Why Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood Floors not only add a feeling of spaciousness, warmth, & elegance
to your home but also offer other practical benefits as well. Hardwood
Floors are:
Hypoallergenic: For
those who suffer from allergies, hardwood flooring is the ideal choice.
Wood floors do not trap dust or fumes, and will not harbor animal dander,
pollen, dust mites,or mold compared to other types of flooring. If you think
about it, carpet acts as an air filter in your home and it is just not
possible to remove all the dust & allergens from your carpet by vacuuming.
In fact, according to the American Lung Association, Wood Flooring in your
bedroom & other main living areas can improve air quality.
The Best Choice for Pet Owners:
My wife & I are proud owners of a 130 lb Rhodesian
Ridgeback
OH! There’s our buddy now….
We know so many proud pet owners, but so often we hear, “I would love to
have hardwood floors but I have a dog & I know he would just scratch up the
floors.” However, contrary to popular belief, I would like to assure you
that dogs and Hardwood floors are a good match. It’s true-- Dogs can
do a lot of damage to any style of flooring. So as a dog owner, you should
consider 2 main questions when choosing a floor: 1) Is it easy to clean &
repair? 2) Is it the healthiest choice for your family?
Granted, Hardwood floors sustain the same use and abuse by dogs as carpeting
or any other flooring ... but:
• Carpet traps
allergens, animal dander, shedding, fleas, ticks, dust, dirt, odor,& etc. On
the other hand, Hardwood Floors do not confine those allergens---Hardwood
floors are definitely the healthier choice for home owners with pets.
•
It is easier to clean up “doggie messes” on hardwood floors than with
carpets: No carpet cleaners or costly professional machines are needed. Just
wipe up & clean as it’s noticed. With carpet, urine stains are extremely
difficult to clean & really never go away. They soak into the backing & pad
of the carpet. Laminate is easy to clean, however, the drawback with
laminate is that it is permanently damaged by scratches, chips, dents, & etc
made by dogs & cats.
• Moisture damage from dog
urine can occur on hardwood floors just like any other flooring; however,
Hardwood floors are the only type that can be fully restored to look like
new again, in most cases, with a sand and recoat.
•
Likewise, dog scratches and other surface damage can be sanded and
refinished with hardwood flooring.
However, that being said, choosing a harder hardwood , a wood with
stronger graining, & a quality finish will help keep scratches to a minimum.
With our 130 lb dog, durability was a concern and we chose Hickory hardwood
floors—which is 1820 on the Janka scale.
If you are a pet owner, I will
help you choose a hardwood for your floors that will fit your specific needs
and budget.
And Remember…Floors are meant to be used, enjoyed & lived on. Hardwood
floors do not highlight little dings & nicks like other flooring—and if they
are noticed, they add to the character of the wood. Hardwood floors are
truly a practical & healthy choice for homeowners with pets.
* A Long Term Investment:
Despite the initial expense,
hardwood floors are a worthwhile long-term investment as they will
significantly add to the value of your home & increase its re-sale value. In
a national survey of realtors, 90 percent said houses with real wood floors
sell faster and for more money than those without them. (National Wood
Flooring Association: woodfloors.org)
* Durable:
With proper care, hardwood floors will last the life of your home. People
walk on hardwood floors as old as our nation everyday! For example, the
hardwood floors in Washington’s Mount Vernon & Jefferson’s Monticello are
still beautiful today!
* Economical:
Maintained
properly, you should never have to replace your hardwood floors. Once
installed, you may need to have them buffed once every few years. However,
this effort is minimal compared to carpets, vinyl, & other synthetic floors
which have to be replaced 3 to 6 times before most hardwood floors ever need
repair. Since hardwood floors usually last the lifetime of your home, they
are actually less expensive than other types of flooring when considered
over the long term.
* Repairable:
Hardwood
doesn’t highlight little dings & dents like other flooring---in fact, if
they are noticed, they add to the character & charm of the wood. However
when there is damage, hardwood floors can be repaired. Instead of adding to
the landfill (as happens with other floor coverings), hardwood floors can be
sanded & refinished . The hardwood flooring industry helps preserve what’s
already there---the finest form of recycling.
* Easy to
Maintain:
As mentioned earlier, hardwood floors don’t trap dust
& fumes in the fibers or grow mold in the grout. With only a swivel mop &
Bona hardwood cleaner, you can clean any hardwood floor in less than half
the time it takes to vacuum, scrub, or shampoo other flooring.
* Quality:
No modern manufactured alternative, no
matter how advance, can compare with the natural warmth & timeless beauty of
Real Wood. One of the key areas of advantage over laminate is the acoustics
of hardwood flooring. If properly installed, hardwood flooring has brilliant
acoustic properties, whereas laminate flooring suffers from a “hollow” sound
under foot traffic. Hollow sounds & vibrations are not an issue with
hardwood floors.
* Environmentally Friendly:
Unlike most floor coverings, hardwood floors come from a natural resource
that is sustainable. Trees are a renewable resource & sustainable forest
management makes it possible to harvest wood over & over again without any
negative impact on the environment.
There’s a reason your
Grandparents had Hardwood floors in their home—Costly In the beginning, but
easy on time, function, & your wallet in the long run.