Every homeowner has a preference for the look and feel of their ideal home, and many of them choose the look of a wooden floor over a traditional carpet to make it look more sophisticated.
People want authenticity also and will pay ridiculously high prices to get it which is why they are drawn to real hardwood floors. However great a hardwood floor looks, care and attention that goes into preserving it – and simple small damages can lead to much bigger problems.
This is why people who want real hardwood styles opt for luxury vinyl flooring.
Cost
Real hardwood flooring is an expensive option in both price and installation – not to mention repair.
It is not an easy product to install so it would require a professional fitter which costs either a flat rate or an hourly rate. Naturally, it will also require special cleaning chemicals that can rack up with regular expenses. Should your wooden planks become damaged there can also be an extra cost in replacing them and any additional boards that get damaged whilst trying to replace them.
With vinyl flooring such as Quick-Step luxury vinyl, it can be installed by yourself if preferred, which eliminates the fitter rate and any potential extra costs they incur. Should a plank or tile be damaged then they are extremely cheap to replace.
Damage
No matter how much you care for your hardwood floor it is going to find itself damaged over time.
Those rooms with high foot traffic will experience more than their fair share of needing replacement boards over time. You could have them finished to a higher degree but that will also call for extra charges depending on the type of room, floor layout and finish. Scratches are not the only forms of damage that can ruin the floor, with stains from spilt liquids, food and sauces causing potential discolouration and fading.
Real hardwood is also not a waterproof product, which means that spills and leaks can seep through to your subfloor and cause rot in higher volumes.
Vinyl flooring is not only 100 per cent waterproof but is manufactured to the highest durability stages to withstand stains, scratches, and heat in greater volumes, lasting upwards of 25 years before needing any kind of replacement.
Substitute
If you desire the look of hardwood flooring, luxury vinyl flooring is the right product at a cheaper price, and it does not substitute any of its qualities in the process.
Quick-Step luxury vinyl is also a great insulator of heat and sound, which along with many other positives makes it the most recommended substitute for those wanting a real hardwood floor, cutting down on your heating bills whilst stepping up in the style stakes.
