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Advantages of Hardwood In the last 100 years, one thing has not change - hardwood is the classic flooring of choice in fine homes.
Beautiful
Hardwood comes in a vast array of species, from the rustic and traditional to the contemporary and exotic. All are naturally
beautiful, adding warmth and ambiance to any room.
Strong and Durable
Premium quality hardwoods that are kiln-dried,
manufactured, installed and finished to exacting standards will last a
lifetime.
Versitile
Hardwood floors can be installed virtually anywhere - at, above or below ground level.
Easy to Install
Quality hardwood floors are precision engineered to
ensure a uniform and stable fit whether you glue, staple, nail, or
float your installation.
Low Maintenance
All Solas LLC finishes are easy to maintain and
deliver long-term protection against normal wear and scuffs.
Hardwood flooring just feels better
The biggest deciding factor for most people that have selected real
hardwood flooring is the feeling of warmth and comfort it can give a
room and really make it feel like a home. Solid hardwood flooring has
a natural warmth and beauty that just can't be beat with modern
manufactured alternatives.
Hardwood flooring is a higher quality look
Solid hardwood flooring can give a room an expensive and high quality
finish that is normally associated with high-end establishments and
designer homes. Real hardwood floors exhibit a lasting quality
impression of permanence.
Hardwood floors are a good investment
Installing hardwood flooring in your house is a long-term investment
in your property that will hold its value, or even increase your homes
resale value, exceeding the initial installation cost of the floors.
Real estate agents and real estate investors have often use this
strategy to increase their return on investment with houses they
purchase, fix up, and resell for a profit.
Better acoustics
Properly installed hardwood floors have better acoustic properties
that laminate flooring and when walked upon give of a sound of lasting
permanence.
In contrast, laminate flooring creates a loud "hollow" sound with foot
traffic. Even with the use of heavy sound barrier foam layers, most
laminate flooring installations will still give off a muffled hollow
sound with use. In many apartment buildings and condominiums laminate
flooring cannot be installed due to the sound pollution problems it
creates for neighboring units. If you live in a condominium it is wise
to review your building rules and bylaws before purchasing any
flooring products.
Healthy indoor air quality
Hardwood flooring is a healthy flooring choice for interior living
environments. There are much lower levels of chemical emissions from
natural wood products. In addition, hardwood floors do not accumulate
and trap dust, particulates and allergens that commonly occur with
carpets. Hardwood floors are also a good flooring solution for
individuals that have allergies or asthma conditions—and allergists
will often recommend to their patients that they remove any carpeting
in the home to help lower irritant exposures.
Timber is healthy too, a house with wooden floors and rugs contain
only a tenth of the dust found in a carpeted home. In Europe, wood
floors are laid in children's rooms and bedrooms first, then in living
rooms and lastly in hallways. This approach is reversed here in the
US and we also have a much higher rate of asthma than in Europe. Not
surprisingly, given that it's the most common trigger is the dust
mite, and around 100,000 of these lurk in every square meter of carpet
Easy to clean
Hardwood floors are simple to clean and cannot accumulate a large
buildup of dirt and debris that some other flooring solutions can
often hide. Weekly vacuuming of particulates and wiping with a damp
mop are all that is needed to keep most hardwood floors shining. If
you have small children, pets or lots of visitors, you don't need to
worry about spills on your floors anymore—simply wipe it up with a
cloth. No need for cleaning chemicals, carpet shampooing, or
replacement carpets.
Hardwood is more economical over the long term
If you consider your flooring costs over a 30 yr period (perhaps the
life of an average hardwood floor), you may actually save up to 40% or
more when compared to alternate flooring choices. Of course you'll
need a few refinishing sanding and finish coats over the years, but
when you consider the fact that carpets and vinyl will need to be
replaced at least 3 or 4 times, the long run costs of hardwood
flooring start to look very economical. When you consider the fact
that hardwood floors cost about the same as a high quality carpet
installation, it often becomes an easy decision to make for long term
homeowners.
Endless design possibilities
The variety of species and colors available in natural hardwood
flooring is vast and can suit almost any interior design palette and
has an uncanny ability to tie together different rooms in a house.
Hardwoods seem to have a timeless quality about them and will never go
out of style. These floors have been used in castles, churches and
private estates for hundreds of years in Europe and still continue to
perform well in all types of interior design styles, including
contemporary and modern designs.
Structural support and insulation qualities
Solid hardwood flooring adds structural strength to a homes
construction and can also provide high insulation properties compared
to a lot of other flooring options
Solas LLC
Phone: (503) 349-0750
Free Estimates
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