How long does a hardwood floor last?

Wooden flooring might be one of the most preferred types of flooring options. Nevertheless, it needs a lot of care, maintenance and upkeep to ensure it lasts its full life. However, this brings us to the point where we need to know how long do wooden floorings last. While some people might say it can last for a lifetime, many others will beg to differ. The fact of the matter is that wooden flooring will last longer if one takes proper care and maintains it during its lifetime.

Keeping this thought in mind, the usual time period for wooden flooring ranges between twenty-five to thirty years, provided it is refinished at regular intervals of time and is maintained as per the wood type.

Here are some factors which impact the life of hardwood flooring:

• The type of flooring: Since solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring are prepared differently, there is a difference in the number of years the wooden flooring will survive. These days, no one really wants to put solid oak flooring within their housing, simply because of the level of upkeep needed to keep it going. On the contrary, engineered oak flooring is taking everyone’s fancy, since it is designed with not more than 6mm of actual flooring. The top layer is usually solid flooring, while the rest are pieces of plywood stuck together to form one complete board.
• Installation of the flooring: The installation of the flooring plays another important role in deciding the life of hardwood flooring. Basically, the installation phase before the actual installation is worth considering. Wood flooring installation consists of a few steps, like floor preparation, and acclimation, amongst other things. At the same time, the subfloor needs to be flat too. Floorboards need to have space between each plank, to take into consideration the seasonal changes. Since wood expands in summers and contracts in winters, it is important to leave adequate space between each floor plank for it to grow and shrink. If these wedges are not left in between, chances are you would end up changing your floors way before they wear out.  
• Care and maintenance: The final point worth mentioning is the care and maintenance of the hardwood flooring. Wooden floors are sensitive to cleaners, and it is important to be wary of the wooden cleaners one uses. Since chemical cleaners are acidic in nature, one needs to be careful of the type of cleaners being used. Ask your hardwood suppliers the best cleaners, so that you don’t end up spoiling your floors during your daily cleaning chores.

Hardwood flooring can go a long way, especially if you keep them properly. Use the right maintenance tools and the installation should be done by experts so that there are no unwanted surprises after a few years.