Which Type of Hardwood Flooring is Best if You Have Children?

Pavel Liviu
2021-03-29T12:57:47-05:00

Hardwood flooring is a popular choice among homeowners and offers a great addition to nearly any interior design plan. Hardwood is sleek, stylish, and comes in a variety of colors and finishes to fit your style preference. Another big perk of hardwood floors is the longevity and durability. However, when you have kids in the house, suddenly everything seems to become a lot less durable and your floors are no exception. Certain types of hardwood will pair better with a lifestyle that involves children, so let’s take a look at some of the important features you need to look out for before getting your hardwood installed!

Look for Strong Graining

Wood with stronger graining will conceal dents and scratches easier, making it less of a big deal when your kids cause some damage over time. Oak and hickory are among the best hardwood materials when you’re looking for something with strong graining. Hickory is harder than oak but also won’t match everybody’s design preferences. Oak comes in both light and dark shades, has strong graining, and is still strong enough to stand the test of time with kids in the home. Hickory and oak are both great choices to hide scratches and dents, it just comes down to your budget and personal preferences to choose between them.

Avoid Dark Wood

Scratches on hardwood revel the wood beneath the surface stain which is typically lighter than the rest of the floor. To make scratches less noticeable, opt for lighter colored floors. The contrast between the floors and the scratches will be significantly less than scratches are on dark wood. Light wood also shows dirt and dust less, so it’s no big deal if you get a little behind on your cleaning routine!

Childproofing Your Hardwood

Childproofing your hardwood with an oil based polyurethane coating will make the floor less prone to scratches and other damages. For the best protection, 3 or 4 coats of the poly coating should be applied to your floors. Refinishing the floors will give them a facelift but going in with poly coating 3-4 years after they’ve been refinished will really help extend the life of the floors and the finish.

Find the Right Finish

Shiny hardwood floors look beautiful but maintaining them can be a nightmare with kids around. Every scratch, dent, and bump will be noticeable because the shiny topcoat will be damaged. Choosing a satin or matte finish will make maintaining the appearance of the floors easier since there’s no glossy finish to damage.