When you have the chance to build your dream home, it’s important to pay attention to every single detail. Floors make up most of your home since they’re the largest surface. Also, you have to walk on them, so you’ll be looking down quite a lot.
That’s why you want to be satisfied with your choice. Of course, picking the best option depends on your personal preference, the space, and your budget. Every type has its own benefits and drawbacks and depending on your ideas. You can choose carpets, vinyl tiles, engineered flooring, or real wood. It’s important to note that ever since the pandemic started, there has been a massive shortage of materials and workers.
Additionally, since everyone was locked inside of their own homes, people realized that they wanted to renovate and change things up. Before remote work was introduced, everyone spent most of their time at work. Click here to read more.
Staying home all the time opened a lot of eyes which manifested in a massive price hike in construction materials and hourly rates for contractors. What’s even more, even the waiting times to start the work have been increased. This means that you might have some more time to think about the final choice.
Why choose wood flooring?
When done correctly, wood flooring or engineered timber flooring looks mesmerizing. It gives a natural feel to every room, and if you’re designing your house entirely, it will give off a premium feel. A lot of people want to stay away from it because they believe it’s not environmentally friendly.
You can use White Luxury Vinyl Flooring to give it a premium look.
Sure, wood needs to be cut up from the forests and crafted into building material, but the net carbon footprint is lower compared to all other alternatives that are industrialized. A simple example is a cement. Producing just one ton of cement needs six times more energy than creating an entire room’s worth of wood flooring. This means that you’ll be drastically reducing your carbon footprint if you go for this choice.
Next on the list is the feeling you get and the appearance. When you enter a room that has pine or oak, you’ll feel charmed. The color can be any hue of brown, which sets the tone for a lavish lifestyle. You can pick a design that’s cross-sawn, smooth, brushed, or lacquered. Depending on your personality, you can choose an appearance that suits you best.
There’s also the benefit of longevity and durability. Even though wood has existed for millions of years, technology can improve upon it. There are new protective finishes that can make boards last for decades without wearing them down. You can visit https://www.timberflooringmelbourne.net.au/engineered-timber-flooring to know more.
Whenever you clean the floor with the correct chemicals, it’s going to look like you installed it yesterday. It doesn’t matter if you choose to sand it or deep clean it. The foundation will stay strong. Choosing timber as the base outlives all other types of flooring.
Since trees have to fend against nature, they’re insulators by definition. Pines are green in the summer and in the winter without losing a single needle. Oaks drop their leaves during the fall and grow them back during the summer.
In any case, the trunk of the tree gets bigger, stronger, and more durable. The material inside is fibrous, which means that it acts as a sound insulator. If you live in an urban area, you don’t want your lower neighbors to know when you’re walking or what kind of music you’re playing, or what movie you’re watching.
Furthermore, timber is great for keeping heat inside when it’s cold outside. This means that you’ll be warm in the winter months. During summer, the cool air will stay in, which means that you’ll get the ideal temperature year-round.
If you want to sell the house or the apartment in the future, you might be surprised to find out that it adds a lot of value to a property. This makes it a great investment for the future. The installation is relatively quick if you call a professional crew to take care of it.
Even if you decide to do it yourself, there are loads of DIY tutorials online that you can watch and mimic. The end result is not going to be the same if you’re a total beginner, but it’s going to save you some money if the installation costs are outside of your budget.
The maintenance will surprise you since it’s minimal. People who are used to carpets get a breath of fresh air when they install timber flooring because the only thing you need to do is vacuum, sweep, or mop on specific occasions. Of course, you need the prescribed cleaning solution if you want to keep it shiny.
This will make the view pristine. If you have allergies, there’s a benefit too. Dust mites can’t stay in your home since you’re not overusing textile or carpets. Thus, minimizing the risk of spring allergies from dust mites or pollen.
Why should you go for engineered timber flooring?
Solid timber is pretty expensive, which is why engineered wood is much better. It’s much cheaper since there’s not much hardwood in it, which drops the price down. It’s the most affordable option and compared to the value you’re getting.
Another benefit is the ease of installation since it’s already been prefinished. You can just go for a floating option and put the engineered timber on top of your existing floor. Even if you had tiles before, you could just put them on top without the need for nails or glue.
This makes it great for apartments where some of your neighbors might complain if you’re working during the weekends. After the installation is complete, you can start walking immediately since there’s no need for the floor to acclimatize.
There’s no expansion in the wood, which makes them incredibly stable, and they won’t contract or expand when the weather changes. For people who are used to solid wood, this is going to feel a bit different since there will be no buckling or creaking.
The look you’re getting feels and looks premium for a fraction of the price. Even to the trained eye, the flooring you install will look just like the real deal. Some of the floorboards are more than 100 millimeters wide, which means that you can get more of that natural texture.
Are there any disadvantages?
Everything in life has its disadvantages. For engineered floors, the biggest drawback is their lifespan compared to solid timber. That’s not saying that they don’t last a long time, but they will need to be changed after a decade.
Since they’re constructed of multiple layers, they could delaminate quickly, and water can destroy them pretty easily. Re-sanding them is also a problem since there’s less wood in them. If you’re going for this option, make sure that you get the materials from a reputable company that has an outstanding history.
If you don’t, there’s the risk of your floor releasing volatile organic compounds which smell funny and could affect you if you have respiratory problems. Make sure to ask the supplier about the quality and choose the best. Sometimes paying less could cost more in the future. The final choice should be based on your personal preference.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
