As the New Year begins we are all thinking about renewal. Now is the time to spring clean and change your home. And what could be better than a new floor. A new floor adds value to your house and transforms ugly old rooms into clean new spaces.

But why choose a wooden floor over a new carpet or other floor covering?

A carpet is a great way to cover your floor and makes a nice, soft covering to walk on. It is also relatively cheap to buy and install. Carpets however have a downside too. They cling to dust even after vacuuming. Carpets have been found to store dust and with the dust there are also hidden dust mites. Dust mites live in all kinds of places from bed sheets to sofas to rugs- most of these can be cleaned at hot temperatures to destroy the mites. Carpets however are a different story. Along with dust mites comes the fact that many people suffer from allergies. Dust mites are the cause of many allergies. So having a carpet installed can in fact be a bit of a health hazard if you are sensitive to dust.

So you have ruled out carpets as a floor covering so what else is there that can transform your home?

You could have lino flooring installed. This is not a cheap way of flooring your home but it is definitely hygienic. Lino can be washed and therefore there is no chance of it harbouring dust mites. It is a little bit clinical as a floor covering but it won’t make your home warm and welcoming.

So you have ruled out carpet and lino – that leaves a wooden floor as the next option.

A wooden floor is a great way to transform your home. It instantly adds warmth with just the tone of the wood. It is also hygienic and will not harbour dust mites and is still relatively easy to clean- a quick polish and it is as good as new. You may think a wooden floor is boring – but there are many different shades and grades of wood to choose from. You can have a pale ash or a dark oak; you can have a fine grain or something with amazing patterns on. In fact wooden floors are so diverse that you are bound to find one that suits you.