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Decided to get rid of your old carpet and have wood flooring fitted? You'll be joining the thousands of other households doing away with their outdated carpets and replacing them with solid or engineered wood floors.

Wood flooring can be a stylish addition to any home and it helps create a sense of grandeur and elegance. There are three finishes to choose from, lacquered, oiled and unfinished, and these are generally a matter of personal taste rather than practicality.

Lacquered boards have been finished in a factory and generally receive around five coats. Normally coming in a satin finish, lacquered wooden flooring is now available in matt. The main advantage of this type of wood floor is that absolutely no maintenance is required other than the occasional sweep. This is because the lacquer ensures it is particularly hard wearing and durable, while its smooth finish is forgiving of knocks, scrapes and scratches.

Compare this to the maintenance of a carpet and there really is no choice. As well as being a habitat for gruesome things such as dust mites and places where dirt accumulates, carpets require a regular vacuum and have a nasty habit of collecting stains. When this occurs, either a professional carpet cleaner is needed or some carpet shampoo has to be purchased - hassles that today's discerning homeowner no longer has much time for.

If lacquered isn't for you however, then you may wish to consider an oiled finish. This is particularly popular with homeowners wishing to create the feel of an old Parisian apartment and a refined sense of style, as oiled wood floors boast a natural appearance. Once the oil is applied to the wood, it soaks into the floor leaving its grain visible. This requires maintenance only once a year, and if a stain should occur, it is remarkably easy to notice. Stains can simply be sanded down and re-oiled, allowing it to look as good as new.

You may wish to think twice about using an oiled finish in the kitchen or bathroom, areas in the house that very few people sit down and relax in and instead are on their feet and on the move. It is best to use unfinished wooden floors in both rooms, as these can be sealed after they have been laid. In both instances, this will ensure that panels are protected against inevitable splashes and spillages. Perhaps the greatest advantage of having an unfinished wood floor is that the homeowner can spot any stains themselves, which can be sanded before their choice of finish is applied.

If you are planning on having wood floors fitted in the bathroom, you may wish to consider bamboo as a material. These tend to be among the best suited types because of their ability to not expand or contract with moisture. Bamboo has a number of similarities to hardwoods and manufacturers tend to promote its strength and durability in addition to its sustainability credentials.

The process for manufacturing bamboo floors is relatively simple - mature bamboo poles are sliced into strips before being dried and planed. There are two colours to choose from - its natural shade, which is similar to beech, or carbonised, which is similar in appearance to oak. It should be remembered that carbonised bamboo is softer than its non-carbonised counterpart, although it will often be harder than certain types of hardwood.

Now that homeowners are taking more responsibility for how their homes impact on the environment, bamboo may represent an eco-friendly flooring solution that is both practical and stylish. A member of the grass family, bamboo is sustainable because it grows more quickly than trees. Bamboo typically takes between three and five years to mature compared to the 20 to 120 years it takes for hardwoods to reach maturity.

Once a solid or engineered wood floor and its finish has been chosen and fitted, a homeowner will immediately begin to notice its benefits over a carpet. The installation team will have explained the maintenance process and provided the customer with a handy, easy-to-read upkeep leaflet.

The golden rule of wood flooring maintenance is to make sure a wet mop is never used to clean it. On a day-to-day basis, it is important to sweep regularly, paying particular attention to disposing of any stones, rocks or debris that may be trampled into wooden floors and cause damage. A spray cleaner and dry mop is usually advised, which will provide the right amount of moisture to get rid of any spillages without threatening the floor or its finish.

Maintenance oil can be used on oiled floors that may be appearing dull or worn - a relatively effortless procedure that will leave your wooden flooring looking as good as new.

With a carpet, by contrast, it is a constant battle of damage limitation - a new one will not look new for very long, and unlike a wood floor, it cannot be maintained to the highest standards and have stains or spills cleared up effortlessly. In addition to becoming stained and dirty, carpets can quickly become worn and tired, particularly if they are positioned in the hallway where lots of people regularly walk over them.

The opposite can be said of wooden floors, which tend to get better with age, much like a fine wine. With a lifespan of 60 years or more, wooden floors have the added advantages of providing a home with real character according to its occupant’s tastes, and when it's time to move on, homeowners will be pleased to learn that their wood floor will markedly increase the value of their property.

Humidity is an important consideration for wooden floor customers as the moisture in the air can affect it, owing to wood being a natural product. It is advised that humidity be kept between 40 and 65 per cent, which will prevent solid wood from buckling and cracking. This should be in mind during the winter months, as houses tend to be drier as windows and doors remain closed and central heating systems are more likely to be switched on.