Kids can cause a number of damages on hardwood floors. In addition to tumble games, they can push chairs with wheels, push toys and also play hot wheel races. Such activities cause the appearance of scratches and holes on the floor which accelerates wear and tear.
Owing to this, parents must select wooden floors that can be sanded and refinished. You may not like the ideal wood flooring type for kids, but it is the only option you have if you wish to see your floor lasting longer. Remember, any wood flooring type that works for dogs can be fit for children as well.
1. Wood with Intense Graining Is a Perfect Option
Wood grains add to the toughness of the wood. Hardwood with a lot of grains in it has low porosity meaning even its water absorbance capacity is very low. Such wood tends to resist scratches and dents making it remain in good form even if it is exposed to tear and shear forces.
In the unlikely event that the wood acquires scratches, it normally camouflages the scratches. The floor always looks appealing. Red oak, white oak, and hickory are an example of highly grained woods that can be as flooring materials.
2. Light Hardwood Floors
These floors are scratch resistant, and besides that, the base material looks almost the same as the raw or finishing material used. This means that even if scratches occur, they will not have profound visibility to affect the aesthetics of your hardwood floors.
Reputable local flooring specialists assert that hardwood flooring material that undergoes finishing using an oil based polyurethane like Dura seal is highly resistant to scratches and damages. For busy households, it is recommended that three coats of polyurethane should installed.
3. Satin and matte finishing Styles
The shiner your floor is, the more it exposes scratches. Even though they are not shiny, satin and matte finishes do not expose damages as much so your floor will look better for longer. Kids can play on it, drag objects around and do all sorts of activities but you will rarely see a scratch on it.
4. Choose Harder Hardwood Species
All other factors held equal, harder species of hardwoods are likely to hold up better. Consider installing hard and tougher woods like Brazilian Walnut or Brazilian Teak. However, not all things are equal. Some exotic hardwoods tend to be dark and may have smooth graining, and that means they might show scratches more. You can also choose maple. Though it is expensive to purchase and install, it lasts a long time.
5. Solid hardwood floors instead of engineered ones
Generally, solid hardwood is better than the engineered option particularly if you have children or your home is always busy. The reality is that no matter how careful you are, your floors will still get scratched. Therefore, you need a flooring material that can easily be refinished in the future for a newer look.
When you sand and refinish hardwood floors, you can easily restore them and probably change their colour. In case you prefer dark hardwood floors, but you chose a lighter colour when your kids were young, you can sand and refinish the floors in the future. Sometimes, you can handle this task on your own or consider working with a professional flooring company.
You can monitor your kids on the kind of games they should play. Changing or repairing a flooring material is very costly, so it is better to prevent the damage in the first place.