While many new homeowners use carpet as their choice of flooring there are many other options - some of which are healthier. While carpets do have visual appeal, the fibres actually create dust in the home, as well as holding pet hairs, dander, dirt and dust that springs from normal living. This dust is mostly unseen, so residents cannot understand why they seem to get allergies.
Harder floor surfaces such as timber and tile give an area that is not only easy to keep clean, but does not hold dust or dirt. Both these floor surfaces are hardwearing, easy to care for and look good. They may be considered cold compared to carpets in some areas.
Vinyl is an easy-care solution to many flooring needs, being easy to wash - and today's advances mean it does not have to be polished, a consideration for time-poor people. Vinyl comes in a great range of finishes and styles to resemble other surfaces such as marble and granite.
Bamboo is another earth-friendly option that actually exceeds timber in durability and hardwearing qualities. It can be purchased as pre-finished or unfinished and is installed just like tongued and grooved flooring. Its popularity is increasing due to many good qualities, not least of which is its pale colour, impossible to replicate with ordinary timber flooring.
