Carpets are the traditional choice for most bedrooms, but engineered hardwood flooring is a great alternative for many homeowners. While it’s not as soft, hardwood can still be warm and welcoming, and its natural beauty and durability make it a good material for a restful room in the house. There are some drawbacks to having hardwood in your bedroom, however, so before you decide we’ve put together the pros and cons for you.
Wooden floors give a home a certain atmosphere, regardless of which room you install them in. Some of the primary benefits include:
Most engineered hardwood flooring products carry superior factory finishes that you can expect to last for the floor’s lifetime. If your bedroom floor develops slight signs of wear and tear after several years, a simple screen/recoat is usually enough to restore its good looks. If you decide to change the finish, the majority of engineered hardwoods can be sanded down lightly and refinished. When you purchase your flooring, ask whether the particular type of flooring you want can be refinished at a later stage.
Unlike solid hardwood, which is limited to certain locations in your home, engineered hardwood flooring is simple to install with glue or staples. This makes it possible to use it over any type of surface, including sunken living areas and finished basements. The flooring is also available in thicknesses ranging from ¼ to ¾ inch, which reduces the requirement to remove or replace heaters and baseboards.
Most soft flooring materials contribute to allergies by the way they collect and retain dust, pollen, and other allergens. Every time someone walks across the room they are released back into the air, irritating sensitive lungs. With engineered hardwood flooring you get a smooth, solid surface that is easy to clean and care for year-round, and from which all the particles can be washed away. This gives you relief from irritation in a room where you spend many hours breathing the air while you sleep.
Solid hardwood can be very costly, which makes engineered hardwood flooring a more affordable option. Installation is easier, which means it requires fewer labor hours and therefore costs less to fit, too. Because engineered products use a softwood backing that grows faster than hardwood does, this type of flooring is also more eco-friendly and sustainable than its solid competitor. Add to that the fact that they are easy to clean and less prone to stains from spills, and they make a great option for children’s bedrooms.
The main drawbacks of using this type of flooring in the bedroom are:
This applies mainly to upper-story bedrooms, where you can hear creaking from the shifting boards when someone walks across them. Walking in shoes can also be noisy for anyone down below. You can minimize this issue by making sure your flooring is installed correctly, and reduce the sound by adding an insulating underlayment beneath it. Adding area rugs at strategic points throughout the bedroom can also help to dampen the noise.
Homes with dogs—especially large ones—could discover their engineered hardwood flooring develops nicks and scratches over time from their pets’ nails. The only way to avoid this is to keep your dogs’ nails short and smooth at all times, or you’ll find the clicking sound can also disturb your sleep.
Knock-Offs: There are lots of cheap knock-offs available on the market. They are sold as engineered hardwood and that’s what they are, but they have only a thin veneer of hardwood laid over inferior quality softwood, sometimes even chipboard, instead of types of wood that carry a sound pedigree. Be careful of invitingly low prices for these flooring products, which won’t deliver the same benefits as the real thing and will only last for a short amount of time.
Poor Installation: Many less reputable flooring installers fit engineered products poorly, which enables even an untrained eye to spot at a glance that it’s not authentic. If your flooring is installed professionally, the only way to determine whether it’s engineered or solid hardwood is to remove a section of the floor and examine it.
If you’re considering installing engineered hardwood flooring in your bedroom areas, please contact Brentwood Flooring America at Raleigh: (919) 617-9327 | Cary: (919) 794-6239 to ensure you get the quality and service you deserve.
