Top 4 Things to Consider When Choosing a Hardwood Floor for Your Home

If you’re looking to give your home a feeling of luxury and refinement while still maintaining that sense of welcoming and warmth, then there’s really nothing better than installing a quality hardwood floor throughout the house. This material has been one of the most popular flooring options for centuries and it’s easy to understand why. As one of the most beautiful materials out there, it’s also incredibly durable and long lasting, allowing homeowners to get the most out of their investments year after year. However, just deciding you want to add hardwood floors to your home isn’t really the end of the road. Now you’ll have to decide what kind of wood you want to install. With such a wide range of options in terms of the density, colour, strength, and even grain of woods, understanding what you’re really looking to get out of your floor will be key. Here are the top four things you’ll need to consider when choosing the best hardwood flooring for your home today.  

1. How Busy Is Your Home?

Are you an older couple looking to build the retirement home of your dreams? Or, perhaps you’re a young family full of small children. Understanding the amount of foot traffic, spills, and even pet scratches your flooring will need to withstand can have a big impact on your final decision. If your house tends to have somewhat of a revolving door with constant guests and get togethers, then you may want to look for a stronger wood, such as maple or hickory, which can resist pretty much anything.

2. Colour and Aesthetics

Different wood types come in many different colours, and understanding how these colours work and what kind of look they’ll give your home will be incredibly important. If you’re someone who enjoys a lighter, more modern looking home, then you may want to consider birch or walnut, which are much lighter in colour and tend to work well with metals and more industrial home features. On the other hand, if you prefer a more classic look, then going with something a bit darker, such as cherry, which has a beautiful red tone, can be the perfect choice.

3. The Lighting in Your Home

While flooring and lighting are on the opposite ends of most home spaces, they are incredibly important to one another. In fact, the lighting in your home can play a major role in choosing which wood would work best. For example, if you have a tremendous number of windows and predominantly rely on natural lighting in your living room, choosing a darker wood might actually be a bad idea. The UV rays that come through the windows can dramatically change the colouring of the wood and can leave you with unsightly furniture marks you weren’t expecting.

4. Gloss and Texture

Another important factor that will help you find the best hardwood flooring for your home will be the gloss and finish you decide to install. A few years ago, having a shiny and sparkling floor was the most popular option out there. However, nowadays, the more rustic, unpolished look is the new it thing. Think hard about what your personal aesthetics lean towards and find a finish that works for you today.