Some quick reasons why you should choose real wood:

• Natural, warm, authentic color.

• Simple, yet decorative for any room in the house.

• Rugged, yet charming.

• Durable, yet easy to care for.

• Beauty that's hard to tire of.

• Lifetime guarantee.

• Adds real value to a home.

Wood vs. Carpet

Carpeting is more economical, right? Actually, carpeting lasts between seven and ten years under normal residential use. Hardwood floors can last a lifetime and are always in style. Here's a 30-year comparison test you can use when trying to decide between carpeting or wood flooring. Say you installed a hardwood floor. It would typically last for 30 years. During that same period you probably would have to install new carpeting four or five times. At that rate, the hardwood flooring actually costs less than the cumulative cost of all the carpeting you would have to install.

Another thing you need to consider is the cleanliness of your home. A large company that recycles old carpeting has stated that most used carpeting it receives for processing contains at least 35% of its weight in household dirt. The families who owned this old carpeting were actually walking, or crawling on dirt. Hardwood flooring is simply cleaner. If it is dirty, the dirt is plainly visible to the eye, not hidden within carpet fibers. Hardwood flooring may be your best buy and most solid investment.