Hardwood floors are at the mercy of children. You’ll need to install hardwood floors ideal for a busy household by a good flooring company in Dallas. The constant pitter-pattering of feet and rough games add to the wear and tear of any beautiful hardwood flooring, no matter how durable. Alongside that, toys and furniture being pushed around any space can definitely scratch hardwood surfaces. With this in mind, what hardwood flooring would best fit a family household with children?
First of all, it’s important to know that all types of hardwood, no matter how hardy, will still get chipped and scraped over a period of time. You may find other types of hardwood that may take more wear and tear while utilizing tips on how to minimize damage on your beloved flooring but you need to realize that a family household is going to be a busy place. So expect any flooring to get the brute of high foot traffic.
Secondly, any hardwood floor will get chipped and scratched especially in a family home. So, it’s preferable to choose one that can easily get sanded and refinished when it is scratched. When choosing the perfect hardwood flooring for your home, you may be conflicted between opting for your own aesthetic and more durable hardwood choices. Ultimately, it will be up to you to choose which type of hardwood you will need for your home -- whether you choose a flooring for its flexibility and durability, or for beauty and style.
Here are a few tips on how to choose the best hardwood flooring options for a child-friendly household:
Stronger-grained hardwood species
Hardwood species with stronger grains are better at camouflaging chips and scratches. Stronger-grained species like red oak, white oak, and hickory are best as low-maintenance flooring for the household. These also tend to be less expensive hardwood options than others.
Hickory
Stronger graining, color variation are benefits of hickory along with its harder structure. However, lighter-stained hickory adds a very rustic charm to any home but does add a business to the whole floor which normally blends well with selected furniture and home details.
Oak
If you’re choosing between red or white oak, consider the look you want to achieve. For something more contemporary, white oak is ideal for its smoother graining and more evident mineral streaks. Red oak is best paired with a traditional aesthetic because it has more graining.
Light Hardwood
If you’re concerned over scratches and dirt, light hardwood flooring surprisingly fits the bill because they show less of these problems. Lighter flooring is closer to the natural wood color, manifesting fewer chips and scratches. Wood scratches normally show the base underneath.
Extra-coated hardwood
Consider a high-grade oil-based polyurethane coat or high-grade water-borne polyurethane coat when refinishing your hardwood. Households that have a lot of foot traffic or darker hardwood floors require up to 3 or even 4 coats of polyurethane. You can also do some preventive maintenance by screening and recoating your floors 3 or 4 years after it’s been refinished.
Satin vs. Matte finishes
The shinier your floor, the more it manifests scratches, dirt, and chips. Matte and satin finishes will show fewer scratches and happen to have a very stylish feel about them.
Harder Species
If you want durability, go for harder hardwood species. Hardwood species like Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Teak, and other exotic hardwoods are ideal if you need a hardier flooring option.
Solid Hardwood
Households that experience a lot of foot traffic is better off with solid hardwood, especially with children. Your floors will inevitably be scratched so you need to welcome the idea of future refinishing.
Distressed hardwood
Think of character as a camouflage ability. Distressed and hand-scraped floors or those with more color variations easily blend in any scratches, dents, and chips.
