Reason #7: It Can Feel Generic
Really??!! You think you can really get away with that one?! You said, “If you really want your home décor to pop with originality, hardwood floors may not be the ticket.” Wow.
Here is a tiny (and I mean super tiny) smidgen of what wood floors have to offer to triumph over originality: Wood Floor Business Design Awards 2018: Winners from Canada to Down Under and Wood Floor Business Design Awards 2017: The Best Wood Floors of the Year.
Score: Wood flooring 7, Bob 0
Reason #8: They WILL Squeak
Bob, a couple things. Many wood floors are installed over concrete, and unless I’m missing something, concrete does not squeak.
Second, a squeaking wood floor installed on a raised or suspended subfloor still doesn’t squeak unless there is something wrong with the installation. More than likely, the squeaking comes from the internal structure of the floor and is caused by the interaction between framing nails holding the joists in place, joist hangers or some other component, like a gas pipe or other metal structural part, rubbing against the joist.
Furthermore, to some, squeaking is not an annoyance but a safety issue. Throughout history some flooring contractors even built a squeaky floor on purpose! (See “‘Uguisubari:’ Anti-Intruder Wood Flooring in Old Japan.”) Bob … I suggest you look into these squeaky floors for yourself, because your lousy indictment of wood floors may cause a passionate and caring wood floor contractor to sic a ninja on you, and if you had a squeaky floor you’d have a warning!
Score: Wood flooring 8, Bob 0
Reason #9: They Won’t Necessarily Increase Your Home’s Value
Wrong answer! Here’s the right one. Here’s a quote from Realtor.com: “‘Most buyers nowadays are expecting hardwood,’ says Matt Laricy, a Realtor with Americorp Real Estate in Chicago.” Read about it here: Do Hardwood Floors Provide the Best Return on Investment?
Here is another one. Wood floors have an average return on investment of 91 percent (Remodeling Impact - National Association of Realtors). You know what that means, Bob? That means that most likely if you spend $1 on a wood floor, your home increases in value by almost that same $1. Which basically means, you get ALL of your money back, not like adding an extra bathroom or building a man-cave (see “21 home improvements that are a waste of money”).
Score: Wood flooring 9, Bob 0
Reason #10: They’re Cold
Bob, you said, “Hardwood floors aren’t cozy. As a matter of fact, they can be downright cold, especially in winter.”
OK, let’s go there. For starters, your link “downright cold” led to another article that was obviously a commercial plug for one of your sponsors: Warm Board. At the bottom of that article it says, “Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”
Not sincere at all Bob, but you also said hardwood floors are not cozy when they are exactly cozy. Cozy is one of the top selling points of wood floors. So says multiple sources, one of which is from a homeowner who shares her personal experience here: Hardwood Floors Make a Cozy Home, A Homeowner Story.
Score: Wood flooring 10, Bob 0
Reason #11: Dust Bunnies
Oh my, do you ever clean your home? Like carpet, dirt needs to be vacuumed up on wood floors (or any flooring surface), and that’s just a part of normal hygiene. Dust bunnies are visible because unlike with carpet, the dirt has nowhere to hide (sometimes forever). A simple dust mop or vacuum takes care of dust bunnies in seconds.
Score: Wood flooring 11, Bob 0
Reason #12: You Still Need Area Rugs
Bob, I’m noticing that you are all over the place. First you take issue with wood floors, and now you are dinging area rugs. Do you like anything at all? Area rugs are the bomb for fashion’s sake, and the fact that they absorb sound and mitigate wear in high traffic areas is a good thing, even a GREAT thing.
Score: Wood flooring 12, Bob 0
Bob, you lose, not a single point made. Your whole indictment of wood floors was just a mish-mash of weak opinions, and now that you’ve lost, a STRONG opinion comes to light. You may have had a good run with “This Old House,” but we all saw how Norm Abram surpassed you by leaps and bounds on his show “Yankee Workshop” that followed your show because, unlike you, he is a true craftsman.
Simply put, you do not have the capacity to judge or form an opinion about wood flooring. On the contrary, wood flooring will remain in its lofty status with not a single threat for as long as people choose to live in houses.
See all of Angelo DeSanto's popular blog posts and magazine articles here.
RELATED: Really, Bob Vila?! Here’s Why Your Wood Flooring Article is Absurd, Part 1
