Quote Originally Posted by sellersm View Post
My opinion is that if you've got kids and/or pets, then they're a necessity! We love ours. They can be a bit colder (obviously) than carpet, but all the other benefits really offset that little nit-pick.

Easier to clean, maintain, look better (imho), seem to increase resale/value (especially if real hardwood, that's what we have)...
You nailed it! all the benefits of HW floor. I would add one more: it's better for allergies to have HW floor than carpet. I had mine coated with a commercail grade finish 10 years ago, and even with 2 kids and a dog they still look new.