10 hardwood benefits that sell

I The value of hardwood can be I measured in dollars as well as aesthetics. "The addition of a hardwood floor to the average bedroom, den, living K)om or dining room can add $3,000 to $5,000 to Oe resale value of tbe home," estimates Bonnie Holmes, executive director of tbe National Wood Flooring Association. "This added value represents the cost of the materials and installation plus an additional 20-30Vo."

mal, rustic, country or contemporary. Designers consider floors, ceilings, woodwork and cabinets of hardwood as unifying factors to tie spaces together and provide visual flowthrough.

/ Hardwoods are an excellent way rtto update a home. Hardwood baseboards, chair rails and ceiling crowns add distinction to an older in the mid 1600s, this structure still has its original parquet floor. More recently, after 15,000 people went through "The Busy Woman's Dream House" in Conyers, Ga., a simple buffing restored the new look of the hardwood flmn. fr]f Hardwood is easy to maintain. / Once or twice a vear hardwood moulding and rim sbbuld be washed with oil soap to restore luster to the finish and protect the wood, experts advise. Hardwood floors clean easilv with a dust mop.

4( Hardwood resists damage, but is lleasily repaired if it occurs. Scratches can be sanded out \Pith a fine grade paper and restained with a matching color finish. Extensive damage can be replaced with a matching pattern and stain.

(l Hardwood stands the test of time. (D"It's a natural material that is grown It's not something synthetic that began artificial and will always be artificial. The quality perseveres," says Antonio Torrice, co-director of Living and Learning Environments.

Story at a Glance

How to sell customers on hardwood emphasizing upgrading a home, increasing its worth, durablllty and attractiveness environmentalsoundess.

HARDWOOD cabinets and ffooring give a dealer the advantage of being able to sell quality and lasting value. Hardwoods ate excellent producls for bolh new homes and remodeling projects.

zf Hardwood has excellent insulating .Svalues and is warm to the touch. 'Wood is the warmest of the natural materials," architects explain, "Your eyes perceive the wamrth as well."

I Hardwoods are versatile and blend r,twith anv interior - infonnal. for- home, lifting it above the ordinary with a custom appeiuance. Hardwood kitchen cabines and built-ins modernize aging homes.

( Hardwood has substance and an r)abilitv to withstand use. Its durability is well proven in the palace of Versailles, near Paris, France. Built

(l hardwood today than in 1945 and grows twice as much as it harvests each year.

Hardwood is readily available. TMittwork, paneling, flooring and dimension lumber for built-ins are usually in stock. Cabinets are readily ordered. Many items such as hardwood closet organizers can be bought off the shelf.