Do Hardwood Floors Make Your House Colder? -

Hardwood floors are becoming all the rage in contemporary homes. They are almost mandatory if you want to go with a beautiful, chic look that offers additional visual space as soon as someone enters the house. While all of this is nice, you may wonder, do hardwood floors make your house colder?

Hardwood floors do not make the house colder because they do an exceptional job of heat retention. It is a myth that carpets retain heat better as they act more of a barrier than a material that absorbs heat.

The reason most people assume hardwood floors are cold has to do with the initial touch.

While it might feel cold to the feet, the temperature retention is excellent. It does a great job of helping with your utility bills during the winter months too!

The reasons include:

Wood Retains Heat Better
Better Temperature Distribution
Doesn’t Act As A Barrier

Heat needs to be absorbed for the house to feel warm and that is what hardwood floors do. If you have high-quality wood in place, heat is not going to be an issue at all.

You are going to feel warm and it is going to help keep the heat indoors.

Otherwise, you can end up leaking a lot of heat during the winter months causing it to feel quite cold.

Here is more on the question “Do hardwood floors make your house colder?” while also focusing on what you can do to make sure the house stays warm during the colder days.

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Best Rug for Hardwood Floors (EDITOR’S CHOICE)

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Tips On How To Keep Hardwood Floors Warm

1. Use a Good Rug

The first thing you will want to do is invest in a rug or two.

Gorgeous, thick rugs are always your best friend in a situation such as this. Placing a warm rug on your hardwood floor will go a long way in making sure that first contact with the floor is a warm one.

This is the only time hardwood floors may come across as being “cold.”

Plus, area rugs look great aesthetically and will amplify your house as a whole.

Find the most frequented spots in your house (i.e. living room) and place your rugs there. This is how you are going to stay warm while still enjoying the hardwood floors in your home.

Do Hardwood Floors Make Your House Colder

2. Remove Potential Air Leaks

This is a major issue when it comes to feeling cold inside your home.

The idea is that air starts to leak, which means you don’t retain heat as well. This is the same idea as sleeping under a blanket. If the blanket isn’t on your body properly, you are going to feel cold!

This is the same for the house.

You have to get rid of those air leaks (i.e. open windows).

Windows are noted for being the biggest troublemakers when it comes to air leaks, which is why your attention should go there first.

If you take care of these air leaks, you are going to have a much better chance of staying warm with the hardwood floors.

Sometimes, you end up blaming the hardwood floors when they are not the problem at all!

3. Invest in a Space Heater

For those asking “Do hardwood floors make your house colder?” you will want to think about a space heater if things get bad.

This is not always necessary with hardwood floors but can help in colder climates.

The space heater will keep the floor warm to the touch.

Space heaters can do a good job of providing localized heating whether you have carpeting or hardwood floors in place.

Otherwise, you can always just ramp up the heat a little bit in your house.

Hardwood flooring does a good job of retaining heat so it won’t stay cold for long. Just make sure the heat is on and you are going to be good.

This is key when asking “Do hardwood floors make your house colder?”

1. Why Are The Floors in My House So Cold?

Flooring in the house can become cold because it doesn’t retain heat and/or there are potential air leaks in the house (i.e. open windows) that are causing cold air to enter the property. It’s best to close those air leaks and use space heaters or rugs to keep the floors warm.

2. How Do You Keep Your House Warm On Hardwood Floors?

It is recommended to spread area rugs in rooms you frequent the most. This ensures the hardwood floor ages well and your feet stay warm at the same time.

3. Do Wood Floors Make A House Colder?

Wood floors do not make a house colder. This type of material is renowned for absorbing and storing heat, which makes the floor feel warmer on the feet.

For any other situation, it’s recommended to use warm rugs for cold floors to keep things pleasant.

4. Why Is There A Warm Spot On Hardwood Floor?

A warm spot on the hardwood floor is caused by a hot water line running directly below the surface. This can cause specific spots to feel toasty in comparison to the rest of the flooring.

5. Are hardwood floors cold in the winter?

Yes, hardwood floors can be colder in the winter. This is due to the wood feeling colder to the touch when the temperature drops. If the heat is increased, this feeling does go away after a few minutes.

Final Thoughts

Do hardwood floors make your house colder?

In the end, hardwood floors will not make your house colder because they are great at retaining heat. However, they may feel cold to the touch on the surface, which is why many property owners assume hardwood floors aren’t warm.

Wood retains heat well and is going to help with your utility bills during the colder months.

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