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Traffic: we hate it when we’re in our cars, but we expect our flooring to put up with it regularly—the foot variety, of course! Indeed, foot traffic can be a major contributing factor to your ultimate flooring decision simply because it’s something that you can’t really eliminate. Floors are made for walking on, just as your home is made for living in.
If you’re looking for a flooring type for a high-traffic area, you’ll need one that can stand up to those demands. E Hardwoods & Flooring, where you can buy hardwood flooring online, has some suggestions below.
What’s so dangerous about foot traffic, anyway? If every flooring experiences it, why is it something to worry about? Well, you shouldn’t worry, per se—but you should know that the simple friction of feet, shod or not, on the floor can degrade it over time.
Much like an unlubricated engine, if your flooring of any sort isn’t properly protected and cared for, the speed of this degradation will drastically increase. Some floorings, like we said, are much stronger against foot traffic than others.
Solid hardwood flooring is, well, a solid choice for high-traffic areas. When it comes to physical durability, there’s nothing quite like prefinished hardwood flooring. Hardwood flooring can even be refinished, leaving the dull and worn-down areas that can result from heavy traffic looking like new.
Engineered hardwood flooring can also be a good option. If hardwood flooring isn’t for you, but you simply must have the feel of natural wood underfoot, engineered hardwood can fit your bill. While it can’t be refinished, its partial plywood complexion lends its strength in other areas.
Luxury vinyl flooring stands strong against frequent use. If that regular use also involves spills or messes, you might find your fit in waterproof flooring. Its impermeable nature, combined with its thickness when compared to standard vinyl flooring, makes it a tough contender.
Keep in mind, though, that you must purchase luxury vinyl flooring if you intend for it to last. As we covered in our waterproof flooring blog, this stuff is much thicker than its non-luxury counterpart, which means it’s much better equipped to handle high-traffic areas. Though it might cost a bit more than vinyl of the flimsy variety, the strength and durability are well worth it in the end, especially if your priority is longevity.
The right flooring is essential to a tough-as-nails space. Without it, no matter what you do, your home will always be vulnerable to scrapes, scuffs, and wear. But if you combine the above recommendations with the tips below, you can rest easy knowing that you’re thoroughly safeguarded.
Rugs and flooring have a complicated relationship, as we detail in our hardwood flooring blog.While each tends to get along with most materials—aside from the case of rubber-backed mats and vinyl—their colors can be tricky to match.
Homely Rugs has this to say in regards to rugs and color: “Dark and bold colors can create a more intimate space while a pale palette will make any room look bigger. In addition, a cold palette will make for a calmer environment, while monochrome tones will create an elegant and soothing design.”
So what’s the right fit for you? That depends on your flooring color—a choice we detail how to make in our flooring blog. Regardless, so long as the material doesn’t cause a chemical reaction in your flooring, rugs are great physical shields against foot traffic damage.
Yes, there’s a reason this rule is enforced in so many households. As we dive into in our flooring blog, it helps to stop grit that gets tracked in from being ground into the flooring.
From solid hardwood flooring to vinyl products, our massive stock has it all. Should you find yourself with questions about it, please contact us here.