Hardwood Floors and Their Alternatives
How Rowan Hall chooses what flooring material is best for your home
Hardwood floors have been a preferred choice for homeowners for years for a reason. Their natural beauty and durability make them a great investment for any home. Over the years, engineered hardwood and luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring have been greatly improved to be fabulous hardwood floor alternatives. Each option is a popular choice for different reasons and has its own unique benefits. Today we’re breaking down the pros and cons of each and how Rowan Hall’s team of expert interior designers decides what flooring is best for your home.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are a classic and elegant choice that have been popular for many years. They are the gold standard here in the Southeast, and are almost always a great investment. A few benefits are that they are made from solid wood, so they can be sanded down and refinished multiple times. We have a lot of options for selecting custom stain colors, and can do sample patches on the actual floor in real time to see exactly how a particular species will take the stain and look in the home. Another benefit of real hardwoods is that they are relatively easy to match up later if a client decides that they’d like to add hardwood floors to a hall or bedroom three years down the road. Basic red and white oak planks are readily available in East Tennessee and can be added with ease. Our Knoxville interior designers are big fans of hardwood, and we select this option for clients with the main priority of adding value to their home.
One of the main drawbacks of hardwood floors is that they are vulnerable to moisture and can be damaged by water. Living in East Tennessee, we experience humidity that prevents certain hardwood choices from working. Wider planks are susceptible to the moisture in the air and can buckle easily, limiting our options as interior designers in the humid Southeast. Hardwood also requires regular maintenance to keep them looking their best. While our expert design team wouldn’t select hardwood for a client who prefers low maintenance materials, it is often the best option for a timeless, luxury look.
Engineered Hardwood
A great alternative in humid Tennessee is Engineered hardwood, which is a hardwood lookalike made up of a thin layer of real wood on top of a plywood base. This makes it more resistant to moisture and better suited for areas with fluctuating temperatures and humidity levels. Because of its ability to withstand our crazy climate here in East Tennessee, engineered hardwood is a great option for our clients.
One of the main benefits of engineered hardwood is its durability. It can withstand heavy foot traffic and is less likely to scratch or dent than traditional hardwood floors. This makes it a great option for our clients who want to live in their homes without worrying about delicate hardwood floors. One of the many benefits of working with Rowan Hall’s interior designers is that we get to know your lifestyle and make the best decisions based on our expertise and how you live in your home. .
The only downside to engineered hardwood is that these floors can be sanded and refinished a limited number of times due to the thin layer of real wood. This means our clients can’t change the color of their floors every ten years, but with our Knoxville interior design team selecting the perfect engineered hardwood for each project, they won’t want to!
Check out our Tellico Lake house renovation blogs to see engineered hardwood in action.
Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP)
The final option for a hardwood alternative is Luxury vinyl plank (LVP). This newer option is designed to mimic the look of hardwood floors without the upkeep of real wood. Made up of multiple layers of vinyl, LVP is highly durable and resistant to scratches and dents. While our designers tend to stray from this option in an entire home, sometimes it is the perfect choice for a bathroom, kitchen or basement.
Our team of experts opt for LVP for our low maintenance clients who value practicality. This waterproof flooring option is perfect for families with kids and pets who are still spilling milk and tracking in mud. Our interior designers truly think of everything! We get to know our clients, and we’re passionate about making their home a customized place that fits their every need.
We’ll Choose the Right Flooring for Your Home
Choosing new flooring can be overwhelming. There are an abundance of options at many different price points with pros and cons galore. Every client has different needs and desires for their home, which is why our team of Knoxville, TN interior designers prioritizes a relationship with our clients. We can’t craft the perfect home for you if we don’t know how you live! We spend time getting to know your current stage of life and create a home that can grow with you.
Knoxville interior designer and founder of Rowan Hall interiors, Alfie Rowan, created a fifteen-step process that allows us to do just that. We begin with an initial consultation where a member of our team will come to you and begin to learn your lifestyle. No need to tidy up for us! We want to see how you actually live, so we can create a home that feels comfortable and luxurious all at once.
If you’re ready to update your home with new flooring, custom furnishings or new window treatments, contact our team of expert interior designers to bring your vision to life in a way that suits your lifestyle best. We’ll consider your budget, design preferences and future needs to create a home that exudes effortless sophistication and attainable luxury.
