How Energy Efficient Are Wood Floors?

Talk about the need of the hour and energy efficiency tops the list of concerns. Making your day to day utilities energy efficient will not help you boost your economic condition but also help the cause of energy conservation. One such proposed alternative is the concept of wood flooring. So the big question is How Energy Efficient Are Wood Floors? Wood is a great insulator and proper insulation not only helps you keep your feet warm but also saves about 20% on your heating costs as no heat will get lost. So these are not only energy efficient but cost efficient as well.

 

Talking about its advantages, there are many. To mention a few:

 

• You may say that using a carpet can be effective but you must know that wood flooring can give you same warmth with a longer durability and obviously some eye-grabbing good looks! 

 

• Along with the good looks, yet another advantage of this flooring is that when you feel they are getting old, you can sand them down and refinish them time and again. The wood floors are kind to environment, aren’t they? 

 

A very important concern in this regard is that wood can expand and contract with changing temperatures. But the solution to this is that you should avoid solid wood flooring because it is the solid wood flooring that can undergo a significant damage in case of fluctuating temperatures. In addition to this, you can have a ply base for the floor to avoid this. Yet another efficient solution!

 

Talking about the technicalities and durability, you must know what type of wood you must use. Usually there are two types of woods that can be used for this purpose, namely hardwood and vinyl wood. Vinyl woods longevity depends on the thickness of coating it has while hardwood can last for generations! Wood floors are extremely hard and they are resistant to damages. Even if they are damaged, costs of reinforcements are economical. Despite of being impervious and sensitive to humidity, time and again the application of water proofing solutions or application of plywood chip board helps you maintain your flooring.

 

On the other hand, ceramic tiles cool down rapidly and can never give you the warmth you want. So your heating costs are bound to rise. Looking at all these points, you can certainly conclude that wood floors are the one stop solution to get energy efficiency!