Homes originally came into the world with the primary purpose of protection, preventing you from harm from severe weather, predators, harsh environments, and enemies. Although they still provide security, a home's function has expanded to delivering you a place to meet your necessary needs like food, hygiene, and rest, as well as showcasing your wealth, creativity, and identity. With the multitude of ways to design your home and the variety of materials to work with, it can be easy to forget the repercussions of specific design features. Over time, some of the interior design choices you make can harm you and your family's health.
One of the most commonly known housing features that impact a person's health is wall paint. Many wall paints use harsh chemicals to create resilient mixtures and vivid colors. Those paint chemicals emit toxins into the air, affecting people's well-being as time passes. Many design components within a home similarly produce unhealthy spaces.
An often-overlooked concern is flooring. Being cautious in your floor choice could prevent you from future health concerns and benefit your wellness. Hardwood floors possess numerous perks overall, including health-related ones. So how does hardwood establish a safe space and assist with healthy living? Here are five ways hardwood floors can improve your health.
Minimizes Exposure to Allergens
Unlike carpets, hardwood floors don't trap dust and allergens. Hardwood's sleek and hard surface makes it difficult for dust, pet dander, and other allergens particles to cling onto its sleek, solid surface. When dust does accumulate on the ground, it’s easy to get rid of, as hardwood is easy to clean.
Those with sensitivities to allergens and irritants, like people with asthma and other respiratory conditions, find it more challenging to stay in spaces harboring dust for long periods. Carpets trap allergens within their thick, absorbable material, making it hard to exterminate allergen sources allowing them to remain in the room. As people walk across carpets, the pollutants trapped inside its material get released back into the room's air, circulating the dust around the space. Opting for wooden flooring ensures minimal allergen exposure and clean air.
Minimizes Exposure to Mold
Hardwood's dense and durable build makes it hard for water to penetrate through, minimizing its ability to grow mold. This microorganism occurs when damp areas attract and house mold spores, creating ideal breeding conditions for mold to flourish. As the mold continues to live, it excretes toxins into the atmosphere, creating harmful surroundings. Breathing in the toxins leads to various health issues and respiratory difficulties.
Hardwood modern engineered wood floorings provide durable and high-quality, impenetrable foundations. Engineered wood consists of dense compressed layers fitted with a natural hardwood surface layer. The layers that make up the engineered wood's core are placed in a criss-cross pattern. T Paired with hardwood's impenetrable quality and a finish coating, the core's structure leaves little room for water to permeate and collect. Like with the dust, it's easy to clean spills with the smooth tops of engineered hardwood floors.
Decreases Chemical Toxins
Due to hardwood's natural fabrication, it emits fewer chemical toxins. Other floorings often endure chemical manufacturing processes that saturate the product with toxic solvents that can leach into your home and evaporate into your air. Carpets consist of synthetic fibers made by various elements undergoing chemical reactions. The chemical residue from the reactions clings onto the fibers and carries it into your home. Vinyl floorings off-gas (release chemical fumes) during the first weeks of installation and linger longer. The off-gas arises from the mix of chemical products used to create vinyl. Chemical fumes can generate a lot of health issues and cause numerous breathing problems.
The only chemical component of engineered wood is its binding resin, but many manufacturers have switched away from using formaldehyde (a pollutant) resin, eliminating toxicity. All toxins released from any flooring are minor, mainly causing long-term effects for generally healthy people, but hardwood flooring releases fewer toxins compared to others floor types.
Connects You to Nature
Biophilic design is the concept of designing a space with natural features and materials to increase a person's connection with nature. Building a relationship with nature provides you with countless benefits, from feeling nurtured to happiness. For some people, surrendering control to things beyond their reach, like nature, often creates internal calmness for them. For others, simply surrounding themselves with nature's effortless beauty makes them feel better.
By bringing natural elements into your room, you transfer the positive effects of being outdoors indoors. Hardwood floors recreate nature's atmosphere indoors by adding earthy components to a space. Woods that feature more prominent textures, like natural red oak, create a more authentic look and feel. The natural aesthetics, added by including hardwood flooring, transform your home into a nurturing, calm, and beneficial place for you to thrive.
Promotes Good Posture
Sometimes it feels good to have your feet sink into the ground, almost as though you are walking on clouds; however, this does not help your posture in the long run. Whether you are sitting, standing, or lying on the floor, a harder and smoother surface provides you with the best support. The impact between your body and the solid surface forces your muscles to strengthen, helping your body straighten and align. The more practice and strengthening your muscles and bones endure, the healthier they'll be in the future, as they become conditioned to support the weight of your body.
Engineered wooden floors make an excellent flooring option for yoga rooms. The natural aesthetic helps you tap into a calm presence, and the solid surface provides a strong base to carry your body as you stretch. As previously mentioned, the more stable the ground, the better your alignment will become, making your stretching and movements safer.
Feel protected inside your home by creating a safe interior, starting with the best foundation for you. Hardwood flooring benefits your mental and physical well-being, from its manufactured build to its authentic aesthetics. With this list of five ways hardwood floors can improve your health, you can feel more secure and confident when choosing engineered hardwood floorings for your spaces. Explore From the Forest's diverse collection of engineered flooring and find the perfect foundation for you and your home.
