Hardwood floors are a timeless treasure. They can add beauty, character and value to any room of the house.

Traditionally, the living room and dining room were the areas of a home where you'd most often find hardwood floors. But as hardwood has become more available and versatile, and homeowners have become more creative about home improvements, hardwood floors are popping up in rooms all over the house where you'd usually find carpet. Carpet stains easily, wears out and ends up in a landfill at the end of its life while hardwood flooring is timeless and versatile.

"With so many options available to homeowners these days, you could put a hardwood floor in any room of the home," says Tom Sullivan, founder and chairman of Lumber Liquidators. "From solid hardwood, bamboo and cork, to engineered and laminate, you can install these floors in rooms where you might traditionally find carpet or tile."

But before you go installing a hardwood floor in your basement or bathroom, make sure that the surface is appropriate for the location.

Solid Hardwood
Solid hardwood floors are known for their beauty and durability, making them perfect for any room of the home and a much more attractive choice than carpet. Because solid hardwood can be re-sanded over and over, it can last for 100 years, much longer than any carpeted floor. Plus, solid hardwood is easy to clean and maintain, making it a good flooring choice for allergy sufferers.

Enjoyable Engineered
Engineered hardwood floors make an excellent choice over concrete sub-floors, radiant heat or areas with high moisture. Engineered hardwood floors are usually offered in glue-down or nail-down and handscraped/antique options. Engineered hardwood flooring is produced by adhering a layer of real hardwood to a plywood backing or MDF. Since it is bonded together, this type of flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity, making it perfect for areas with high moisture such as bathrooms and basements.

Beautiful Bamboo
Bamboo floors are also excellent choices for high-moisture areas like the bathroom or basement. When shopping for bamboo floors, look for solid bamboo that has also been engineered, giving it a very high-stability rating in a natural product; thus, it doesn't move a lot, which is important in high moisture areas like a bathroom. Many bamboo options, such as Morning Star Bamboo Flooring available at Lumber Liquidators, are finished on both sides, sealing it from moisture.

Celebrate Cork
Cork is also a great choice for bathrooms and basements because it has a natural resistance to mold and deals well in high-moisture areas. Cork flooring combines the beauty of a natural material with the comfort of a cushioned surface.

Livable Laminate
If you want to install the look of hardwood flooring in high-traffic areas of your home like an indoor porch or a child's playroom, laminate is an excellent choice because of its low-maintenance and durability. Plus, it is also nice for the homeowner on a budget as these floors mimic the look of hardwood at a lower price.

Because there are so many options available to homeowners these days, hardwood floors do not have to be restricted to just one or two rooms or the home. Any room can have a hardwood floor. Homeowners just need to know the room conditions and how much traffic the floor will receive before they install.

Source : LumberLiquidators