Coastal properties bring spectacular views and amazing resale value, but they also present some distinct challenges. Maintaining hardwood or vinyl floors can be difficult with sand, humidity, temperature changes, and salty air taking their toll. The wear and tear can turn into revolving flooring installation costs as each flooring setup wears out prematurely in these harsh conditions.
This article breaks down a clear maintenance strategy to help preserve new floors in homes with a sandy, oceanfront environment. These tips can help preserve the value and appeal of the floors to prevent the need for constant repairs while keeping resale value high.
1. Prioritize Wood Quality
For those who have yet to buy their new floors and want hardwood, prioritize high-quality hardwood to resist moisture and humidity damage. The enemies of low-quality flooring materials in an oceanfront environment are scratches from sand being tracked into the house, moisture overload due to high salt content in the air, and humidity that swells wood panels and causes mold growth. Even direct sunlight can damage and age wood flooring.
Hickory, maple, teak, and oak tend to resist humidity better than other natural woods. Additional options include bamboo flooring, which is eco-friendly and resists moisture and scratches more than hardwood, and engineered hardwood, which is manufactured with better moisture resistance.
Choosing high-quality materials and treating them for moisture ahead of time with high-quality finishes can prevent some of the most common issues with flooring in oceanfront properties. Combined with regular care and maintenance, material choice can also help provide some protection.
2. Consider Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring can provide the color and pattern of hardwood without the susceptibility to scratches and humidity, making it a prime choice for oceanfront environments. High-quality LVP can be rigorously cleaned to avoid sand scratches, but even if it’s damaged, LVP is often easier to repair or replace than hardwood. Good quality LVP flooring if typically water resistant, and some may be waterproof.
3. Limit Sun Exposure
In addition to sand and moisture, beachfront properties experience more direct sunlight, which can bleach, age, and damage new floors of any material over time. To mitigate sun exposure on new flooring, consider pulling curtains or closing blinds during the day. Alternatively, coatings or finishes can protect wood floors from UV rays. Consult a flooring professional to learn more about these options.
4. Use Protective Mats
Mats and rugs can offer partial protection from the damage caused by sand, debris, and moisture. Laying mats at entryways can also shield the rest of the house from the brunt of the sand intrusion that scratches up the floors in many coastal homes.
The mats should be durable to prevent sand from filtering through to the floor, and should be slip resistant to avoid rubbing sand on the floor beneath them. These will need to be shaken or cleaned regularly to prevent buildup from causing more damage, but this is an easy and cost-effective way to protect a flooring installation investment.
5. Adopt Stronger Ventilation
Many coastal homeowners assume that moisture problems in their flooring can only be solved by changing the flooring. However, in many cases, the humidity in the air is to blame for the moisture, and this can be helped with smarter ventilation strategies.
For example, kitchen and bathroom exhausts should be run for at least thirty minutes after use to prevent the moisture and steam from distributing throughout the house. Additionally, homeowners should adopt stronger sealing and weather stripping to reduce air infiltration around the doors and windows, particularly on the side of the house facing the water.
Being aware of the signs of moisture exposure helps to gauge the flooring condition before it becomes severely damaged. Mold, musty odors, condensation, and wallpaper or paint issues can be signs that stronger or more strategic ventilation is needed.
6. Avoid Heavy Chemicals
Water and sand damage can rarely be solved with harsh chemicals, though many homeowners are misled into using strong substances to attempt repairs, including ammonia, vinegar, and oil. These chemicals can be far too harsh, acidic, or oily for wood floors, and even stone floors should not be cleaned with strong chemicals, which can bleach or damage them.
Instead of resorting to chemicals that can do more harm than good, flooring professionals can refresh the layers of wear on hardwood flooring without fully finishing or replacing it. These professional checks can be particularly useful at the beginning and end of beach season, when people will be going in and out of the house the most, putting the most wear and tear on the floor.
Consult with Flooring Installation Experts to Preserve Floor Quality in Coastal Properties
New floors are a valuable investment, but coastal environments can cause premature wear and tear through sand scratches, humidity, and salty air. With the right flooring choices and these strategies, you can choose the flooring best-suited to your coastal home and get the longest lifespan from your floors.
At Yates Flooring, our flooring installation and maintenance professionals can help match the flooring material to the environment, account for coastal risks, and put strategies in place to make your new floor last as long as possible. Contact our team today for a consultation that includes a customized floor maintenance strategy for your oceanfront property.
