Of all the flooring options you can choose from when replacing your floors, hardwood floors will provide you with the highest return on investment. You should be able to increase the value of your home by between 70 and 80% of the cost of your new floors.
It usually won't matter if you go with light or dark hardwood flooring as far as ROI is concerned. But you should give some serious thought to the color of hardwood flooring before having it installed.
We've collected the biggest pros and cons of dark hardwood flooring for you so that you can decide if darker floors might be the right choice for you. Check them out below.
Pro: Provides a Modern Look
Does your home's interior design have a modern appearance to it? You're going to find that dark hardwood flooring will work quite well in this setting.Dark hardwood flooring will provide you with an elegance that you won't usually get from light hardwood flooring. It'll set the tone for your home's modern interior design and really make it pop.
There are also some ways that you can make dark hardwood flooring work in a home with a more traditional style. By going with smaller planks and choosing a color that doesn't look overly polished, you may be able to get away with going with dark hardwood flooring in a home like this.
Con: Makes Scratches More Visible
You can avoid scratching up dark hardwood flooring by applying a scratch-resistant finish to it. But even if you do this, you're going to notice that scratches will appear on darker hardwood floors more than lighter wood floors over time.For this reason, you're going to need to be very careful any time you move furniture around on dark hardwood flooring. You will run the risk of scratching your floors if you're not careful.
Pro: Prevents Fading From Taking Place
You might be under the impression that dark hardwood flooring would fade more than light wood floors because of how dark they are. But in reality, the opposite is often true.Dark wood floors can absorb light from the sun, which makes them a whole lot less susceptible to fading. As a result, you shouldn't have to worry about refinishing darker floors as often as you will have to worry about refinishing lighter ones.
Con: Requires More Maintenance to Remove Dirt and Dust
When dirt and dust land on your dark hardwood flooring, it's going to be impossible to miss them. You're going to find that your dark floors will look dirty all the time if you don't do anything to clean them.You will need to get into the habit of maintaining dark hardwood flooring just about every day. It'll be important for you to sweep, vacuum, and even mop your floors with the right cleaning supplies.
If you're not up for this challenge, you might want to think about sticking with light hardwood floors. They'll hide dirt and dust so much better and help you avoid having to work constantly to keep them clean.
Pro: Showcases the Grain of Hardwood Flooring Better
Most hardwood floors are filled with beautiful grains that you'll want to show off at all times. But it's going to be tough for you to do this with light hardwood floors that mask the grains.It will not, however, be difficult at all for you to show off the grains in dark hardwood flooring. They're going to be impossible to miss from the moment your hardwood flooring goes down.
If you're attracted to the grains in a particular type of hardwood flooring, you shouldn't be shy about choosing a darker color. Otherwise, you're going to miss out on the opportunity to stare at these grains all day long.
Con: Gives a Room a Much Smaller Appearance
If you have a very large room and you want to make it feel cozier than it does, dark hardwood flooring might be perfect for you. This type of hardwood flooring will give an oversized room a more intimate look.But if your goal is to make a small room look larger than it really is, you aren't going to want to invest in dark hardwood flooring in most cases. This kind of flooring might make this small room appear to be tinier.
You should always be aware of how the color of hardwood flooring will affect the perception of any room. It's going to play a much bigger part in the appearance of a room than you might realize. You should strive to choose the flooring options that will allow you to play up or play down the overall size of a space.
Is Dark Hardwood Flooring Right for Your Home?
Now that you know all the pros and cons of dark hardwood flooring, you should have a better idea as to whether it would be right for your home.No matter what color hardwood floors you would like, National Floors Direct can provide you with what you want. We offer a variety of hardwood floors and can help you find the right flooring for any room in your house.
Take a look at the hardwood flooring we sell so that you can pick out new flooring for your home.
