Choosing the Flooring - You may be surprised when you walk into a flooring dealer's showroom. Hardwood flooring comes in all kinds of wood types and colors like wenge, rustic pine, oak, and bamboo. You can also get many different types of hardwood for different needs in your home. For example, solid flooring is a solid wood throughout the piece, a true traditional choice that takes stains well.

Its complete opposite is engineered or laminate flooring, which is several layers of wood pressed together, with the grain facing different directions, to make one piece in either 3 or 5 plies. This wood is sturdier than solid because it is more directionally stable.

Solid flooring is a solid wood throughout the piece. It is sturdier than other types and lends itself to different stains well. Engineered or laminate flooring is not a solid piece of wood. It is several layers of wood pressed together to make one piece in either 3 or 5 plies, or layers, with the grain going in several directions. This kind of wood is great for places that may be exposed to water, such as a bathroom or laundry room. Acrylic impregnated floors is flooring where acrylics are injected into the wood to make an almost concrete-like harness in the wood. This is great for high traffic areas that will get a lot of wear and tear.

If you are looking for flooring that has a beautiful finish, then you may want to choose solid flooring, which is just a solid piece of wood, unlike engineered flooring. Acrylic impregnated flooring is made for high traffic areas that will take a lot of beating. It is a lot harder than the other two options, but may be more expensive.

Cleaning your Flooring - The hardwood floors of today are snap to clean thanks to new technology in stains and finishes. Gone are the days of the kid gloves. Hardwood flooring can be put in any part of the home, even high-traffic areas, and still be easy to take care of.

For the most part, hardwood flooring only needs to be swept or vacuumed regularly. Then, once a week or so, the wood needs to be mopped with a wood floor cleaning product recommended by the manufacturer of the flooring. Hardwood flooring should not be wet mopped because standing water can cause discoloration in the wood.

Never use any kind of vinyl cleaner on hardwood, it may permanently ruin the finish. The floor will need to be buffed and re-waxed periodically throughout the year. Many carpet and drapery cleaning services also offer this service as well.