The Benefits of Hardwood Floors

Benefits of Hardwood Flooring

Here at Hatcher’s Floors, we want to make sure you choose the right flooring for your home or business. Due to its extreme popularity, hardwood flooring is a primary choice among homeowners in northern Virginia. However, there are many different kinds of hardwood flooring and each of them comes with pros and cons. No matter what your lifestyle, wood floors add value and comfort to any décor, but with all the choices available today, how do you know which kind of wood flooring will be right for you?

Wood flooring in Virginia provides warmth, beauty, and value. You can elevate your home or office by selecting a beautiful wood plank. Nothing compares to the style of a gorgeous wood selection. Wood flooring enhances the décor of any room and provides timeless beauty that will increase in value throughout the years when properly maintained. In fact, in a national survey of real estate agents, 90 percent said that houses with wood flooring sell faster and for higher prices than houses without wood floors. If you are considering selling your northern Virginia home, Hatcher’s Floors can install flawless wood floors to increase your home value and help put money in your pocket! Regardless of whether you are selling your home or simply looking to update it, hardwood floors come in a variety of colors and types to match your needs and budget.

Types of Hardwood Floors

There are two types of wood floors available on the market today: solid and engineered.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is exactly what the name implies: a solid piece of wood from top to bottom. The thickness of solid wood flooring can vary, but generally ranges from ¾” to 5/16”. One of the many benefits of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. Solid wood flooring can be installed above or on grade.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Engineered wood floors are real wood floors that are manufactured using three to nine layers of different wood veneers. The sub-layers can be of the same species, or of different species. The grain of each layer runs in different directions, which makes it very stable. This means that the wood will expand and contract less than solid wood flooring during fluctuations in humidity and temperature, which may be important for some Virginia homes. The top layer of engineered wood flooring consists of high-quality wood. While this type of flooring can be sanded and finished, it cannot be done as many times as solid wood flooring. Engineered wood flooring can be installed above, on or below grade.

Daily Hardwood Floor Maintenance

Thanks to new standards in today’s hardwood engineering, stains and finishes, maintenance of today’s wood floors has never been easier. New technology in stains and finishes call for regular cleaning that takes little more than sweeping or vacuuming, with occasional use of a professional wood floor cleaning product. Our expert hardwood installers here at Hatcher’s Floors will recommend the proper cleaning product to ensure the quality of your floors remains intact and is suitable for the type of wood and finish used.

Long-Term Preventive Maintenance

After your hardwood floors have been installed, there are additional steps you can take to minimize long-term maintenance costs and maintain the beauty and integrity of your wood floors.

1. Do not use vinyl floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes can cause wood to appear dull.
2. Use throw rugs on high traffic areas like on both sides of doorways and in front of the kitchen sink. By using throw rugs inside and outside doorways, it prevents sand and dirt from scratching your hardwood floors, thus prolonging having to refinish them.
3. You cannot wet mop a wood floor. Hardwood floors can buckle when too wet or dampened often and standing water can dull the finish and cause discoloration.
4. Wipe up spills immediately to prevent dullness and discoloration.
5. Do not over-wax your hardwood floors. You may be able to use a buffer instead to keep them polished and in good condition.
6. Put fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. Don’t slide your furniture on your hardwood floors.
7. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to minimize gaps or cracks.

1. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to minimize gaps or cracks.

When you are ready to choose the perfect hardwood floor for your home, get a free quote from the experts at Hatcher’s Floors. Since 1984, our company has proudly served home and business owners in the metro DC area, as well as Springfield, Arlington, Fairfax, Vienna, Fredericksburg, Great Falls, Mclean, Sterling, Ashburn, Prince Georges County, and Montgomery County.

We’re one of the few local companies who get our supplies directly from big industry leaders like WE Cork, Mirage, Bruce Hardwood Floors, Shaw Floors, Mercier Wood Flooring, Mullican Flooring, and Triangulo. By choosing Hatcher’s Floors you get high quality choices and exceptional customer service.

With industry-trained installation experts and a team of on-site supervisors, you never have to worry about how to care for your hardwood floors. No matter which wood type you choose, we will supply you with the knowledge you need to properly care and maintain your wood floors so they stand the test of time! Contact us today!