There are a lot of exciting things to think about when selecting your new hardwood floors. You’ll not only have the chance to choose between different materials, such as luxury vinyl plank and water-resistant laminate, but also the manner in which the wood was cut, if you’re sticking to good ‘ol solid wood floors.
But one of the most enjoyable things homeowners get to decide is the finish of their new floors. Whether your drawn to subtle, natural-looking options or bold, eye-popping finishes, you’ll certainly be able to find a floor finish that matches your home and decor. However, it’s important to consider the kind of lighting your home has, as this can affect the way your floors look once installed.
We’ll explain everything you need to know about the issue below, so you can select a finish that will work well with your home and lighting.
Four Important Lighting Factors That Affect Your Floor Color
There are a number of things about the light in your home that will influence the way the finish and color look, but the following four factors are the most important to consider:
1. The Type of Light: Sunlight or Artificial
The first thing you’ll want to think about is whether your home is primarily lit by artificial light sources or if you have a lot of natural sunlight coming through your windows.
Most things — including your new floors — will look best when bathed in natural sunlight. Sunlight is not only quite strong, but it tends to enhance the colors of things. So, homes that enjoy a lot of natural light tend to have floors that really “pop.”
But your new floors can still look quite nice under artificial lights. In fact, because you can switch between several different kinds of lights, artificial lighting provides a ton of flexibility. For example, incandescent bulbs tend to produce a warm, yellow hue, which can help emphasize the golden tones in many wood floors. Meanwhile, fluorescent or LED lights often cause wood floors to look whiter and deemphasize the golden tones.
2. Direction of the Light
The direction at which the light strikes your floors plays a surprisingly important role in their overall appearance. So, consider where your lights or windows are situated when trying to envision the way your new floors will look in your home.
For example, direct lighting that strikes the floor at a nearly perpendicular angle will produce relatively few shadows and emphasize minor details, such as the grain pattern of wood or the texture of stone floors.
Conversely, indirect lighting that strikes your floors from a lower angle will tend to have the opposite effect. This kind of low-angle lighting will create scads of tiny shadows, which will help obscure fine details, such as wood grain or stone texture.
3. Intensity of the Light
The overall lighting intensity (generally measured in something called lumens) in your home is another factor that can strongly influence the appearance of your floors.
For example, floors in brightly lit rooms will tend to look lighter and more vibrant themselves — especially if they are finished with a light color. Having said that, dark finishes tend to look richer and more saturated in rooms with strong lighting.
Dim room lighting tends to make floor colors appear darker and more muted. While this sounds like a drawback, the overall effect of this kind of lighting can create a very dramatic effect, particularly if your floors feature contrasting grain or wood patterns.
4. Color Temperature of the Light
Practically speaking, the color temperature of light is a measure of the light’s color.
Measured in degrees Kelvin, the color temperature spectrum is a bit counterintuitive: “Cool” light with lots of white and blue frequencies has a higher color temperature (usually measuring more than 5000 Kelvin) than yellow-rich “warm” light (warm light is generally in the 2700- to 3000-Kelvin range).
Cool (high temperature) light tends to make wood floor colors look fairly neutral. Some, such as light oaks and ashes, may even look slightly blueish under very cool light. By contrast, warm (low temperature) light tends to emphasize the rich tones present in the finish. Many people find that warm lighting helps make their floors look cozier.
The Downside of Light: Sunlight and Wooden Floors
Unfortunately, while natural sunlight can make floors look fantastic, it can cause your floors to change over time, thanks to a process called oxidation. This tends to be most noticeable when furniture is moved around in a large, sun-drenched room. The parts of your floor that were shaded by furniture will appear brighter and look like they did when first installed, while the places that were exposed to the sun will be noticeably darker or lighter.
Preventing this kind of oxidation generally means blocking the sun with curtains or other window treatments. However, this may be counterproductive if you enjoy the way the natural sunlight makes your floors look. Another option is to install UV-blocking window films. These will continue to let the sunlight enter your room, while preventing the oxidation-causing UV rays to pass through.
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Just remember that there are no “rules” for pairing floors and lights. You certainly want to consider the kind of light in your home when selecting the ideal floors and finish, but you should always let your personal tastes drive your decision. And don’t feel like you have to make the choice on your own — go ahead and schedule a free consultation with one of our customer service reps. He or she will discuss your flooring needs and the lighting in your home and help guide you through the selection process to ensure you end up with the floors of your dreams.