Hardwood flooring adds a beautiful and natural touch to any home. Hardwood flooring, when properly installed, will definitely increase your home and resale value. Hardwood flooring is more durable and will last longer than any other type of hard surface, including ceramic tile. Hardwood can be installed virtually anywhere in your home except perhaps areas that are subject to moisture such as a bathroom.

Hardwood flooring, depending on the finish, is virtually maintenance free. Hardwood can be kept looking brand new by sweeping or vacuuming as needed. You may occasionally need to spot clean heavier traffic areas a little more often, but generally speaking, it will be the easiest floor in your home to care for. Be sure and follow the manufacturers recommendations on anything beyond these basic cleaning tips.
 

* Solid Construction - Planks are cut from a solid block of wood. They are then processed into flooring with a general thickness of 3/4 inch. A tongue and groove is added and the pieces are then cut in varying lengths. Because of the tendency of solid products being more sensitive to moisture and humidity, this type of flooring should not be installed below-grade.
 

* Engineered Construction - Several thin sheets (3 to 5 ply's) of wood are laminated together and each layer (ply) is applied in the opposite direction of the one before it. This reversing of grain adds stability to the overall product, for hardwood tends to expand and contract depending on moisture levels. This type of flooring construction is the most dimensionally stable available today.

Hardwood Flooring Trends: Hardwood floors are one of the most beautiful flooring options out there. You can’t go wrong with the warmth and elegance brought to your home with wood. Nearly any kind of wood can be used as hardwood flooring. However, there are a few trends in hardwood floors and the three most popular trends include Cypress floors, Hickory floors and hand-scraped hardwood flooring.