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A hardwood floor can be a beautiful stylish addition to your home.  It can create a wonderfully open space with a timeless feel.  Although hardwood flooring is a more expensive choice than carpets or laminate floors the benefits of having a beautiful solid wood floor are many.

Wooden floors have been around for centuries but were for a time considered old fashioned and as such were replaced by carpets and vinyl.  In recent years however, the trend has turned back to solid wooden floors such as oak flooring.  Some older homes already have wooden floors installed underneath carpets or vinyl and this can be sanded down and varnished to bring it back to life.  If you have recently purchased a second hand older home, it would be a good idea to check before going out and purchasing your solid wood lengths.

Hardwood floors can last for hundreds of years and are one of the most durable types of flooring around.  It is a warm material unlike laminate which imitates hard wood but has a much colder feel.  Real wood actually holds heat in because it has thousands of minute air chambers.

For people with allergies, solid wood is an ideal choice as it does not become a home for dust mites, mildew or mould which can all be irritants for people with allergies.  It is relatively easy to clean hardwood floors and keep them free from pet hairs or dust as there is nowhere for dust mites to hide.  Flooring like carpets can be difficult to get completely clean.  Although they may look clean, studies have shown that most carpets are a breeding ground for certain mites.

For families with pets or children, hardwood floors can be a blessing due to the ease with which they can be cleaned.  Spillages can be cleaned instantly without leaving a stain.  And any person who has ever tried to get a red wine stain out of a carpet will understand what the advantages of being able to get rid of these spillages in an instant.

Wooden floors can be given character from the odd scratch or dent but if you really are not happy with scratches, your wooden floor can be sanded down and re varnished to make them as good as new again.

Hard wood floors will add value to your home also if you ever want to sell.  It is a well known fact that they give homes that modern and well kept look that most house buyers prefer.  Research has shown that overall houses with solid wood floors will sell quicker than those with carpets or even laminate as wooden floors provide the warmth that laminate lacks and the cleanliness that a carpet cannot give.