People looking for a new home consider many different factors in their search, and one of them is the type of floors a house has. If you don’t want your home to languish on the market for weeks or even months, you should definitely consider installing hardwood flooring in Woodland Hills, CA. Most modern home buyers don’t want to see dull tiles, off-color rugs, or laminate flooring when they’re considering a new home.
Hardwood floors are one of the amenities that home buyers often look for when buying a house. However, if your home didn’t come with them, the purchase and installation of this type of flooring can be pricey, and its care and maintenance can be challenging. Hardwood flooring usually comes in three varieties: strip, plank, and parquet. If you are debating whether to install hardwood flooring in your home, first investigate the pros and cons.
Advantages of Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood floors are durable and have stood the test of time. Homes that are more than 100 years old can still have the original flooring if they have been cared for properly. They just need sweeping or vacuuming and occasional cleaning with a wood floor cleaner. Hardwood flooring in Woodland Hills, CA works with all styles of decorating, from traditional to modern. It’s available in several types of wood, such as oak, cherry, and walnut, and can be sanded and stained to suit the homeowner’s taste.
Disadvantages of Hardwood Flooring
Wood floors are a costly option. The flooring must be installed over sub-flooring and installation is a bigger job than most homeowners can handle and labor costs will vary. In addition to installation, scuffed and scratched floors will need to be refinished. Hardwood floors in high traffic areas, especially when there are pets or children, will be prone to showing damage. Hardwood flooring in Woodland Hills, CA can be noisy when walking across it and can be a nuisance to your downstairs neighbors if you live in an apartment complex. Placing an area rug over the floor can help muffle the sound and provides added warmth to the room.
Hardwood Floors: Finished or Unfinished?
While finished hardwood flooring in Woodland Hills, CA offers convenience, some homeowners still prefer unfinished flooring. Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each hardwood flooring type.
Finished Hardwood Flooring:
- Prefinished wood – either solid or engineered
- It’s turnkey material; you or the installer lays the flooring, and it’s done
- There’s no smell
- Most species of prefinished material are available in three to a dozen or more finish colors
Unfinished Hardwood Flooring:
These floors are highly uniform, stable, and even due to the process of sanding and on-site finishing. Unfinished hardwood flooring in Woodland Hills, CA allows for better uniformity of seal and finish by filling in the empty spaces and cracks formed due to uneven flooring planks. You can alter the appearance of your hardwood flooring by applying a wood floor stain finish before sealing the wood. Whether you like light or dark hardwood, or satin or high-gloss finishes, unfinished hardwood floors offer many style options to choose from.