With hardwood flooring India’s urban elite looks westward for inspiration

Wooden flooring is not new to the western world but for Indian households it is still not mainstream. Although there are high chances of it becoming a mainstream wooden flooring choice in India. Traditional hardwood flooring is what comes to mind when we think about wooden flooring. Hardwood flooring is sourced from specific varietals of trees that exhibit a strong and dense core. It is so due to it aesthetic value and core structural formation. Hardwood is the traditional choice of flooring in the colder regions of the world. It works best in controlled atmosphere, especially when the temperatures are low and humidity is less. Before the advent of modern day techniques and processes, there was minimal processing done on a hardwood floor plank. But the story has changed today and there are a variety of forms, grains and shades that can be achieved. The fortification process has also improved over the years and made the maintenance much easier. It has also managed to bring some degree of price control in the wooden floor range. It is very hard and study and this is one of the reasons that it got the name hardwood flooring. The beauty of natural looks and the classiness of hardwood flooring is unparalleled. Some of the most popular choices to produce a hardwood flooring plank are Oak, Bamboo, Walnut, Ash, Cherry and Mahogany. Timber is also a popular choice for wooden flooring. While laying down this flooring in kitchen or basement areas, special care needs to be taken. Wooden flooring is categorized as unfinished and factory finished. In case of unfinished flooring, the installer or carpenter will do the sanding on the site and apply the final finish before installing it. This kind of on-site finish is preferred when a person has a particular shade in mind. In case of factory finished flooring planks, entire processing is completed in the factory and only the installation is done at the site. The installation of hardwood floor is considered difficult as compared to its modern contemporaries. 

Engineered hardwood flooring is one such processed version of hardwood flooring. Unlike its full wood (hardwood) counterpart and engineered hardwood plank uses lesser amount of wood. This makes it ecologically less threatening. Additionally there are multiple layers of other material and coating applied over a hardwood board to make it an engineered hardwood floor.    

Indians have traditionally stayed away from hardwood flooring and preferred to opt for natural stones and factory manufactured tiles for interiors. Although the use of hardwood flooring in India is not new, it has existed since long, especially in the colder regions of the country. To give a classy and western touch to their homes, slowly and steadily the urban elite is considering it for their plush dwellings in the metro cities. The high cost has prevented it from becoming mainstream. But with the rising income and living standards of India, this segment possesses tremendous growth potential.