Hardwood has fast become the more popular choice of flooring for homeowners and commercial properties, thanks to its durability, easy maintenance and timeless look.

In the late 1950s and 1960s, carpets were seen as a luxury item and they became somewhat of a trend, and prior to that, tiling and vinyl were more favoured.
However, over the last decade, hardwood flooring has cemented its place as the number one option for flooring around the UK, and it’s easy to see why as the benefits are highly appealing.

It’s timeless

It’s safe to say that wood flooring will never go out of style, especially if you stick to a classic oak or walnut.
The biggest fear that any homeowner can have when decorating their house, is that their interior choices may look great now, but could lose their appeal a decade from now, making it difficult to sell.
Fortunately, wood flooring doesn’t fall into this category as it’s not a trend piece and has been in existence, and going strong, for centuries.

Easy to maintain and clean

As highlighted in our previous blog, How To Maintain Wood Floors, wood floors are easy to look after, especially in comparison to carpet which can be completely ruined by a knocked over glass of red wine, or your kids being let loose with a marker pen.

When it comes to wood flooring, most spills can simply be wiped away, and any scratches or scuffs can be removed with a quick refinish.
Cleaning wood floors is even easier; a sweep down every couple of days and a deeper clean with a steam mop every week will keep your wood floors looking as good as new.
Carpets require a little more upkeep if you want them to stay clean - being hoovered every day or two, investing in a carpet cleaner, which can be pricey and a long process. Not to mention the fact that carpets hold onto smells, including unpleasant ones, which isn’t the case with wood floors.

Durable and cost-effective

Even if you did manage to keep on top of the cleaning with a carpet, it would still naturally loose its softness and colour after a few years, particularly if it’s installed in a room with high traffic.
Wood flooring has a far longer ‘life expectancy’ in that it will not lose its colour or get worn down in your lifetime, so you can install a wood floor in your home and know that it will look and feel as it did on day one fifty years down the line. This also makes it a cost-effective option. You won’t need to think about purchasing new wood floors every ten years, unless you really want to.

An array of options for every decor theme

We can’t say it enough, but there are so many options when it comes to wood floors. There are a number of finishes, types of wood, colours, patterns, grains etc. that you can choose from, which means you are certain to find something that you love, and that goes with the aesthetic you are trying to achieve in that particular space.

There are no limitations and very little restrictions in achieving the finished look that you have in mind.

Adds value to your home

We will be looking more at this particular benefit of wood flooring in our next blog post, but wood floors can add value to your home.
Based on all of the benefits already mentioned, particularly the timelessness of wood floors and their easy maintenance, buyers will pay more for a home with wood floors than one with carpets.
Most buyers would replace carpets (especially if they are old and already worn down) with wood floors and would see this as additional work and cost when buying a carpeted house; this could actually make it more difficult to sell, let alone decrease the value.

Even if you have no plans to sell your home (maybe this is your dream, forever home), you should always be wary of making interior decisions that could restrict you should your plans change further down the line.

Better air quality

A big benefit that is often overlooked, is the improved air quality that comes with wood floors. Carpets trap dust, pollen, and other common allergens, decreasing the air quality in the house and making life a little more difficult for allergy sufferers.

Outside of carpet, vinyl and tiles can lower the indoor air quality too. The grout lines and embossing make it easy for allergens to get trapped and settle into the flooring, so wood floors are the best option for allergy sufferers in this instance.