I can't stand carpets anymore. I know a nice shag pile can make a room look just great, and warm too. There also the added benefit of the feel of a good carpet beneath the feet. However, when we took our last carpet up, what I saw underneath disgusted me, and I vowed never to have carpet in the main living room ever again. Although the 4 year old carpet was vacuumed regularly and well maintained overall, I had no idea just what a filthy fabric carpet could actually be. There were stains all over the underlay revealing years of spilt drinks and pet pee. The dust and dirt that the vacuuming obviously hadnt sucked up was very evident when we dragged it outside and threw it into the skip for dumping.

The hygiene issue was not a consideration when we decided to put hardwood floors in our downstairs rooms, but once we saw the old carpets being taken up, I was very happy with our decision to go for wood flooring.

When you think about it, floors have to take all the knocks of daily living, and therefore, floor types should be considered carefully when planning the dcor and layout of a new room. Floors get walked over, have heavy items placed on them (sometimes dropped too), and drinks, food, and all manner of other substances spilt onto them, so you can see why its an area that needs consideration.

Wood flooring has become very popular of recent years and particularly hardwoods such as maple and oak. Hardwood floors can provide a very elegant touch to any home. Wood is classy, warm, and fresh, not to mention super hygienic compared to fabrics. If you like a little fabric you can still place a smart rug over your floors. Hardwood floors and a quality rug compliment each other beautifully.

We decided against putting hardwood floors in the kitchen due to all the spills and DIY that goes on in there, but many folks do opt for wood flooring in the cooking area and our friends say that the best choice is with a urethane finish.

The rooms weve gone for are the living room, the dining room, and a parquet finish in the hallway. You really do have to see it to believe it. The house almost has a feeling of nostalgia to it now and I just love opening the doors into any of these fine rooms and admiring the elegant transformation the hardwood has given to our home.

I fully recommended hardwood floors to anyone thinking about replacing their carpets. As soon as were financially able, were going to put a hardwood floor in the master bedroom too. The beauty of wood brings out the very best in any home.