Thinking About Wood Flooring In Your Home? Pros And Cons
Wood flooring is an option to consider, especially in older homes where it looks like it was there all of the years that the home has existed. If you are looking to replace any other kind of flooring in your home, wood is just one of several potential flooring materials you can choose from. To help you decide, here are the pros and cons of wood as a flooring material.
Pros
Very Easy to Clean
Wood is very easy to clean. A good dust mop keeps it free of dust and loose dirt, while a slightly damp rag can wipe up mud and any other wet dirt brought in from outside. A fully wet mop and certain cleaners should never be applied to a hardwood floor, as they can damage the protective coating of hardwoods. Spills as the result of drinks or food can be wiped up quickly with a dry cloth or a mildly damp one.
Resistant to Pet Stains
If you have pets, they may defecate, urinate, and/or vomit on your floors. If you have carpet, the carpet is utterly ruined. If you have linoleum or vinyl, it may be stained permanently, even if you got the mess up quickly. Tile will retain some of the smell because stone is porous and the smells associated with pet messes cannot be scrubbed away entirely because of the chemicals found naturally in urine, vomit, and feces (e.g., ammonia, sulfur, stomach acid). However, if you have wood floors, wood is coated with a protective layer after it has been stained or lacquered, thereby making it resistant to pet stains.
Cons
Wood Can Be Scratched
Cleats on wood floors? Knives and scissors dropped? All of these, and other sharp objects, can scratch up your wood floors faster than talons on flesh. You have to take great care to keep heavy furniture and sharp objects off of any wood floors you install in your home.
If Your Home Becomes Flooded, the Wood Will Rot
Wood, when wet and left to sit wet or under water, will rot. If your home becomes flooded and the wood floors are under water for a week or more, they will have to be removed when the waters abate. You will have to rip out all of the wood flooring at that point and replace the wood. If it is any consolation, however, you would have to rip out carpet, vinyl, and linoleum as well.
