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.