Are hardwood floors a good investment and how hard are they to maintain?

Question

I am putting some wood floors in my new home and was wondering about maintenance and how people like them who have it in their own homes.

Answer 1

I just tried cleaning my hardwood floors with a spray bottle of white vinegar and water and I'll never buy another cleaner for my floors! It is incredible. The other cleaners just make the floor seem sticky and not really clean. The hardwood is great and in my opinion easier to maintain than carpet!!

Answer 2

Hardwood floors are an excellent investment and will almost always increase the value of your home. They are not difficult to maintain, however they do require some care to prevent things such as water damage or scratches. They can generally be kept clean by using a simple dust mop and a very mild cleaner designed for hardwood. Swiffer makes a very good and it is very easy to use.

Answer 3

Hardwoods are definitely a good investment from a re-sale perspective. They work great for people that have allergies and are very easy to clean with a Swiffer or just a damp mop. Be advised that they can scratch if you have dogs and high heels can leave dent marks. Engineered (sandwiched) hardwoods are pre-finished and cheapest. Solid 3/4 inch are more expensive but worth it. Check out Lumber Liquidators and see if they are in your area. They seem to have much better prices over Home Depot.

Answer 4

My mom and dad bought a house that has beautiful hardwood floors. The house was new when they bought it and is about 40 years old now. The floors are still beautiful.
All we ever did was sweep to clean the floors. Dry mop any spills up immediately. Do not ever mop with water. I think hardwood floors are beautiful and would make a good investment.

Answer 5

Hardwood floors are a very good investment for your home. They are easy to maintain. Check you yellow pages for a hardwood flooring distributor and get yourself a Bona hardwood cleaning kit to take care of your floors. They will last forever. Never mop with water, water & wood do not mix.

Answer 6

Hardwood and ceramic are the only surfaces that will raise the resale value of your home. Per-finshed hardwood is the easiest to install and maintain. The finish on these floor is stronger than their on-site finished counter parts.
Maintenance is easy, just dry dust rountinly with cotton, terry-cloth, or micrfiber mops. (easy to find at home improvement stores)
Please, please, DO NOT use the Swifer Dry pads on your pre-finished hardwood. Pre-finished floors use Aluminum oxide in the finish to protect against scratches. The static charge in the dry pad will react over time with the aluminum oxide, causing a haze on the floor that you can only get rid of by sanding and re-finishing the floor.

Answer 7

For resale value hardwood floors are an exceptional value. I keep mine clean with a Swiffer dry mop during the week and on my big cleaning day I use Murphy Oil Soap, especially made for wood, and a damp, not wet, mop. I've had them 3 years and they look like new.

Answer 8

I think it is a good investment. I took out my carpet and put in laminate wood floors and am glad that i did. carpet traps smells and dirt, with the wood floors i use a dust mop along with a little floor cleaner and it looks great. Laminate looks good but real wood looks even better either way its better than carpet.

Answer 9

I love hardwoods and if I really had my way, the carpets would be gone and hardwoods would be in all my rooms. The maintenance is so much easier. I swiffer them daily and wash weekly and they always look beautiful.

Answer 10

If you install them yourself, they are an excellent investment.