How Long Does Hardwood Flooring Last?

How Long Does Hardwood Flooring Last?

• Blog , Featured Post , Home Floorings
• Cariena
• June 8, 2022

Hardwood floors have long been a favorite among buyers. The timeless look of hardwood floors can work with practically any decorating theme. Adding hardwood floors is often considered a selling point since they are a great return on investment, and hardwood floors pay off at the resale time. Hardwood floors are the best floor type if you can handle their wear and tear.

Hardwood Flooring or Laminate Flooring?

Hardwood floors can be made out of a variety of wood types and can vary greatly in their cut and assembly. Some common hardwood floor types are oak, pine, maple, birch, cherry, beech, and bamboo. Wood can be cut into strips or planks, which come with tongue-and-groove joints, or a geometric pattern using wood tiles.

Alternatively, you can purchase engineered wood or laminate floors that mimic hardwood floors. Laminate flooring has multiple layers over a fiberboard underlayment. In the case of hardwood flooring finish, you can choose between pre-finished and unfinished flooring. Pre-finished floors come sanded and sealed, so installation can be simplified.

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Hardwood Floor Lifespan

Properly maintained hardwood floors can easily last for decades. However, Hardwood floors might need refinishing every 10 years or so to keep their radiant shine. As per the hardwood flooring specialists, you can also expect hardwood floors to last the life of your home.

It is important that you decide whether you wish to replace a damaged floor completely or just sand and refinish it if you find yourself in a situation to do so.

There are a number of factors to consider, but most of the time you won’t have to tear the hardwood floor up and replace it. If there are surface-level issues, just refinishing will usually do the trick.

Taking proper care of your wood floor will help it last over 20 or 30 years before it needs to be refinished. So, if the floor in question was installed within that timeframe, barring any major issues, chances are that scrubbing it down and refinishing it will restore its original beauty.

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Cuts and scratches

From moving the furniture to kids and pets running around, your hardwood floors are bound to have a few scratches. But a few faint scratches shouldn’t be a cause for concern. However, if these scratches cover a large area of your hardwood floor, hardwood flooring specialists might recommend refinishing or replacing it. Also, keep a watch for any major chips or gouges. Scratches deep enough to penetrate the stain can damage your floor if they penetrate into the wood beneath the stain.

Water damage

Damage through water leakage and water seepage is one of the major downsides of hardwood flooring. As compared to hardwood floors, Engineered Hardwood floors are more resistant to water damage. However, both these floor types are prone to stains and warping due to moisture and water seepage.

Adding a sealant or stain can keep spills from soaking into your flooring, but if your home experiences flooding, plumbing issues, or similar problems, some serious damage may result. Water damage is one of the major reasons hardwood floor homeowners have to replace their flooring.

Nails are peeking through

In addition to being unsightly, exposed nails can cause you and your family severe discomfort. This can be problematic because they often occur in high-traffic locations, such as the living room or entryway, which increases the chances of snagging a sock or stubbing a toe. Just like scratches, a few exposed nail heads do not indicate a total replacement. According to hardwood flooring specialists in Pickering, the flooring might need to be replaced if exposed nails are discovered across a large area.

Wood discoloration

The discoloration of your hardwood floors might happen for a lot of reasons. Long-term exposure to the sun or water damage can be a few major reasons for the colors to fade. This faded-out look can be fixed by restaining or refinishing your hardwood floors. The colors of your hardwood start to change if it absorbs water. A gray stain or discoloration is a common sign of water damage.

A refinish can easily fix the problem and restore your hardwood flooring finish. If, however, this issue is left unattended, the stain will get darker and eventually turn black. Water damage indicates that the wood’s structure has been damaged, and it should be replaced.

Bottom Line

Even though hardwood floors are expensive, they’re hard to beat in terms of quality and value. It doesn’t need to be a major problem for you to replace your floors. Sometimes our homes need an update.

A variety of hardwood floors are available for you to choose from. Explore different wood species, warmer or darker colors, or discover a new grade or texture. The fresh look or style of hardwood flooring installed by hardwood flooring specialists can completely change the look of your home.