When creating a play space for children, an important decision is the type of floor you put down. Firstly you need to think about whether you would like carpet or wooden flooring.

Good quality wooden or laminate flooring can last for decades. Carpets usually need to be replaced every five years, due to stains, holes from everyday wear and tear. Wooden or laminate flooring require very little maintenance and can even look better with age.

During play kids are constantly picking things up and putting them in their mouths, so keeping the play zone clean and bacteria free is paramount. Wood floors are easier to clean than carpets. A small broom or light vacuum can keep your hard floor looking great. Children running round the house with dirty wellington boots and muck caused by family pets can be removed in no time with a damp mop. A carpet stain can require large amounts of elbow grease and expensive sprays.

Carpets trap smells from things that have been spilt and unpleasant odours from family pets. The aroma from a polished wooden or laminate floor is beautiful and will make your home feel more inviting.

A carpet is the perfect breeding ground for bugs and parasites. They thrive in warm and humid conditions, because they feed on skin scales, they love bedding, carpets, upholstered furniture, clothing, closets and car seats. They usually survive ordinary vacuuming because they burrow deep and are equipped with sucking pads on their feet. One square metre of carpet can contain up to 100,000 dust mites.

If your children suffer from asthma, eczema or allergies, their symptoms will improve from the installation of wooden floors, as the numbers of dust mites and dust particles are reduced.

Stone and tile floors are as hygienic and easy maintain as wood but do have the same warmth as wood or laminate floor. Children are less likely to play on the floor if it is cold to the touch.

Wooden or laminate flooring gives you the option of under floor heating for your play space. This method of heating is considered one the most efficient ways of heating your home, so it is something well worth looking into.

If after a few years you find your wood or laminate flooring has been scratched or damaged, the damaged panel can be easily replaced.

The cheapest floor surfaces are made of PVC also known as vinyl, but these are made of toxic substances. Some research has suggested that softeners in the PVC itself may make the symptoms asthma sufferers worse.

One of the most important advantages of a hardwood floor, is the timeless appeal that wood has. Carpet, linoleum and tile patterns and colours definitely go in and out of fashion, but appeal of wood has lasted centuries and is more popular now than ever.

Wood was always considered only available to the very wealthy. Modern production methods have now meant that some types of flooring can be produced cheaply, making wood and laminate floors available to suit all budgets.

Author Bio: UK Flooring distributor Floors Online supply a range of laminate flooring, wood floors, solid wood floors, engineered wood floors and vinyl flooring products. Contacts For information, sales and advice on flooring solutions, contact Floors Online 0800 731 2374 / 01827 283 184 www.floorsonline.co.uk

Category: Home Management
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