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There are endless reasons as to why choosing a wooden floor maybe the best option for any homeowner.  To begin with, hardwood flooring is both timeless and natural which creates an inviting and elegant environment to your home interior. Another advantage of is the ease of cleaning the hardwood flooring since it leaves no hiding space for debris like germs and dust. This is a huge advantage for anyone suffering from allergies. Did you know that a hardwood flooring increases the value of any house? Yes it does! This is all because of its unsurpassed value and beauty.

A lot of consideration has to be done before choosing right hardwood floor that will best suite you.  Affecting the decision is what your subfloor is made of. Mostly the subfloor will determine whether engineered wood or the solid wood would be the right choice for you. A high-traffic house will mostly choose a harder wood because of its resistance to wear and tear. Other factors which will also come in include how you will prefer to finish and the style of your home.

Nail/ Staple Down

Nail down installation is mostly used to install plank flooring on a wooden subfloor or a ” thick strip of solid wood. The nailing cleats in this case are fastened beneath the subfloor.

Nail/Glue Down

Gluing and nailing the board is highly recommended when installing flooring planks of 4” and wider.

Glue Down

When nailing isn’t an option, glue down may be very appropriate especially when attaching hardwood flooring to a dry and fully cured concrete.

Floating

This technique involves attaching flooring board to each other without any adherence to their subfloor. The boards are usually attached to each other by an inter-locking system or a bead of glue on their tongue. The main advantage of the floating installation system is the whole hardwood floor moves as a unit which helps reduce cracks between boards.

Using harsh chemicals or abrasives to clean your wooden floor may affect the life span of the floor. Some of these chemicals include ammonia, oil soaps, wax, or vinegar.

Wearing high heels on wooden floor will cause denting to your floor.

Leaving your furniture legs unprotected can greatly damage the finish to your wooden floor. It’s therefore advised to add protective pads under the legs of your furniture.

Excessive exposure to sunlight and its UV rays can also cause your wooden floor to fade or cause color change to in its protective polyurethane finish. To avoid this, it’s recommended to use draperies or shades to help block out the harmful sun rays.

If you want your wood floor to last longer, then doing a regular routine cleaning will be a priority. This will involve using a swifter or a microfiber mop to dust the floor, vacuum cleaning every week using a soft-bristled vacuum and at least damp-mopping every month with a recommended hardwood floor cleaner. Depending on your foot traffic, refinish your wooden floor surface every if it has a polyurethane surface at least in every 5 years.

You will also need to prevent further floor damage by immediately cleaning up any liquid spillage on your floor. Also adding protective mats and rugs will reduce wear and tear on high-traffic areas. Finally, using protective pads on your furniture will always minimize scratches and scuffs on your wooden floor surface.

Most flooring is sold by square foot which is the actual measurement of the area to be covered by the floor. Normally, a waste factor of 5% must be added to the total square footage needed for the flooring. The 5% also allows for any defect, if any, in the wood to be cut out.

Unlike carpets, the hardwood floor doesn’t harbor dust particles, pollen dust, animal fur and other irritants which can trigger respiratory allergies and allergic reactions. Hardwood flooring is therefore recommended for anyone suffering from allergies.

Hardwood flooring can be installed on any surface including: ceramic, concrete, wooden sub-floors, vinyl, and marble. However, it’s important to consult with an expert before installation.

If your hardwood floor surface has significant damage, visible gouge, deep scratches and discoloration, you may consider to sand and refinish your flooring.

It is common for cracks to appear in floors with wider planks due to the shrinkage and expansion over the year. In order to reduce the chances of getting cracks, make an effort to maintain a humidity level of between 45%-55% throughout the year. Dehumidify the humid summer months and humidify during drier seasons helps to keep the humidity level more stable through the year.

Before installing the wooden floor, you can make sure that the hardwood flooring gets properly acclimated to the room before installation for at least 3-4 days.  Also the moisture content of the flooring and the subfloor needs also to be checked so as to predict future movement.