Any home that was built before the year 1960 probably had a standard wood floor, which was the standard back then in flooring materials, and lasted more than a century. Then carpets came to be the popular choice, and wood floors began to fade in popularity. But today, wood flooring has made a magnificent comeback and it is all the rage in new home plans.
The homeowner of this decade has a choice from a variety of different wood grains patterns, and wood lasts for more than a century. According to industry 
experts at the Natural Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) due to positive housing market updates in 2013 the wood flooring industry manufacturers expect prices in 2013 to increase dramatically.
There are multiple reasons why wood flooring is popular again. Many people have allergies to carpet, dust and mold, so there are health concerns, ease of care and durability. And of course, there are so many fabulous designs and wood species – from the standard oak and pine, to newer pecan, hickory, acacia, walnut and maple wood finishes.
We usually think about picking out the wood species, stain color, style, but it is important for those who are building a new home to not just think about flooring styles but to remember that different choices in wood flooring will require different skills from your wood flooring contractor.  Your flooring will be one of the most important purchases when you build a  home. These are considerations that need to be made during the house planning stages before the actual job begins.
This home (left) featured at The Plan Collection features gorgeous hard wood floors which complement the high ceilings, stairway and stone fireplace in this great room.  It is important to remember that each room in your home will have different traffic patterns based on usage, and wear and tear will have different effects on the type of flooring.  Wood flooring can scratch, for instance, whereas carpeting can snag or tear, and tiles can chip.Â
When it comes to style, remember to think about how well the pattern of the flooring matches the room’s color scheme as well as flooring in the other rooms such as a tile floor in the kitchen, or bedroom carpeting. And remember to consider insulation from heat loss, and how well does the flooring muffle sound?
Flooring safety is also a concern, due to children or elderly residents, any smooth surface such as linoleum and timber floors will become slippery when wet, therefore carpeting is best non-slip surface choice.
Finally, you need to review the cost per square yard when comparing flooring options.
