When you live in Colorado, it’s not unusual to have a seasonal home in the mountains. And, nothing says mountain home like hardwood floors. But, since wood is an organic material, the seasonal changes in both temperature and moisture can cause wood floors to react. To combat the fluctuating temperatures, let’s talk about the best wood flooring for a seasonally heated home.
Solid hardwood floors are durable but will have a bigger reaction to changes in temperature and moisture.
Flooring for a Seasonally Heated Home
The difficulty with a seasonal home, like a winter cabin, is that it is only heated during the winter when it is occupied. Even then, it’s only heated for short periods of time. Therefore, the initial choice of wood for your floors is vital.
Choosing wood that is durable and tougher against changing temperatures are preferable in a seasonally heated home. Of course, solid and engineered wood are all made from organic materials and are all likely to have some sort of reaction to temperature changes.
Solid Wood Floors
Wood floor planks that are made from one solid piece of timber will behave differently under various conditions compared to its engineered wood counterpart. Although there are benefits to solid wood floors -you can sand and refinish more times for example- they will have a stronger reaction to changes in moisture and temperature than engineered flooring.
Because they can be more likely to react more severely to moisture and temperature changes, the acclimation and installation process is key to a long-lasting, beautiful, and durable wood floor in your seasonal home.
Engineered flooring is better at standing up to winter wear and tear, like snow, ice, and winter boots.
Engineered Wood Floors
Engineered wood floors have all the beauty and versatility of solid wood flooring, but due to their structural makeup, they are much more resistant to changes in temperature. For a home or winter cabin that is only heated seasonally, or periodically while in use, this is a great option for your flooring.
Engineered flooring is also more likely to stand tough against wear and tear, and for a winter home, with boots and snow and dirt being tracked in from the slopes, this type of flooring could save you from having to sand and finish the floors sooner than you would like.
Solid and Engineered Flooring in Colorado
We are one of Colorado’s largest wood flooring retailers. We sell top brands, as well as our own line of both solid and engineered wood. And, we have some of the finest wood flooring craftspeople in the business. Schedule a free consultation with a wood flooring expert to talk about the best wood floors for your seasonal home.