Building a house in Florida is clearly not the same as building one somewhere else. You see, Florida is a sandbar state, which means the water table is only a few feet below the soil. As a result, the humidity and moisture need to be factored in when installing certain components in your house.
In this blog, we’re specifically referring to flooring. There is a general misconception that you can’t use wood for your Florida home. However, that isn’t entirely true. It’s not about using wood per say. It’s about the kind of wood you choose to use.
There are primarily two options that you can consider when choosing wooden flooring. The first is solid hardwood and the second is engineered hardwood. The latter option is your best bet for the Florida weather.
Why some prefer solid hardwood
Many homeowners in Florida actually do use solid hardwood flooring. There are several reasons for this, the chief of them being appearance. You just can’t beat the way a solid hardwood floor looks. It’s classy and sophisticated. Plus, it can be personalized to your tastes and looks better with age.
However, as we stated earlier, this isn’t your best bet. Humidity can really do a number on your solid hardwood flooring if you aren’t careful. The moisture will get in and cause the wood to expand and eventually, rot.
Even if you do find someone who can do a proper installation to accommodate expansion, you’re still going to have to deal with exorbitant maintenance costs. It isn’t exactly cost effective to maintain solid hardwood floors in Florida.
In other words, there’s a lot of prep work that goes into ensuring that solid hardwood floors survive in this climate. You will need to apply multiple coats of finish for mold protection. You will also have to ensure that humidity levels inside your home are below 50%.
Engineered hardwood makes things easy
Engineered hardwood is the smarter choice. It offers the same kind of appearance but doesn’t require the same level of maintenance. As you can see, this is “engineered” wood. What that means is it is specifically designed to handle humidity better than solid hardwood.
It is mainly made up of several layers, with the topmost being proper hardwood. The remaining layers are a combination of various types of wood. As a result, you sort of gain the best of everything.
Engineered hardwood is more comfortable to install as well, which brings down labor costs too.
So, stick to engineered hardwood if you want your flooring to survive for ages.
Make your home a perfect Florida lifestyle home! For any custom amenity you want, contact Stanley Homes in Melbourne FL at 321-684-7761 or contact us via email. We are currently building in Viera’s Seville and Valencia at Addison Village communities. If you are looking for a move in ready home please check out our current inventory homes that are built and ready. We have the knowledge and experience building custom luxury homes in Brevard, so you can rest assured that your home will be built exactly to your specifications. With a custom home from Stanley Homes you can customize it exactly how you want so your family will love it. Stanley Homes’ designers and planners can help you build the best home for your lifestyle. With convenient locations in Brevard we can help you plan your new construction home to your exact needs. Florida Style of Living Homes from Stanley Homes in Brevard.
