Whether the solid or engineered version, wood flooring is beautiful and adds charm and warmth to your home. Of the many benefits, perhaps the biggest is the wood floor's ability to endure for decades: Solid hardwood has been known to last up to 100 years, while engineered hardwood lasts up to 50.
That translates into few, if any, replacement costs because unless there's structural damage, both can be sanded and refinished to bring them back to their original luster. However, it also depends on how well you take care of it like anything else.
Water: The enemy of solid hardwood flooring
Solid hardwood is one thickness throughout, which means it'll do what wood does, expand and shrink to adjust to the weather, creating cupping, crowning, and warping. Avoid this problem by ensuring the wood is acclimated before installation, a simple process whereby opened boxes are left in the room in which it's to be installed for three to five days.
This idea is to bring the wood's moisture levels up to its new home. Remember, the trees probably grew in another part of the country or world. Seek the advice of the experts in your hardwood flooring company for the best way to acclimate.
Acclimate engineered wood, too
Although engineered is more stable and better able to handle water, it, too, should be acclimated. That is because it's typically installed as a floating floor, and the tiniest bit of movement can throw it off balance. Don't take chances!
Other tips include dry mopping or sweeping with a soft broom every day and vacuuming without beater bars once a week. This is so sand, and dirt don't get between the boards, embed and scratch. Wipe spills immediately, especially when it's solid wood, and employs everyday routines: put mats strategically at entrances, use protective furniture pads, keep pet nails trimmed and avoid wearing stilettos.
At The Floor Store & Cabinet Shop, we have over 30 years of experience and a large inventory of hardwood with names like Johnson, Mohawk, Chesapeake, and more. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will help you select the right one for you and will give you a free quote, too. Our showroom is in Warner Robins, GA, convenient to Macon, Fort Valley, Hawkinsville, and Perry.
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