Hall areas are one portion of the home that really get put through their paces. Unless you live alone on the fourth floor of an apartment block that has carpeted common areas, your hallway is more than likely to bring a regular beating. With wet and gritty feet coming in from the outdoors on a regular basis, not only is it necessary to have the right door mats in place, it is also of extreme importance that you make good decisions about the flooring you choose for your hall areas.
Back and front hall areas each have a challenging time, albeit in different ways, so what matters if you focus on to ensure the hardwood flooring you select for your hallway areas is the very best?
Finish
When you’re placing a wood floor in your hallway, it’s a good idea to provide attention to the footfall and visitors your hallway gets prior to picking your own finish. If you live alone or are a part of a house-proud few, you can probably afford to be a little less stressed, but if you are a family of 5 with two dogs, then a bit more care is probably called for.
When it comes to picking the ideal end, both most durable are lacquered and oiled. A lacquered finish is a specially hard finish that sits on the top of the board and helps prevent water penetration into a larger extent compared to an oiled finish would. That said, one drawback of a lacquered conclusion is that it tends to show scratches and dents that a tad more than the oiled finish will.
If you opt for an oiled finish, what you get is a remedy that goes to the core of the plank and camouflages scratches and dents more effectively. Nevertheless, if there is considerable risk of water being brought to a hallway on feet, on pets or from dripping umbrellas, then lacquer will be more resilient.
The finish you ultimately choose will be based very much on personal preference. If you want a matt finish and are prepared to be cautious when it comes to water puddles in ft, then you can get away with an oiled finish. That said, if you do not wish to be worrying about cleaning upward, and you’ll be able to live with the odd bit of wear and tear, then a lacquered finish would provide you an easier life.
UV filter
Hallways have a propensity to be among the sunniest aspect of many houses. While this mayn’t be a significant issue, as a precaution, it’s well worth choosing wood flooring for your hall areas that has a UV filter at its own end. Here is a stunning oiled finish solution that would work nicely in a hallway and this lacquered finish option would be perfect too.
The color of wood floor you choose for your hallway will, in several ways be determined by the overall look you’re hoping to attain. In case you have a light and airy hall, then you can pretty much choose any colour you prefer. However, in case your hallway occurs to be dim, then the likes of these light oak floors would work a treat to help clean your area with light. The one thing about picking a very light choice is that you may need to be a bit stricter with your foot wiping rules!
Board size
When studying the proper wood floor for any hallway, it’s well worth considering carefully the size of your area and getting creative if you are not 100% happy with the shape or size of your hallway. Long, narrow hallways for example can be challenging for many people, but clever use of broad boards running round the hall can create a very effective illusion of increased width. Alternatively, if your hallway is lacking any kind of allure, the likes of parquet flooring will deliver it into a new degree instantly.
Top layer thickness
You might never actually do it, but knowing that you can, is reassurance alone. Here we’re talking about re-sanding and re-finishing your floor. In order to attain this peace of mind, ideally you need to pick a engineered board with a slightly thicker top layer or a solid wood plank . If you are choosing engineered, the likes 4mm to 6mm top coating will work nicely.
And a Last word of advice…
To be able to maintain your hallway areas appearing great for even longer, get rigorous on foot wiping patterns. Make sure you’ve got an outdoor mat if your house gives directly on to the outdoors, plus a indoor mat AND insist that most people use them. Pick high quality mats, and if you have the confidence, ask people to take their shoes off at the doorway. It might seem crazy, but it will save you a great deal of stress related to your hall flooring!
If you’d like help to pick the perfect hardwood flooring to your hallway areas, do not hesitate to get in contact. At Balham Floor Sanding we are fanatical about everything wood floors related and we’d love to share our expertise and experience with you.
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