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Old 05-13-2007, 09:02 PM
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michika michika is offline
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I would say go for hardwood. I have oak hardwood from the 50s, the small 1" slats through all of the first two floors of my house, and from what I've put it through it holds up really well.

They hold up quite well if you clean up a saltwater related spill immediately they do warp if the water isn't cleaned up/dried quickly. The warping I see is only the edges of the boards where the sealant has worn off. If you do go for hardwood invest in a fan you can direct at your floor in case of spills.

I have two dogs, and they haven't managed to damage our floor yet. I just make sure that their nails get cliped regularly and that I file them down a bit after to prevent sharp edges.

As for kids I can't comment, but I'm pretty rough with my floors; moving furniture around, dropping stuff, etc. If your worried about child-related damage consider putting down a nice rug with underlay in their primary play area to prevent damage/stains.

If you opt for underfloor heating, you won't regret it. My parents have it in their bathroom, and its a nice refreshing change from cold hardwood in the winter. They went with the above mentioned heating mats under 1ftx1ft tiles. I haven't heard any complaints, and according to my mother it hasn't caused any damaged to their heating costs.
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