When you are considering redoing some of the floors in your home, it’s only natural to think about the idea of hardwood floors.  You just can’t deny the beauty and effortless elegance of gleaming wood floors.  However, if you have looked into this option at all you already know that it is very expensive.  You also have to consider that the labor aspect of this kind of project is going to be pretty intense as well.  When you really have your heart set on this look for your floors, wide plank pine flooring might be the option for you.  It’s still hardwood at a fraction of the cost of traditional hardwood floors.  Check out some of the details of this type of flooring and see if it might be right for you and your home.

Wide Plank Pine Flooring

Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of wide plank pine flooring.  One of the first things you will find out about this type of flooring is that it is easier to install than traditional hardwood.  It will take a good contractor about 2 days of work per room to install this flooring product.  Unlike hardwood floors, your contractor will only need to bring along a flooring stapler, floor sander, and router with a special router bit.  With this type of convenience, you can have your new floors installed in less than a week.

Of course, you want to know what you can expect from the appearance of the wide plank pine flooring. The wonderful news is that it only looks better as it ages.  You can pick from clean, meaning no knotholes, or regular planks.  The planks with the knots and tight wood grain add more character to the room, but it’s entirely a personal choice.  Between you and your contractor, you won’t have any trouble getting the warm, inviting look and feel of hardwood floors in your home.  Maintenance is relatively simple as well. 

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The one thing that scares many people away from the idea of having natural stone floors installed is the maintenance.  For some reason, stone floors have gotten the reputation for being hard to take care of. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the truth.  Think about how difficult it is to hurt a rock.  It only stands to reason that a natural stone floor would be pretty hard to mess up once it’s installed either.  Maintenance of stone flooring is really pretty simple.  There may come a time when you have to call in the professionals for help.  Here are some of the basic care routines you can expect to need with this attractive and durable flooring type:

Maintenance of Stone Flooring

The one thing you should understand about natural stone flooring is that unlike the other materials, like carpet, vinyl, or laminate, stone should last for several lifetimes as opposed to a few years.  It’s worth it to take a few minutes and learn how to care for your stone flooring.  The maintenance of stone flooring starts with sealing it.  When it is installed and about once a year after that, stone floors need to be sealed.  While some homeowners try to take this chore onto themselves, it’s really better to leave it up to the professionals.  A contractor will notice potential scratches or blemishes that need attention better than you will. 

Of course, there is the daily and weekly maintenance to think about as well.  If your stone floor is in a high traffic area, it might be best to run a mop over it 2 or 3 times a day. It sounds like a lot, but it really won’t take that much time and protects your floor from the scratching effect of dust and dirt.  Be sure to use a stone soap mixture to clean the floors at least once a week regardless of the location. 

If you do notice a scratch or gouge in your floor, be sure to get help for it as soon as possible.  The good maintenance of stone flooring is directly related to how good it will look and the life of the flooring. 

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