Hardwood Floors – The Healthy Alternative

It took Carl a while to notice that he wasn’t coughing. In the old house, every day began with a bout of hacking and sneezing Carl thought it was just him getting old. Then Carl and his wife moved into their new home. It was smaller, since the kids were grown. His wife wanted hardwood floors in every room. She got her wish.

“I wanted that warm look that you get from wood,” she says. “And I wanted the value that hardwood floors add to a home. I just never imagined that it was good for our health, too.” But it was. When Carl realized that he wasn’t coughing any more he also realized that the morning coughing had quit when they moved into the new house. The American Lung Association could have told him.

The condition of indoor air poses a problem for one in six people, according to the Association. Small children and older adults are the ones most at risk. Many homeowners, like Carl, do not realize that the houses they live in might be causing them to be sick. That’s a big deal because most of us spend 95 percent of our time indoors. And two thirds of that time is spent in our own home.

The Lung Association has sponsored demonstration houses, called “Health Houses,” like the one located in Ridgefield, Minnesota. The homes have some expensive features to improve air quality and make the home healthier. Health House uses sophisticated ventilation, filtration, and moisture control technology to make the indoor air as clean as possible. But, according to Bob Moffit, communications manager for the Health House program, some of the solutions are the simplest.

He names polished hardwood flooring as one of the simple ones. Health Houses use hardwood floors instead of carpets. There are a few simple reasons. One is that hardwood floors don’t trap allergens, chemicals, and dander the way that carpets do. If you’ve got carpet on the floor, you’ve probably got something in that carpet that’s having a negative effect on your home’s air quality.

Dr. Clifford Bassett is Vice Chairman of the Public Education Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. You may have seen him on television where he’s a frequent guest expert. Dr. Bassett is very clear about the advantages of hardwood. “Bacteria, dust and dirt do not become embedded in wood flooring as they do in carpeting. Hardwood floors trap far less pollen, mites and mold than many flooring alternatives, and they do not harbor animal dander.”

Plus, hardwood floors are simply easier to clean when you want to get rid of that same dirt and allergens. If you’ve ever spent time on your hands and knees trying to get stain or dirt out of carpeting with a brush, you’ll appreciate just how easy it is to get the same stuff off your hardwood floor.

Here’s the bottom line. Hardwood floors don’t just look better than carpet. They don’t just add more value to your home. Hardwood floors also help you keep your indoor environment healthy. It’s quite a deal.