When installed properly and with care, wooden flooring can look elegant, tasteful, and timeless, but what are the best woods for wooden flooring, and how easy is it to maintain them? Let’s explore the best cuts of wood suitable for flooring and the easiest and best ways to keep your wooden flooring clean and shiny.
What Types Of Wood Can Be Used For Flooring?
There are plenty of options to choose from when deciding on wooden flooring. You can pick from a selection of finishes, colours, and grains, depending on what vibe you’re aiming for. Durable woods such as maple, cherry, and oak are the best in terms of durability. This means they’re a smart choice for areas that will see a lot of footfall, however, they are also some of the most expensive.
Among the more affordable options are bamboo and pine but they do mark more easily. When high-quality wooden flooring is installed correctly, with a little regular maintenance, you can ensure your floor keeps its quality for years and years. You can also always sand, refinish, and paint the wood to get your floor looking brand new again. It’s important to note that how often you need to use floor sanding tools will depend on which type of wood you opt for.
What Types Of Wood Are On The Market?
It’s all very well having half a dozen names for types of wood thrown at you, but to choose wooden floor wisely, you need to know the advantages and disadvantages of each type of wooden flooring:
- Oak
Oak is one of the most popular types of hardwood flooring because of its durability to marks and scratches. It’s low maintenance, long-lasting, and is a common choice for people who prefer a more luxurious type of flooring.
- Cherrywood
Another popular choice is cherrywood due to its elegant and timeless appearance, that’s associated with naturally dark hues and a sanded finish. Cherrywood also darkens as time passes so is not a good option for people who prefer a lighter colour of flooring. This type of hardwood flooring is sanded after installation, however, this does, unfortunately, mean it’s susceptible to wear and tear over time, so may require more maintenance.
- Maple
Maple is one of the strongest and most durable woods, resistant to most, if not all, weather conditions. However, it’s important to note that as time passes, maple tends to yellow (especially on areas that aren’t used). This is easily fixed by cleaning the wood, which will enhance the appearance too. Maple also features a beautiful grain pattern that adds a unique element to your home’s decor.
- Mahogany
Perhaps associated with areas that are more regal or classic, mahogany is water-resistant, durable, and lasts longer than oak. This is a very expensive wood that can quickly cause your budget to skyrocket so is not a viable option for everyone.
- Pinewood
On the other end of the scale is pinewood, a softwood that is usually installed in long thin planks that have a similar appearance to plywood. It is long-lasting against most weather conditions and does not require a huge amount of maintenance to sustain its shiny appearance, routine touch-ups in the corners once a year is usually enough.
What’s The Right Choice For My Home?
With so many types of wood, each displaying different characteristics in terms of appearance, texture, maintenance, and price, there truly is a wooden floor out there for everyone, you just have to find it!
Once you have decided on your favourite type of wood, then it’s time to look after it so it looks its best for the long term. Industry standards state that wooden floors should be sanded at least once a year to maintain their integrity and appearance.
For floor sander hire to help your floor retain its quality, get in contact with our team at Floor Sander London today. Give us a call on 02084 276604 to find out more about our hire packages.