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 room or dining room can add $3,000 to $5,000 to the resale value of the home," estimates Bonnie Holmes, executive director of the National Wood Flooring Association. "This added value represents the cost of the materials and installation plus an additional 20-30Vo."

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

,{Hardwoods zue an excellent way -?to 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 floors. l/ Hardwood is easy to maintain. / Once or twice a year hardwood moulding and rim shbuld 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 lfeasily repaired ifit occurs. Scratches can be sanded out with 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. O"It's a natural material that is grown It's not something synthetic that began artificial and will always be artificial. The quality persevetres," 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, durability and attractiven€ss ... environmental soundess.

HARDWOOD cabinets and flooring give a dealer lhe advantage of being able to sell quality and lasting value. Hardwoods are excellent produc{s for bolh new homes and remodeling projecls'.

;) Hardwood has excellent insulating lvalues and is warm to tle touch.

'Wood is the warmest of the natural materials," architects explain, "Your eyes perceive the wannth as well."

Hardwoods are versatile and blend with any interior - informal, for- home, lifting it above the ordinary with a custom appearance. Hardwood kirchen cabinets 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 l0*3;tHlu.'il hardwood today than in 1945 and grows twice as much as it harvests each year.

(l Hardwood is readily available. -ZMillwork, 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.