Carpeting is a lot less popular these days, as more and more people replace their carpeted floors with wood. People are realizing that carpet is hard to clean, tends to hold allergens, and can mildew or grow mold. Carpet must also be replaced periodically. Comparatively, wood flooring is simple to clean, hypoallergenic, and lasts the life of your home. It's no wonder more and more people are changing to wood for their floors.

Once upon a time, wood flooring meant only one option. Now, however, you have two major choices. They both have their own advantages and disadvantages. Here's some information about the basic types of wood flooring.

There's laminate flooring ? made of a pressed wood product and covered in a thin laminate. This flooring is inexpensive, and simple to install. Laminate flooring costs between $1.99 per square foot and $5.00 per square foot. Laminate flooring can easily be installed over existing floors. You can probably even install laminate flooring yourself, since only one special too, a chop saw, is required. This tool can be easily rented for a small charge, allowing you to install an average sized-floor in a single day.

Disadvantages of laminate floors include the fact that they do not tolerate moisture well, and scratch easily. Since the hardwood is only a thin veneer on the surface, it can buckle if it gets wet, and can easily be scratched through. If either of these things happen on a laminate floor, the affected area has to be replaced.

The other choice in wood floors is traditional solid wood. This kind of floor can be purchased either prefinished or unfinished. If you're hoping to replace a floor in a home that you're already living in, prefinished floors will prevent you from having to live with dust from sanding and fumes from finish materials. You also won't have to wait for the finish to try. Solid floors are more durable than laminate flooring, which means that they last longer, but also are harder to install. Each piece must be nailed in place with a special tool. This tool can also be easily rented.

If you've installed an unfinished hardwood floor, you'll need to use a floor sander to even it out. This generally involves using a wide belt sander in the center of the floor, and a smaller sander around the edges. Then, you can stain the floor if desired, and finish it with a clear urethane. Advantages of a solid wood floor include durability, and the ability to refinish damaged areas without replacing the floor. Disadvantages include cost and more time required for installation.