helps sell hardwoods

II /HAT'S the best material for my

Y Y new foyer floor? What type of cabinets will give me the look I want, and stand up to heavy use? Which materials increase the resale value of my home? What floor covering will be best for my child's allergies?

The answers to such questions help homeowners in purchasing hardwoods for designing or remodeling their homes. Just as important, your answers can lead customers to upgrade purchases of high-quality cabinetry, flooring, millwork, paneling and other products that mean increased profitability, along with a higher degree of customer satisfaction.

Few materials have enjoyed the sustained popularity of such North American hardwoods as oak, walnut, cherry, maple, hickory, alder, ash and poplar. And few materials offer as many clear-cut benefits, which you can list with confidence.

Here are some typical questions, along with the hardwood facts you need to answer them.

What is the best hardwood species for floors?

A O* is the most frequent choice for floors, but ash, beech, maple, walnut and cherry are also popular flooring species. Flooring is available in strips, planks or parquet, and can be custom-made, often combining several species, to create one-of-a-kind floors in any room of the home.

Homeowners can select prefinished flooring products, which require less labor to install, or unfinished flooring that can be stained or painted. Both offer builders and their customers a wide selection of styles, widths, grain patterns and colors.

Few materials otfer as many clear-cut benefits.

Hardwood flooring is an option you can recommend with confidence because it provides paybacks to the buyer in an attractive appearance, durability and value. Buyers should understand that a hardwood floor, while costing more initially, will last the lifetime of any home, while carpeting, vinyl and tile will eventually have to be replaced, perhaps several times. Hardwood flooring also requires relatively little maintenance, and can be refinished to match changing decor schemes. Equally important, hardwood floors are a key selling point, enhancing a home's resale value.

Q Wf,u, about cabinets, mouldings and other products?

A g*d*ood cabinetry is available in a wide variety of hardwood species and finishes, from transparent stains that showcase the grain pattern to popular pickled and pastel colors. Doors, paneling and decorative mouldings also are available in a wide selection of species and styles.

There is a hardwood species for every budget. For higher-end homes, you can recommend species such as walnut or cherry. Oak, maple, ash and hickory are popular choices for cabinets, flooring and other products among mid-priced home buyers. Poplar, an abundant species, is a costeffective alternative to softwoods and man-made materials.

Emphasize the long-term benefits of hardwood products, so customers understand how an investment in quality hardwood products is returned in greater beauty, durability, repairability, lasting value and quality.

Q e." hardwoods difficult to maintain and keep clean?

A Uod"rn finishes make hardwood products extremely low-maintenance. Penetrating sealers such as polyurethanes make hardwoods highly resistant to moisture, stains and everyday wear and tear. Properly finished hardwood floors, cabinets and mouldings require only regular dusting or vacuuming, and an occasional wipe with a slightly damp cloth or mop. Depending on their finish, these products can be waxed once or twice a year to help bring out their natural beauty and protect them against fingerprints and moisture.

When nicks or scratches occur. most hardwood products can be sanded lightly to even the surface, then refinished to keep them looking new.

Q Cun hardwood flooring be used in the kitchen?

A Hurd*ood flooring is a popular choice for today's kitchen, for good reason. Tough, modern finishes make hardwood floors virtually impervious to spills and foot traffic. A hardwood floor also is easy to maintain, requiring only light dusting, cleaning with a slightly damp mop, and an occasional coat of wax.

Hardwood floors also are more durable and easily repaired than other flooring alternatives. When a homeowner redecorates, the entire floor can be refinished to coordinate perfectly with new cabinets and wallcoverings.

Hardwood flooring is available unfinished, or in a variety of factoryfinished styles. You can team with your customers to create a hardwood kitchen floor in a wide range of species, widths and patterns to match any decor.

Q e." synthetics more sanitary than hardwood products for certain applications, such as kitchen countertops?

A Hardwoods are making a comeback in kitchen countertops and maple is leading the way. In fact, hard maple is the wood of choice for butcher blocks, according to the National Sanitation Association Foundation.

A recent study showed that hardwoods such as maple, the most popular countertop material, actually kill bacteria. Butcher block countertops can be sealed with oil to protect the wood from moisture and provide stain resistance. Other research shows that hardwood flooring offers distinct health benefits, because there are no "hiding places" to trap dust, mites or bacteria. That's one reason why hardwoods are preferred by homeowners who suffer from allergies and respiratory health problems.

Q Cun we use hardwood products in the bathroom?

A Moir,u."-resistant finishes, such as polyurethane, make hardwood bath vanities, cabinets, flooring, paneling and moulding attractive, easy-to-maintain alternatives to tile, wallpaper and other man-made substitutes. Hardwoods also offer unlimited decorating possibilities, from modern styling and lighter finishes that provide a bright, open look, to classical, more elegant profiles in darker finishes.

Q Ho* easy is it to change the "look" of hardwood products?

A

A One of the biggest advantages of hardwood products is that they are "recyclable." They can be refinished repeatedly over their lifetimes by stripping away the old finish, and restaining or repainting the wood to match changing tastes and decorating schemes.

Q er"n', hardwoods expensive?

A ml,iutty, hardwoods can cost more than other products. But you should stress to your customers that hardwoods are a long-term investment in the quality, performance and value of their new home. Compared to manmade substitutes, hardwoods provide lasting value through their natural beauty, durability, easy maintenance and repairability-the hardwood floors, doors and mouldings in thousands of historic homes, many of them several centuries old. are testimony to hardwood' s longevity and strength.

Equally important, the addition of hardwood kitchen cabinets, flooring, crown mouldings and other finishings adds thousands of dollars to the resale value of a home and attract buyers to provide a faster sale.

More abundant hardwood species such as oak and poplar are priced competitively with other substitutes, providing builders and home buyers with a cost-efficient way to add the beauty, durability and value of hardwoods to a new home.

Will hardwood products affect the environment?

A

A U.S. hardwood forests have been among our best-managed natural resources for decades. Since 1955. the volume of hardwoods growing in the United States has increased by 7O7o.

Thanks to modern forestry techniques such as sustained yield management, the U.S. grows about 4070 more hardwood than is harvested each year, and current projections show we will have '707o more hardwoods available for harvest by the year 2040. Thanks to responsible forest management by hardwood producers, many of them small business owners. hardwoods are truly a renewing natural resource that are increasing in abundance and will continue to be here for future generations to enjoy.

In terms of energy efficiency, it takes far less energy to manufacture hardwood products than to create synthetic doors, mouldings, cabinets, countertops and flooring. Also, hardwood products, since they are made of natural materials, can be refinished to add years of use. When hardwood cabinets, doors, paneling or other products reach the end of their useful life, they can be recycled into other wood products.