| By :
Nick Messe
Hardwood is clearly the best choice if you want attractive flooring that will potentially last a lifetime. Its biggest disadvantage would be the cost. However, installing hardwood flooring is also a great way to add value to your home. The visual beauty of hardwood flooring is undeniable, but is it easy to care for? It can be. Cleaning of hardwood flooring is relatively simple, requiring only regular sweeping or vacuuming and mopping. When cleaning laminate floor surfaces, you will need a special laminate cleaning solution available at hardware stores. Use a soft rag or mop to distribute the cleaner. You can also use area rugs to protect high-traffic areas of your laminate flooring. If you are thinking in terms of restoring shine, then hardwood is easier to care for than laminate. Every 15 years or so, you would sand and refinish your hardwood floors for that like-new finish. It is a time consuming and sometimes messy process, but you won't have to rip out the hardwood and install it all over again, as with laminate floors. Special care must be taken in maintaining laminate flooring. For one thing, laminate scratches rather easily, so you should cover the legs of your tables and chairs with little felt pads. Any spills onto a hardwood floor should be immediately removed. Hardwood is affected by prolonged exposure to dampness, and the floors can expand and even warp over time due to this. Laminate floors are similar to hardwood in this regard, and spills on laminate must be cleaned quickly so the liquid doesn't seep into the cracks and cause irreparable damage. If you are wanting to put hardwood flooring in your kitchen, try choosing a distressed pattern in this high traffic room. The design will cleverly disguise any scratches or dents from dropped items. Also, moisture will be a factor on wood kitchen floors. Again, area rugs will help absorb moisture near all water sources in the kitchen. If the unthinkable should happen, and water damage occurs in the kitchen, the most easily repaired hardwood floor would have been nailed to the wooden sub floor underneath. When choosing laminate flooring for your kitchen, you will find that regular mopping maintains the clean and shiny appearance. Just be very careful not to allow any water or spillage to seep in between the joints, as that will cause swelling. For best results, get the best quality laminate flooring possible for your kitchen. Be sure to install a vapor barrier under the laminate to prevent moisture from below as well. Traditional hardwood flooring in your open floor plan can be very elegant and make your home appear warm, inviting and airy. When hardwood or laminate flooring flows continuously throughout your home, it can make the space look larger. Your entry way and hallways can be enhanced with the addition of hardwood and the strategic placement of rugs. Perhaps a oriental runner would be just the right touch for the entrance hall. Your dining room would look outstanding with a large oriental rug under the dining room table. The rug serves the dual purpose of added beauty and protection for the area around the busy dining area. If you choose to install hardwood or laminate flooring in your mud room, do use large protective floor mats to protect the floor's surface from moisture that gets tracked in from outdoors. Stock the mud room with towels for drying off pets and generally cleaning up on wet weather days. This will ensure that your laminate or hardwood flooring looks new for as long as possible.
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