Why Hardwood Floors are Actually Kid-Friendly

Hardwood floors are a popular choice for homeowners everywhere, easily bringing beauty and uniqueness to any home. However, those with kids may be second guessing putting hardwood floors in their home. While hardwood floors may seem more temperamental than other flooring options, it can be the perfect addition to your family’s home.

Hardwood floor’s durability

With kids running around the house, it’s important to have durable floors. There are many hardwood flooring options that can be a great fit for your home. Before purchasing wood floors, look up the hardwood floor’s Janka rating, and it will tell you how durable that type of wood is. The stronger, the better. 

Lighter colored wood can hide scratches and dirt

Lighter colored hardwood floors such as oak or cherry are just a couple examples of flooring to consider for your home if you have children. Because of their light color, it minimizes and masks the appearance of dust. This can be a time-saver when you don’t have time to spend hours cleaning.

Hardwood flooring is a healthy flooring choice

Carpet is known for collecting dirt and debris, which can build up with bacteria and allergens. With kids spending a lot of their time on the floor, you want flooring that won’t make your kids sick. Unlike carpet, hardwood floors make it much easier to ensure your kids will not be exposed to any harmful substances hidden inside the floor. Hardwood floors are also less likely to collect animal fur or pollen that can irritate your kid’s allergies. 

Hardwood floors are easier to clean

Having kids means you are always going to have spills or something to pick up off the floor, and hardwood flooring will make it that much easier to clean any messes. Hardwood floors do not require as much maintenance to clean up spills like carpet or other flooring options do. All you have to do is quickly grab a paper towel, run some water on it, and then remove whatever fell on the ground. It’s as easy as that!

How to Protect Hardwood Flooring When You Have Kids

We’ve detailed above why hardwood is such a great choice when you have kids. However, it’s also worth pointing out that things won’t always be sunshine and rainbows. No matter what kind of wood you use, you’ll need to pay special attention to maintenance and cleaning when you have kids. There’s no way around it – kids can be messy and this can shorten the lifespan of your flooring if you’re not careful. Fortunately, there are tried and true methods to protecting hardwood floors when kids are around!

1. Have A “No Shoes” Policy

Shoes can cause a lot of unnecessary wear and tear to wood floors, so have your kids remove their shoes as soon as they come in from outside. Try to adhere to this same rule yourself to make it stick. You can also create a colorful little cubbie space close to your home’s entrance where they can exchange their shoes for socks or slippers.

2. Use Chair Pads

Kids will usually drag their chairs around from place to place – this can lead to deep scratching if they’re not careful. Since we know kids typically aren’t careful, one way to mitigate this is by using chair pads. These are small felt pieces that adhere to the bottoms of the legs of chairs and are effective for preventing scratches to wood floors. Don’t use padding that uses adhesive to stick to the legs – our experience is that they come off easily and could be a choking hazard. Instead, use pads that can be nailed on.

3. Clean Up Spills Immediately

It’s no secret that water damage is the biggest enemy to a long wood floor lifespan. And if there’s one thing you learn when you have kids, it’s that they’ll spill just about anything and everything! If they spill something on your wood floors, don’t just throw up your hands and ignore it. Wipe it down as soon as you can! By doing so, you’ll ensure that, when your kid starts spilling things as a teenager, your flooring will be just as beautiful as it is now.

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Signature Hardwood Floors is here to help with any questions you have about the perfect hardwood flooring for your home! Contact us for any questions, and a FREE ESTIMATE. You can call us at 410.415.0755 or click here today! You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn!