Looking for Eucalyptus flooring pros and cons?
Eucalyptus may not be as popular as oak, hickory, and other hardwood flooring material used in real estate. However, it is an excellent flooring option, and there are several eucalyptus flooring pros to support that claim.
Sustainable living and eco-friendly housing are gradually becoming the trend in the property market now.
As homeowners are becoming more aware of the effects, their choices have on the planet, they are beginning to embrace eco-friendly hardwood flooring materials, one of which is Eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus trees grow to maturity within ten years. That is quite fast compared to many other hardwoods that can take up to 150 years to reach full maturity.
Although Eucalyptus is eco-friendly and can offer many benefits when used for flooring, some Eucalyptus flooring cons exist that homeowners need to know before using it.
In this article, you will learn about various eucalyptus flooring pros and cons, which would give you a good grasp of what to expect if you consider installing it in your home.
Pros of Eucalyptus Flooring
1. High Moisture Tolerance
Moisture has always been a major concern for homeowners, considering wood flooring because it can cause wood rot and decay.
One of the eucalyptus flooring pros homeowners would enjoy when installing it is how well it tolerates moisture. Not many hardwood flooring options can boast of being able to tolerate moisture.
If you live in a humid region or want a hardwood floor for a room likely to come in contact with water frequently, such as the bathroom, laundry room, kitchen, or basement, you can't go wrong with Eucalyptus flooring.
Eucalyptus trees are widely grown in tropical regions of the world, allowing them to adapt well to moisture.
2. Highly Durable
While hardwoods offer a decent amount of durability, some hardwoods offer better durability than others. Eucalyptus is one of those hardwoods that perform better than others from a durability standpoint.
Generally, exotic hardwoods tend to be much harder than domestic hardwood. The flooring industry standard for measuring wood hardness, the Janka scale, gives some species of Eucalyptus a rating between 3,000 – 4,000.
Compared to the white oak, which has a rating of 1,360, and the red oak, which has a rating of 1,260, some Eucalyptus species are more than two times harder.
Woods with a higher rating are more resistant to scratch and dents, making them a great choice for home areas with heavy foot traffic and homes with pets.
3. Versatile
Finding a hardwood flooring that compliments your existing home decor can be daunting when remodeling your home.
The best part about eucalyptus flooring is that they come in various colors, textures, and glosses, giving you the flexibility to choose whichever suits your style and taste.
The eucalyptus is a large genus with more than 660 species. As a result, its wood comes in various grains, color variations, and knotholes.
So whether you want to create a room with a modern look or a traditional look, there are plenty of schemes to choose from to achieve it. The Eucalyptus hardwood also does well at retaining stains.
So in a case where you are unable to find a color that suits your home perfectly, you can easily personalize the floor by staining it with your preferred color.
4. Low Maintenance
Low maintenance is among the eucalyptus flooring pros homeowners who install the hardwood flooring enjoy. Floors that require very little maintenance ultimately save time and money.
In today’s busy, with low-maintenance hardwood floors, such as eucalyptus, you can allocate more time to other chores or activities in the home as you would not need to spend much time cleaning or repairing the floor.
Most of the maintenance you would need on eucalyptus floors is limited to sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping, perhaps once a week.
Since eucalyptus flooring is highly durable, there would be fewer cases where repairs are needed compared to other hardwood floorings.
5. Eco-Friendly
Eucalyptus is a much greener hardwood flooring material than many hardwoods used in real estate today.
Many of the Eucalyptus species used for flooring can be harvested within a decade, compared to other hardwoods that take several decades to reach maturity.
The eucalyptus tree's fast growth allows manufacturers to efficiently balance meeting market demands and regrowing the trees each time it is cut down.
The best part is that the eucalyptus trees can be grown throughout the year with fewer resources such as water and fertilizer.
Although Eucalyptus serves as the main food for Koalas, an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, the good news is that the commercial Eucalyptus growing operations occur in Asia and South America.
Therefore, homeowners who use Eucalyptus floors can be at peace knowing they haven't deprived any Koala of its home and food.
Cons of Eucalyptus Flooring
1. Difficult to Find
Eucalyptus is not a common exotic hardwood, making it hard to find a retailer that has it readily available for sale.
Homeowners who have heard of eucalyptus flooring pros and want to install it in their homes may need to place special orders at retailers who can help secure the hardwood.
An alternative route would be to shop for it online. Due to its unavailability at local retail shops, securing Eucalyptus hardwood for flooring could eat into one's budget and make it a costly choice compared to the readily available alternatives.
2. Makes Squeaky Noise
One of the eucalyptus flooring cons you must be prepared to deal with is squeaky noise. Eucalyptus flooring has a low absorption rate for sounds.
As a result, they make loud squeaky sounds when you walk on them, especially when it is not installed properly.
Generally, squeaking is a common problem with most hardwood floors and may be caused by seasonal changes in humidity and installation issues.
While this may not be a problem for some homeowners, others who prefer a quiet home may find eucalyptus flooring squeaks annoying.
On the bright side, there are some things you can do to help keep the noise to the barest minimum, including using soundproofing mats.
3. Not Budget-Friendly
While eucalyptus flooring is cheaper than some hardwood flooring, it is not the most budget-friendly flooring option. If you are keen on keeping costs down, it would be best to seek cheaper options like Bamboo.
First of all, if eucalyptus planks are unavailable at your local flooring retailer, you may need to order them online, which would cost you more when you add the shipping and delivery fees.
Also, eucalyptus flooring can be difficult to install, especially if you opt for a very hard species. In such situations, you may need to hire professionals to handle the installation if you don't have the right tools and skillset to do it yourself.
4. Susceptible to Water Damage
While eucalyptus flooring can handle moisture better than many hardwood floorings, it is still susceptible to water damage.
Homeowners, especially those staying in places with high humidity, still need to take preventive measures, such as sealing the planks, to reduce the risk of damage if the floor is overly exposed to water.
5. Risk of an Injury
One other eucalyptus flooring cons to be mindful of before installing it is that the hard surface is likely to cause serious injury if anyone accidentally slips and falls on it.
If you have children playing around in your home, it would be best to get area rugs to offer some level of protection.
Final Thoughts
After weighing all these eucalyptus flooring pros and cons, it is safe to conclude that eucalyptus flooring is arguably one of the best options in the market today.
Aside from the benefit of its durability and versatility, its eco-friendliness ensures homeowners can satisfy their flooring needs without hurting our planet.
Do you consider eucalyptus hardwood as an excellent flooring material for your home after learning of these eucalyptus flooring pros and cons?