The wood flooring industry is filled with people who are passionate about their work. Most might say it’s not work so much as it is a craft.
Here, we celebrate the many positives of wood flooring and equip you with information to help customers understand why they should choose real wood over other flooring products.
“Real wood floors just feel different. It connects us with nature. People love to touch real wood, and it helps create a calming environment. The natural characteristics where every piece is uniquely beautiful will never be matched from lookalike wood options.”
— Jessica Hickman Fresch, Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring
BEAUTY
When asked about the flooring homeowners would choose for their dream home, two-thirds of respondents to a National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) survey said wood floors. Further, nearly 70 percent of homeowners said “attractiveness” is an excellent description of wood floors.
“Real wood floors just feel different. It connects us with nature,” says Jessica Hickman Fresch, marketing and sales director for Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring. “People love to touch real wood, which helps create a calming environment. The natural characteristics where every piece is uniquely beautiful will never be matched from lookalike wood options.”
However, wood-look products such as LVT, WPC, and laminate continue to try to imitate real wood’s beauty. More than 70 percent of NWFA members reported that these wood-look options were the biggest threat to real wood flooring last year.
Brian Parker, VP of product management for AHF Products, notes that wood is the only floor that will last forever. “There aren’t any floors out there that are 100, 150 years old that aren’t wood. No other product can do that. That is one of the great and unique things about a hardwood floor; a wood-look floor cannot emulate its longevity.”
Steven Skutelsky, managing partner of PID Floors, adds that wood is not trying to be something it’s not. His company works to be a resource to the architect and design (A&D) community through one-on-one meetings, presentations, lunch-and-learns, updating libraries at architectural firms, and even conducting outreach to students in those realms.
“We are looking to take a seat with an architect or a designer and talk about the benefits of wood floors and how it’s going to provide a situation on their projects that is beneficial in the long-term,” he explains. “Our team has hosted various events in our showroom where we collaborated with several New York schools and had a panel of industry professionals talk about architecture, design, and the path forward. We are not necessarily looking to sell a plank of wood flooring; we are just looking to educate the specifiers and the next generation so they’re not afraid because wood flooring can be a little intimidating.”
“The woman cried to me on the phone because we stepped up and took care of it for her, and when it went back on the market, she got an offer the day it hit the market. That’s how important a flooring issue was to potential buyers.”
— Ashley Do Carmo, Brown Oaks Flooring
While wood is always in style, the popularity of colors and styles does shift. Wide widths remain today’s standard, and Skutelsky is starting to see more parquet, basketweave, chevron, and herringbone incorporated into projects. “Greys are fading away into neutral tones now, and we are even seeing a hint of a brown tone coming back. We are still leaning toward the matte and ultra matte for sheen, but there definitely is more of a neutral tone trying to work with red oaks to pull out the pink slightly. White oak is predominantly being sold day to day, whether it’s American or European,” he shares.
DURABILITY
According to an NWFA survey, durability is the top attribute homeowners consider when choosing flooring. With wood floors dating back hundreds of years in homes and buildings worldwide, no other floor surface can compete with the longevity of wood.
Living in Nashville, Tennessee, Ashley Do Carmo of Brown Oaks Flooring sees many historic buildings with wood floors that have been brought back to life.
“In Nashville’s famous Ryman Auditorium, there is a circle made of hardwood on the stage that has survived a flood, and all of these major country singers have performed on that same spot over the years,” Do Carmo explains. “I think it’s cool because we do wood flooring, but for them, they’re standing in the same spot as one of their idols. No one will stand on carpet or plastic and excitedly say, ‘I’m standing on the same dirty carpet as somebody did 50 years ago.’ There’s a nostalgia about wood floors.”
“There aren’t any floors out there that are 100, 150 years old that aren’t wood. No other product can do that. That is one of the great and unique things about a hardwood floor; a wood-look floor cannot emulate its longevity.”
— Brian Parker, AHF Products
Even on a day-to-day basis, wood floors can withstand the traffic of busy families, including pets and kids. Asking customers how they expect their floors to be lived on can provide insights to guide them toward a floor that will fit their needs. Referring to the Janka scale will give an indication of how well a wood species will perform when it comes to dents and dings.
One of the prime selling points of solid wood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished many times. The NWFA Engineered Wood Flooring Refinishable Program identifies engineered wood flooring products with a wear layer thick enough to be refinished. Nearly 25 manufacturers have certified products through the program and use the logo to show their engineered wood flooring is thick enough to be refinished.
Having the option to refinish wood floors means they can be brought back to life or changed to meet the latest color and sheen trends. Plus, repairs are easy, especially compared to other flooring, where a “repair” might actually require ripping out and replacing the entire floor.
SUSTAINABILITY
Our industry is quick to point out that wood flooring is the most environmentally friendly flooring option available. For starters, with sustainable forest management, wood can be harvested with minimal environmental impact because trees are a renewable natural resource. Since wood floors can last hundreds of years, they use fewer raw materials, energy, and natural resources.
The NWFA and the Decorative Hardwoods Association (DHA) completed cradle-to-grave Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for industry-average solid wood flooring products and engineered wood flooring products. EPDs are third-party verified and measure a product’s total greenhouse gas emissions. These studies proved that solid and engineered wood flooring have a noticeably smaller carbon footprint, or total Global Warming Potential (GWP), than all other flooring product categories.
It also is important to consider the total cost of owning a floor over the full life cycle of the building and not only the initial product and installation costs. The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) commissioned an independent consultant to conduct a Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) comparing 18 flooring types in a typical office building using a 75-year lifespan. Similar, or even better, results would be expected in residential structures. When flooring material, installation, maintenance, and replacement costs are factored in, both solid and engineered real wood flooring placed near the top for costing less per year than other flooring surfaces. This means that while some flooring materials may have a lower upfront cost, the consumer spends more over time.
Education and conversation are key to Kirk Roberts, senior vice president of strategic development for Bona AB. “We, as an industry, have an opportunity to communicate about the possibility of wood floor renovation/refinishing, which is a foundational differentiator wood has over any other flooring material,” he reiterates. “If properly maintained and renovated, a wood floor can last literally for a lifetime.”
The impact of refinishing instead of replacing wood floors in commercial buildings was studied by the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. Bona participated in the cradle-to-grave assessment, which found a 78 percent reduction in carbon footprint and 95 percent in energy savings when refinishing rather than replacing wood floors. Roberts says the information frequently is used by their sales team when talking with customers, contractors, and distributors.
“This value proposition of wood flooring often gets lost or overlooked when focusing solely on new floors or floor replacement,” explains Roberts. “It can be a much stronger selling point to avoid flooring material being torn out and thrown into landfills.”
EASY MAINTENANCE
Caring for wood floors is easy. However, this message has not always gotten through to homeowners. Whether it is the perception that a mop with a bucket full of water is the correct way to clean or that wood-look floors are completely maintenance-free, there is information that needs to be shared with consumers. Skutelsky says choosing wood is a no-brainer if the end-user understands all of the benefits.
“Clients sometimes hear stories of flooring not being installed correctly, so they’re a little hesitant and might want to go to an easier, quicker, faster, cheaper product,” he adds. “It’s the unknown. They like this product and like the look but want to know who is going to install it, who is going to finish it, and who is going to make sure afterward that they are maintaining it properly. There are some questions. When you can walk into our showroom, we try to hold your hand before, during, and after the sale.”
The NWFA recommends sweeping with a broom or a dry, soft microfiber dust mop on wood floors on a daily basis and using a vacuum on the bare floor setting once a week or as necessary. Spills should be cleaned immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. A professional wood floor cleaning product should be used monthly while being sure to avoid over-wetting or leaving behind a residue on the floor.
“This value proposition of wood flooring often gets lost or overlooked when focusing solely on new floors or floor replacement. It can be a much stronger selling point to avoid flooring material being torn out and thrown into landfills.”
— Kirk Roberts, Bona AB
Do Carmo tells clients that with the correct color and finish choice for their lifestyle, wood floors will remain full of vibrance and life as long as they are maintained correctly.
“We like leaving them with a cleaning kit and general instructions. The things to do and not to do to reduce scratching on their floors, such as running vacuums over them with bristles,” she says. “The ease of a microfiber mop can restore floors quickly, keeping them clean and maintained. They’re very easy to care for, more so than carpet.”
A maintenance coat may be the solution should floors start to look dull. If a new coat of finish doesn’t help, it may be time for a resand. A complete sand and refinish is recommended when there is damage to the wood floor, like deep scratches and dents. It also is recommended when the finish has worn away and the bare wood is exposed.
VALUE
Wood floors have been proven to offer a great return on investment (ROI). And with a life span that can exceed 100 years, wood floors are a tremendous value, especially since they can adapt to any décor and style changes without having to be replaced.
“For homeowners, a benefit is the value it adds to their home,” says Parker. “If they’re going to resell, real wood is the only product that will add value to your home. It’s the only floor promoted when they’re writing up the features of a home.”
The 2022 Remodeling Impact Report estimated the likely dollar value remodeling projects would add to a house at resale. The highest percentage of cost recovered for interior projects was from refinishing hardwood floors, at 147 percent, and installing new wood flooring, at 118 percent, reemphasizing the long-term value.
Additionally, a past survey of real estate agents concluded that homes with wood floors sell faster and for more money than homes without wood floors. The survey indicated the increase could be as much as 10 percent more. Do Carmo and her husband, Jeff, recently saw how wood floors can impact selling a house when they visited an open house. Though the house wasn’t the right fit for their family, they noticed major cupping in the wood floors and ultimately ended up taking on the homeowner as a client, resanding and restaining the floors once the moisture issues were fixed.
“The woman cried to me on the phone because we stepped up and took care of it for her, and when it went back on the market, she got an offer the day it hit the market. That’s how important a flooring issue was to potential buyers,” explains Do Carmo.
It has been said that money can’t buy happiness. However, the 2022 Remodeling Impact Report found that homeowners who refinished their hardwood floors or installed new wood flooring gave their projects a perfect 10 “Joy Score.”
That is because 100 percent of homeowners surveyed said they have a greater desire to be home after a hardwood floor refinishing project. Sixty-four percent answered that they have an increased sense of enjoyment at home. After installing new hardwood flooring, 90 percent of homeowners surveyed said they have a greater desire to be home. Seventy-seven percent of those polled answered that they have an increased sense of enjoyment at home now that their hardwood flooring is installed.
While all of these benefits of real wood flooring speak for themselves, it’s up to everyone in the industry to spread the word and share the passion for the product with consumers.
Fresch sums up her favorite selling points: “Wood has everything. It is sourced from a plentiful renewable natural resource, it has proven physical and mental health benefits when it’s in your home, it’s durable and can last generations, it’s beautiful, and the versatility in design is endless. Wood also continues to store the carbon sequestered from the tree, so it’s hands down the best building product for the environment.”
Resources to help promote real wood floors are available through the NWFA via nwfa.org and woodfloors.org.
Click here to hear from more wood flooring professionals about why wood is good.
Libby White Johnston is the publisher of Hardwood Floors magazine. She can be reached at libby.johnston@nwfa.org.
CHOOSE REAL WOOD
AHF Products is working with the stars of HGTV’s “Fixer to Fabulous” to help bring attention to the beauty and value of genuine wood floors. Jenny and Dave Marrs are especially drawn to the preservation and installation of wood floors. The partnership will shine a light on the many reasons why homeowners should choose real wood, so the Marrs duo shared a few thoughts regarding their enthusiasm for hardwoods.
From a design perspective, what do you think real wood brings to a home? When given the option, we always choose natural elements for a home. Wood adds a warm, solid, durable product that nature created. No two pieces are exactly the same, which adds character.
Given the many renovations you work on, is it always exciting to find salvageable wood floors underneath old carpet or tile? Salvageable wood floors are always a great find. Many times, they are mixed white and red oak or Douglas fir. Either floor is great to work with, and we typically can stitch back in new wood flooring and stain it to match.
What is your favorite thing about real wood floors? Our favorite thing about real wood floors is the fact that they are an organic material that is timeless in any home. It’s really hard to recreate the beauty nature gives us in real hardwoods.
