Category: Flooring Types

How Your Lifestyle Should Influence Your Hardwood Floor Choice in Chicago

When it comes to choosing hardwood flooring for your Chicago home, style and color aren’t the only things to consider. Your lifestyle plays a major role in determining which type of hardwood will serve you best for the long haul—especially with the ever-changing Chicago weather, foot traffic from city living, and family or pet dynamics.

Here’s a quick guide to help you choose the right hardwood floor based on how you live.

1. Chicago Families with Kids or Pets? Think Durability

If your home in Chicago’s North Side or surrounding suburbs is filled with little feet (or paws) running around, durability should be your top priority. Engineered hardwood floors with a high-quality finish like UV lacquer are excellent choices. Oak—especially European White Oak—is known for its strength and resistance to wear.

Tip: Opt for a textured surface, like a brushed finish. It hides scratches better, which is perfect for homes near Chicago parks where pets and kids track in debris.

2. Busy Urban Living? Low-Maintenance Options Work Best

Living in neighborhoods like Wicker Park, Logan Square, or the Loop often means busy schedules and less time for home maintenance. If this sounds like your lifestyle, go for prefinished engineered hardwood with a protective coating. These floors are easier to clean and don’t require refinishing for years.

Look for:

  • Matte or satin finishes
  • Mid-toned stains that hide dust and dirt
  • Easy-install systems like glue-down or nail/staple with glue assist

3. Chicago Condo Owners? Consider Radiant Heat Compatibility

Many modern condos in downtown Chicago come with radiant heating systems. Not all hardwoods can handle that, but engineered wood with a stable construction is a great fit. Just make sure the flooring you choose is rated for radiant heating.

Bonus: Engineered hardwood also handles Chicago’s fluctuating humidity better than solid hardwood.

4. Love Entertaining? Go for Stylish and Sturdy

If your home is the go-to gathering spot in the neighborhood—whether you’re hosting game day or dinner parties—your floor needs to be both beautiful and tough. Wide plank hardwood (5” or more) adds a luxurious look while providing a solid surface for foot traffic.

Hot picks in Chicago homes right now:

  • European White Oak with a brushed texture
  • Neutral tones like natural, beige, or soft greys
  • Water-resistant options for kitchen and dining areas

5. Want a Cozy Vibe for Chicago Winters? Choose Warm Tones

Chicago winters can be brutal, so why not warm things up indoors with your flooring choice? Richer wood tones like honey, chestnut, or walnut bring warmth to a room—both visually and literally when paired with area rugs or radiant heat.

Your hardwood flooring should match the way you live—not just your aesthetic preferences. Whether you live in a classic Chicago bungalow in Lincoln Park or a sleek condo in River North, the right flooring will combine function, style, and longevity.

Parquet Flooring

Basically, parquet flooring is made up of many small pieces of wood joined all together to create interesting and exciting geometric shapes. All these miniature pieces of wood are laid out on top of soft wood to maintain the even surface. After the process of joining the pieces, the final image will create a unique design on the floor, which adds to the beauty of the room. Due the huge variety of interesting designs you can create with these small pieces, many home owners are beginning to realize the beauty of parquet flooring.

Wood parquet flooring is much more artistic than other types of flooring installation. The very process is an artwork all in its own. The process of putting together the pieces can be done manually, or with the use of a machine for a quicker result. The process is somewhat similar to the of putting together tile flooring. The only difference is that soft wood is used in parquet installation. Installation is easy if you know what you’re doing. But if your not particularly skilled at the art of carpentry, it might be smarter to hire a contractor to do the job for you; in the end you’ll be saving time and money.

Once the wood parquet flooring is installed properly, inspect it thoroughly and ensure that there are no gaps in any of the surface. Gaps can cause warping in the future. It is also important that you must learn how to take care of your investment to prevent it from any damage. Just like on any wood flooring, avoid liquids spilling. If there are any spills, immediately wipe the liquid to avoid any permanent damage. Be careful to not scratch up the floor with heavy objects or furniture for it will leave irreparable scratch marks.

Cleaning is fairly easy with floor polisher and a piece of thick cotton. Make sure that the solutions you’re using are made for wood flooring. Using random cleaning solutions not meant for wood flooring might cause stains and damage due to unforeseen chemical reactions. By cleaning the dust off the parquet regularly, it will give it a shiny new look.

Be careful to not overuse the vacuum cleaner, for it will eventually wear out the finish and take away that shine from your floor. Should you indeed manage to put scratches on the floor, you will be able to remove them using a wax touch up marker. Use a knife to remove any excess from the crevice, and then buff it. You can also use markers that have wood stain already within them, which will add shine to the damaged part. These markers are used to cure scratches on any part of your wood, often times with mixed results depending on the severity of the scratch.