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While many people still prefer carpeting or stone flooring, you cannot deny that wood floors offer something very special. The wood creates a warm, rich appearance. Best of all, you will find that your new hardwood floor works exceptionally well with any room and any décor. For this reason, you see people choosing hardwood for contemporary homes, country homes, traditional homes, and everything in between.
Let us say you wanted to add a hardwood floor to your kitchen or family room. In this case, you will find the flooring looks sensational. However, we suggest you avoid bleached or dark wood floors since they tend to show wear and tear more than other types of hardwood flooring. For these areas, you want a type of wood that can handle high traffic. A hardwood floor for these rooms of the home should also have the ability to resist stain, resist scratches, and reject water and food. For your kitchen, you want the hardwood floor to be lightly sanded and recoated about every six to eighteen months. The exact time would depend on the amount of traffic the floor sees. Just make sure you choose a finish that is made specifically for the type of wood floor you have. In either case, you can keep your hardwood floor looking new by keeping it on a regular cleaning schedule. Then, a hardwood floor in a dining room or formal living room will add elegance and sophistication. Typically, you would choose darker wood for these rooms due to the level of formality. To make a dramatic statement, you would easily use Persian or Oriental area rugs with the hardwood floor. Another beautiful option is to create a unique look by combining both light and dark colors of wood. With this, you have something different from any other dining room with a hardwood floor. You can even use a hardwood floor in a bathroom. Now, because bathrooms have high levels of moisture, there are some special considerations. For instance, you might not want to put hardwood down in a family bathroom used every day. On the other hand, if you have a guest bathroom that is used only on occasion, the hardwood floor would work. In addition, instead of wood, you might consider laminate wood flooring. Finally, a hardwood floor is a great addition to a home office and bedrooms. Enhanced with throw rugs, the floor can completely transform the appearance of any room. For the office, most people go with a darker colored floor whereas the bedroom tends to be somewhat lighter. Regardless of your choice for your hardwood floor, be sure you use furniture pads on the bottom of bed and table legs to protect the floor. |
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