Dark Vs. Light Hardwood Floors – Whose Team Are You On?

When it comes to choosing the preferred color for your hardwood floors, there are no one-size-fits-all recommendations. There are people who prefer light-colored woods as well as others that prefer having dark-colored woods. It is imperative that you note what is right for your friend may not be necessarily right for you or your own home. Remember that no floor is perfect, and there will be both tradeoffs and benefits for any decision made.

Basic factors to consider first

Before you choose the color of your flooring, you should go through this list of factors first:

• Which colors flow seamlessly with your furniture? What are the colors of your prominent cabinets and what other colors go well with them?
• How big is each room? How much natural or artificial light do they receive? And what color are your walls painted in?
• Are you very particular about dirt showing? If so, how often do you clean?
• Do you have a busy household that includes pets?
• What is the style of your home and decor?
• What are your preferences and likes?

With these points in mind, you are ready to look at more detailed comparisons of dark and light colors.

Scratches

All hardwood materials tend to sustain scratches and dents over time, but dark-colored hardwood tends to show more scratches. The main reason for this occurrence is that there is more contrast with the light-colored wood underneath, when the scratches get through the dark-colored stain. To solve this issue, you should screen and recoat the wood surface once every three to four years. This maintenance routine will give your floors an extra coat of polyurethane to help them last longer.

Cleaning

Light-colored hardwood will have a distinct advantage here as they tend to show less dirt than their darker counterparts. If you still prefer darker woods, you can opt for a color that is slightly lighter such as dark walnut or Jacobean. You will also want to choose a satin finish as it is more stylish and will expose less imperfections, dents, scratches and dirt.

Cost

Costs can vary and it will depend on whether you are refinishing existing floors or doing pre-finished floors. If you prefer refinishing your existing floors, the cost of a natural will often be cheaper than a stain. If you are planning to upgrade to gray or white wash stains, the prices will increase just a bit more. If you choose to install pre-finished floors, the cost will be consistent across all colors on the same board. However, the price can still change according to the sub-line, brand and species that are selected.

Resale value

Some homeowners are concerned about which colors can provide them with a higher return on investment. For now, the current trends prefer very dark stains followed by lighter stains. Reds are generally less popular and you might want to stay away from them if you are planning to sell your home in the future.

No matter which side you choose to be on, in the end, it is pertinent that you consider the style of your home to see which flooring colors work best.

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