Boy, am I glad that I didn't live 500 years ago - at least as far as homes are concerned. In those days, most folks had nothing under their feet except dirt, when it came to their home floors. Hardwood flooring has been around for centuries, but in actuality it is one of the more recent inventions in the history of the human race. Before the advent of power tools (and the electricity that powered them) all floors had to be constructed by hand, oftentimes requiring weeks and weeks to individually craft, and then place, all the boards. Thankfully, modern technology has saved us from much of this backbreaking labor! Choices: you have many of them when it comes to flooring in your home: wood, linoleum, tile, cement. Why then choose hardwood floors? What makes them preferred? Simply put, hardwood floors are very durable and versatile. Unlike many synthetic flooring materials, hardwood floors will last decades - some last as long as the home itself. And there are very few rooms that cannot be floored with wood. In addition, hardwood flooring is very versatile - it can be used in just about any room in your home. Hardwood flooring has been successfully used in kitchens, bedrooms, dens, home offices, hallways and stairways. With proper precautions, some types of hardwood flooring can even be installed below ground (such as in a basement). Let's come right out and admit it: if you want genuine hardwood flooring, you will have to make a significant initial investment. But don't let that scare you away, as installing hardwood flooring can actually serve to raise the overall value of your home, sometimes significantly. Properly maintained, they can become one of the 'crown jewels' of your home, and make your property very valuable when it comes time to sell it. What are your choices? Well, hardwood flooring can be purchased as a solid wood - which means that the flooring boards are each solid pieces of wood, or you can purchase something called an engineered wood floor. The engineered wood floor is made by taking thinner strips of wood and fusing them together in such a way that they will not shrink as much, and will be stronger than, a solid wood floor board. Your installation professional can advise you on which would be best for you. Hardwood floors can be purchased in strips, or planks (which are much like the traditional strips, but are significantly longer) -- or you might purchase the 'parquet' type, where the wood pieces are arranged into a very pleasing design. As a consumer and homeowner, you will benefit from the latest technology when you purchase your hardwood floors - you can buy your flooring pieces in a prefinished form, meaning that you (or your installer) will not have to sand, paint or stain the wood at all - just install and you are done! But if you want to go the traditional route, never fear - you can buy your hardwood floor in unfinished strips - which means, of course, that the wood will need to be sanded and finished. Note: leave the installation and any sanding and finishing of your hardwood floors to trained professionals - they will know how to do the job right the first time! A few words to those of you installing hardwood floors in high-traffic areas - areas which will receive a lot of foot traffic, such as in hallways, stairways, and door entrances. Did you know that lighter woods will not show foot-traffic wear as much as darker wood colors? If you can, try to put down some mats and rugs in the areas receiving the highest amount of foot traffic. Also, higher density woods (hickory, oak, maple) are better for these high-traffic areas in your home than lower density woods (like pine).
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Boy, am I glad that I didn't live 500 years ago - at least as far as homes are concerned. In those days, most folks had nothing under their feet except dirt, when it came to their home floors. Hardwood flooring has been around for centuries, but in actuality it is one of the more recent inventions in the history of the human race. Before the advent of power tools (and the electricity that powered them) all floors had to be constructed by hand, oftentimes requiring weeks and weeks to ...
aboutthe author: Simon Harris writes abouthome improvement and Restoring Hardwood Floors Learn more aboutAnderson Hardwood Floors by visiting his website. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.
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