Hardwood and Allergens: Why Hardwood Flooring Creates a Healthier Indoor Environment

Did you know that one in five Americans suffers from allergies or allergy-related asthma symptoms? That's over 62 million people! If you're one of the many people who suffer from the itchy eyes, runny nose, or skin irritations commonly caused by allergies, and you aren't sure what's causing them, you might want to look in an unexpected place: under your feet!

Carpet Traps Allergens
That's right - the source of your allergy woes may be your carpet flooring. Wall-to-wall carpet can be a haven for pet dander, dirt, pollen, and dust mites, which are all known to be linked to the rising rates of allergies in this country. This is especially true of children. Many researchers believe that the best way to prevent allergies in adults is to limit their exposure to allergens as children. Unfortunately, with carpet flooring it is nearly impossible to prevent allergen exposure, as dust mites and their droppings (ew!) are extremely hard to remove, even with regular vacuuming.

So What's a Homeowner to Do?
For the answer to this question, let's turn to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America:

If you are putting in new floors, consider using hardwood, vinyl, linoleum tile, or slate instead of wall-to-wall carpeting. The carpet is an ideal home for dust mites. These tiny insects are one of the worst enemies of people with allergies. Too small to be seen with the naked eye, they live inside carpeting, cushions and bedding. There they excrete waste products that cause allergic symptoms. Bare floors with small, washable area rugs are much easier to keep free of dust mites than carpeting.

Need Some Cushion? Try a Rug!
Area rugs and floor runners are a great way to add the cushion and decorative flair of carpet while minimizing allergy symptoms. Not only can rugs be vacuumed, but they can also be washed, beaten, and even dry cleaned. And unlike carpets, rugs can be easily swapped out to better match a new wall paint color or room design scheme.

Need help finding a new linoleum or hardwood floor to replace your allergen-laden carpet? Call The Fantastic Floor today at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can't wait to help you pick the perfect floor!

The Top 5 Reasons You Should Choose Hardwood Flooring Over Carpet

 

It’s one of the most common choices a homeowner faces when remodeling and existing home or building a new one: “What type of flooring should I choose?” Hardwood and carpet are the two main types of flooring you have to choose from, but which is best for you? We’re a bit biased, we admit, but we still can’t help but chime in: Hardwood! Hardwood! Hardwood!

Now, we’re not just trying to hawk our wares. We honestly believe hardwood flooring is the superior flooring choice over carpet, and for many good reasons. Which reasons, you ask? Good question. Here are our top five reasons hardwood flooring kicks carpet’s butt. Enjoy!

Durability
When it comes to everyday wear-and-tear, hardwood floors will beat out carpeting every time. Carpets require annual steaming to look their best and have to be removed every couple of years. A well cared for hardwood floor can last a lifetime, making it the better long-term investment.

Easier to clean
Spills and stains to carpets are often permanent, and if they’re not, they’re a real pain to remove. With hardwood floors, dust and spills do less damage and are easy to clean up. Sweeping and occasionally mopping with warm water is all you need to keep your hardwood floors looking their best.

Better refinishing
A hardwood floor can be made to look like new by refinishing, sanding, and polishing. Carpets, on the other hand, don’t bounce back quite as well. After a while, in order to make carpeting look good as new, you need … well, a new carpet.

Fewer allergens
Not only do carpets hold onto stains, they also hold onto dirt, germs and allergens, which can really build up and affect your health. This is only made worse if you live with pets. You don’t have to worry about allergen buildup on hardwood floors. Simply sweep or vacuum regularly and you’re good to go.

Prestige and versatility
Hardwood flooring has history on its side. It has been used in homes for hundreds of years, and still maintains its “high end” image and general popularity. It is also extremely versatile and can be matched with several different home décor styles, which is more than you can say about hardwood.

Still not convinced that hardwood flooring is a better choice for your home than carpet? Call one of the flooring professionals at The Fantastic Floor today and let us try to change your mind. You can reach us at 1-888-448-9663, or send us an email at customer.service@fantastic-floor.com. We can’t wait to help you pick the perfect (hardwood) floor!