If you’re considering a new hardwood floor installation in your home, birch is an attractive and durable option. This guide explains a few of the basics of this material to help you decide whether it’s right for your needs.

How to Use Birch for Hardwood Floors

There are three types of birch that are most often used for flooring:

• Sweet Birch: This is a mix of light and dark brown shades with a tinge of red. 
• Yellow Birch: The hardest of the birch varieties, this has a reddish-brown center and yellow or whitish outer portion. 
• Paper Birch: Softer than the other options, this can appear white or silver.

Since birch is a tough wood, it’s suitable for numerous places throughout your home, including high-traffic areas and the kitchen. This hardwood is relatively moisture-resistant, which prevents it from warping and buckling over time. However, most wood floors sustain damage in high-moisture environments, so avoid placing it in bathrooms.

How to Maintain the Flooring

As with all types of hardwood, this option is low-maintenance. Runners and area rugs are helpful in high-traffic hallways and entrances to prevent scuffing and scratching. You should also vacuum or sweep the flooring every week to prevent residue from setting. 

When it comes to furniture, place pads on the bottom of your table and chair legs to prevent them from rubbing against the flooring. If you have pets, keep their claws trimmed for this purpose.  

Keep in mind that most types of scratches happen on the finish, so refinishing the flooring will restore its original appeal. 

If you want to install hardwood flooring in your home, turn to Carolina Wood Floors in Winston-Salem, NC. Known as CWF, this flooring company offers a wide selection of wood species and over three decades of experience. They perform both installation and refinishing of flooring systems, so they will help you keep your home beautiful for decades. Call (336) 7650-0680 to schedule an appointment, or visit their website to learn more about some of the types of wood they work with.