Even with the latest trends, dark hardwood flooring continues to be a popular choice. Dark hardwood flooring is really a timeless look. By combining the dark hardwood flooring with brighter walls, artwork, cabinets, and other accents, you can achieve an upscale look in your home.
Sometimes timeless and upscale looks come at a cost. Before choosing dark hardwood flooring for you home, make sure you have considered all of the factors. Not sure what we mean? Read on to learn more about the ins and outs of dark hardwood flooring.
Dark Hardwood Flooring Difficulties
Dark hardwood floors are notoriously hard to keep clean and maintain. They have a well-earned reputation for showing scratches, dust, and wear. This can especially be a problem for pet owners. Homeowners try and pick a “hard” hardwood like Brazilian Cherry to prevent scratches, but no hardwood is indestructible. Over time you will get some scrapes and nicks on your hardwood floors.
Avoid Glossy Dark Hardwood Flooring
There are a lot of options if you decide you want dark hardwood flooring but think scratching and dust may be an issue. You can reduce some of the problems by avoiding dark hardwood flooring with high gloss finishes. Dark tones will always show scratches and dirt more than lighter tones. A glossy finish adds to the problem. The light reflecting back off the dark surface magnifies imperfections or dust.
Choosing dark hardwood flooring with some variation of tone and pattern will help mask scratches and dust. In the image below you can see our Coaste 150 flooring. The floor has both a lighter dark brown tone and plenty of variation from plank to plank. In addition to being a durable option, this patterning allows you to choose dark hardwood flooring that will wear well. Scratches, dents, and dust will be less noticeable and you can still achieve a high end look.
The Best Way to Clean Dark Hardwood Flooring
If you would like to install dark hardwood floors then you need consistent cleaning schedule. Caring for your floors needs to be broken down into different cleaning tasks and some will need to be done more often than others. Let’s take a look at how to keep your floors clean week after week…
1. Dry Mop or Vacuum – You will want to sweep or vacuum your floors at least once a week, possibly more depending on the traffic in your home. A high quality vacuum with strong suction is desirable but most importantly you will want one with a hardwood floor attachment to avoid scratches.
2. Clean Spills Right Away – It’s important that is anything is spilled on the floors, it is wiped up immediately. This prevents liquid from being absorbed into the flooring.
3. Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner – To protect and refresh your Sawyer and Southern floors, we recommend using Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner 2-4 times per month. It’s easy to apply with a Swiffer style mop and goes a long way.
Where Does Dark Hardwood Flooring Work Best?
Considering location when choosing dark hardwood flooring is also important. Dark hardwood flooring could be a problem in a kitchen area (high traffic with lots of spills and mess) but perfect in a master bedroom (low traffic and no shoes). Make sure to think about your current and future needs. A quality hardwood product like Sawyer and Southern flooring will last you years to come. This makes it important to consider possibilities such as children or pets, even if you currently do not have them now.
That being said, we love our dark hardwood flooring options! As stated before, dark wood is a timeless look and adds an elegance to a home. Dark flooring is incredibly impactful when you walk into a home, especially if you do a great job contrasting with light color tones elsewhere.
Please let us know what your experience has been with dark wood floors by leaving a comment below or drop us an email. We always love to hear first hand what works for you! Make sure to follow us on Facebook!