraction and swelling of the timber floors will not affect the responsiveness of the floor heater. The timber thickness of about nineteen mm is sufficient for the performance of the heating system.
#6 The ease of maintaining oakwood floors
Cleaning oakwood floors is pretty easy. It is more stain-resistant compared to carpets. You just need to sweep the dust off with a clean, dry cloth to keep the floors clean.
High-end timber flooring tends to be quarter-sawn to make sure that any kind of moisture will not make the timber bow or warp. If you spill liquid on the surface, mop the floors and dry immediately. You can also use a good floor cleaner to make it hold on to the shine.
A special wax product can help to easily restore the scratches. Also, individual replacement pieces are easy to make with the assistance of a contractor that deals in bespoke projects.
#7 Better acoustics of oakwood floors
Like underfloor heating, solid wood floors have several features that can benefit your home but remain out of sight. Noise-cancellation foam and sufficient insulation are good for engineered wood flooring and are good for engineered wood floors. However, hardwood floors themselves act as a solid and effective seal to block any noise from traffic or the neighborhood homes. It reduces those hollow vibrations and sounds you associate with thin or cheap flooring.
You might think that those old wooden floors creak and crack enough to disturb and wake up the entire house. However, good-quality timber floors are different. Did you ever take a look at the big music and dance studios? They are always fitted with noise-absorbing, close-fitting hardwood floors, typically of beech or oak.
Endnote
As you can see, you can beautify your home and make those floors stay in great condition for years with oakwood. So, it’s time to start the work on your new hardwood floors.