What to Look for in Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is a major draw for potential homebuyers. In fact, investing in and maintaining your hardwood flooring could yield you up to a 75% return on your investment when it comes time to sell your home.

However, all hardwood flooring is not created equal. If you’re preparing to make the investment in some beautiful hardwood flooring for your home, you should do some research beforehand to ensure that you get the flooring you want– for the best value within your budget.

Types of Hardwood

There are many different types of hardwood to choose from, and all of them offer their own unique benefits and characteristics.

Familiarize yourself with the Janka Hardness Scale, which is used to classify different types of wood. 

Types of wood with a higher rating on the scale are harder. Harder types of wood offer more resistance to scratches and other types of damage that floors tend to incur over the years– and a floor that’s been protected and kept in good shape will only increase the value of your home when it’s time to sell.

A few examples of woods with a high rating on the Janka Hardness Scale are Santos mahogany, Brazilian cherry, and mesquite.

Types of Softwood

There are also plenty of excellent softer woods available on the market. Some of these include black cherry, southern yellow pine, Douglas fir, cedar, cypress, and hemlock.

One benefit of choosing a softwood floor is affordability. Softwood floors look great, but are friendlier on the budget than some of the harder varieties of wood flooring.

However, softwoods are typically best for lower-traffic rooms. Naturally, because they’re softer, they can be more susceptible to scratches and other types of damage.

Color & Texture

In addition to durability, people tend to choose types of wood based on the colors and textures that will look best in their home.

For example, a highly polished, immaculate hardwood floor gives a different visual impression than a distressed, antique-looking hardwood floor. If you’re looking for a distressed look, softwood might be a great choice for you– even if it does get a little scratched up, it’ll only add to the effect!

You’ll probably also want to choose a wood color that fits with the ideal vision you have in mind for your home. Warm-toned woods like hickory, mahogany, and cherry look great with certain design themes, while cool-toned woods (like pine, poplar, ash, or maple) will have a slightly grey undertone– which is super trendy right now!

Budget & Durability

For many people, finding the right hardwood floor means making a choice that fits within their budget, within their home’s color scheme, and that will stand the test of time.

A mahogany floor will be durable enough to last for generations, but is probably out of the average person’s price range. Meanwhile, more affordable flooring solutions, like wood laminate, give the look of wood without the price tag– and with increased durability to boot!

Consult the pros

At Kaufman By Design, our design and decorating team is here to help you make the perfect choice of hardwood to make your home look incredible. Give us a call or stop in today to get started!