How To Hardwood Floors
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Benefits Of Hardwood Flooring
The benefits of hardwood flooring are astonishing when you think about it. They never go out of style
, they last for
generations, they look beautiful with every decor, they are easy to clean, they can be restored to look
like new with a sand and refinish, in certain cases they can be patched rather than replaced ...
Hardwood flooring is a natural insulator that provides high insulation properties as well as adding structural strength to a home's construction.
Hardwood floors have a natural warmth and beauty that cannot be manufactured.
No other flooring can suit any decor, in any room, like the abundance of styles, grains and colors of hardwood flooring. And when it's time to remodel, hardwood floors can be stained to match.
Shall we go on? Okay!
More Benefits of Hardwood Flooring
Their tremendous health benefits (they don't confine dust, dirt, animal dander or allergens); they are a natural "green" material ... environmentally, they can't be outdone; maintenance is a cinch (no carpet shampoos, no caulking, one floor cleaner in the cupboard instead of powders and stain removers and sprays); and there's more benefits of hardwood flooring!
Next to carpet, hardwood flooring is a safer option as compared to laminates and other materials that are overly slick and slippery.
Next to carpet, hardwood floors have the best acoustics because they must be installed over a subfloor. They are much quieter than other flooring materials.
Scratches, stains and other wear and tear on any flooring is quite noticeable and unattractive. These same "flaws"
add character and charm to hardwood floors.
Hardwood flooring is extremely durable, long lasting, and can be fully restored to fresh "new" grandeur.
Very simple to clean, you can use natural soap products (or our favorite ... vinegar and water). No cleaning chemicals or expensive cleaning equipment and tools are needed.
Hardwood flooring has much lower levels of chemical emissions and vastly improves indoor air quality over other flooring materials. In fact, allergists recommend hardwood floors to their patients with allergies, asthma and similar conditions.
Hardwood floors are one of the highest cost per square foot flooring options - but - they are the only flooring material that can be fully restored, that last for generations. It is the most economical choice overall.
Hardwood floors are a long-term investment that will hold their value, and increase the resale value or your home. Indeed, installing or refurbishing hardwood floors is a common strategy for increasing the return on investment AND the show quality in the real estate industry - and has been for many, many years.
Hardwood floors are a natural resource that is both renewable and recyclable, eco-friendly and environmentally safe.
A Bit Of Flooring History
Though other flooring materials have challenged hardwood floors in
the marketplace, it's only been temporary. In fact,
vintage hardwood floors emerged way back in
the middle ages and some of those 800+ year old floors are still
around today.
In the mid-1950s, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) approved new construction standards to boost the housing market. It was then that wall to wall carpeting, an inexpensive flooring alternative, became the norm in apartments and single family homes.
Since the 1960s, there has been some form of engineered wood flooring, but it suffered greatly in quality and has only recently become popular world-wide as standards have improved. Yet, solid hardwood floors are still the most popular flooring choice in North America. Learn more about engineered hardwood floors.
Laminate was introduced in the European market as a flooring alternative in the 1980s due to its performance in durability, design, and ease of installation. It originated as a kitchen countertop material and was developed to more than 20 times its strength to be used for floors. It was introduced in North America in the early 1990s and has become quite popular. Learn more about laminate flooring here.
Even so, hardwood flooring is considered the "upgrade" to other flooring types and styles.
The benefits of hardwood flooring are numerous, but in the end, it comes down to personal preference. However, studies have shown over and over again, that once a homeowner experiences solid hardwood floors, they never go back.
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