Hardwood flooring is something that most buyers appreciate on a house. It’s a feature that makes a house more valuable and that could determine whether or not you decide to buy it. However, like any other type of flooring, hardwood floors have both advantages and disadvantages. We’re going to analyze both sections and give you the information you need to make the best decision for your home.

Advantages.

There are plenty of characteristics that could be considered advantages. For example, hardwood floors are easy to maintain. They are durable and, even though time leaves its marks on the floors, it only gives them character and patina. It’s very easy to keep hardwood floors clean. All you have to do is either vacuum or sweep regularly and to occasionally also use special cleaning products.

Another advantage is the fact that a house that has hardwood floors is definitely superior to one that doesn’t. It’s a feature that makes a house more valuable and this means it’s easier to find buyers. So if you’re planning to sell your home, either in the close future or later on, you might want to invest in hardwood floors.

Hardwood flooring comes in many different styles and this makes it very versatile. You can have hardwood floors in any type of space, whether the décor is traditional, modern, elegant or casual. All you have to do is find the style that suits the décor. If, at one point, you decide to change the style of your home’s décor, you can also change the look of your hardwood floors without having to replace them.

Disadvantages.

The main disadvantage of hardwood flooring is its cost. It can be very pricy to add hardwood floors to your entire home. Also, it’s not just the materials you have to worry about. Hardwood flooring is also difficult to install and requires specialized help, not to mention that the installation is pricy as well.

Even though time adds patina to the wood, when you have hardwood floors in high traffic areas you’ll probably have to refinish them occasionally and this doesn’t come cheap either. Also, if you have pets you need to be careful because scratches can’t be removed or covered up. You can refinish the floors and this will give them a fresh look.There is also one more detail that is not necessarily a disadvantage but can be disturbing for some people. Hardwood floors sometimes become noisy. You can cover up the sound with area rugs or carpets but can’t be ignored completely.

Picture sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.