You finally have made the decision to replace that old floor. The thing is the whole reason you are replacing it is because it looks so worn out from all the traffic it gets.
Spills, dirty boots, the dog, the list just goes on and on. Is there any way to get the beauty of hardwood but still be resistant to stains and scratches? The good news is that the answer is yes. Hardwood floors made with dense species and treated with the right finish will resist denting and still make a beautiful floor.
The Janka Scale
When choosing a type of wood for your high traffic floor, it is important to choose one that matches your lifestyle. For some, dents in a floor give it personality. However if you aren't a fan of character marks and have small children or pets, you may want to consider a harder wood. The harder the wood, the less chance of it being damaged from scratches, dents and nicks. The hardness of wood is measured by the Janka Scale. We won't spend too much time explaining it but generally it is a measure of species of wood's resistance to dings and dents.
The higher a species' Janka Hardness rates the more of a beating it can take. White pine for instance is a very soft wood with a Janka Hardness rating of 420 while Brazilian Teak is a very hard wood with a Hardness rating of 3540. Most of the exotic species are harder woods and hickory is the hardest domestic woods. These woods will fit more active lifestyles.
Finish considerations - Durability and Appearance
Finish provides a protective coating against time and wear for your floor. Essentially floor finishes are mixes of different chemicals that affect your floor in various ways. For instance commercial grade finishes have more polymers (plastic) in the them to provide a high gloss. This makes floors very durable but will reduce the natural feel of the hardwood.
In other finishes the chemical make-up may cause your floors color to change. This is great if you are planning for it but less desirable when you don't. Be sure to make sure you (or your professional floor re-finisher) knows how the finish will react with your floor. Some will amber over time and others will bleach the wood.
The bottom line is you don't need to sacrifice the beauty of hardwood just because you have a high traffic floor. Instead you can make a few easy choices that will ensure your new floor is as beautiful all the other floors in your home.
Picture courtesy of Chris Brown. Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.
