Jerrie,
    We have both in our small, local, history museum, and I'm not sure  
there's a good answer to your question. The wood floor has been in the  
building since forever (it's the oldest continually used building in  
our rather young community), so I think it's some really old hardwood  
floor. No brand name available. It does get scratched and marred, and  
about every decade or so it has to be refinished, which causes havoc  
trying to keep dust out of the exhibits. A good finish is essential to  
keeping the floor looking nice. Noise isn't much of a problem since  
most of our visitors are wearing tennis shoes instead of spiked heals.
    The carpet is in additions to the building. It's ugly, industrial  
gray that was leftover from when the library was built. It, too, is  
showing its age with stains, etc. and will have to be replaced before  
long. Because the county owns the building, they will use the lowest  
cost material...probably more ugly grayness.
Good luck in your quest.

Heather McClenahan, museum assistant/web master
Los Alamos Historical Society
http://www.losalamoshistory.org
[log in to unmask]
PO Box 43
1921 Juniper St.
Los Alamos, NM 875444
505-662-6272 (office)
505-470-2912 (cell)


  Quoting Jerrie Clarke <[log in to unmask]>:

> Hello all,
>
>   We're in the process of updating our permanent exhibits and   
> sprucing up our small, local history museum and cultural center.    
> One of the things we want to do is replace the 30-year-old carpet.    
> I've struggled to keep the carpet clean in two different small   
> museums over the last decade and during those years, I've talked to   
> people who are taking the carpet out of the their homes and   
> installing wood floors.  So, I began thinking that maybe wood   
> flooring would be better here.  I was told by a visiting   
> conservator, who thought wood would be nice, that there is a pad   
> that can be placed under the wood to absorb sound.
>
>   I would like very much to know what other museums use.  I don't   
> take that much notice of the floor, but I'm thinging most of the   
> museums I've visited do not have carpet.  Would you please take a   
> minute or two to answer the following questions?
>
>   What kind of floor(s) does your museums have?
>   If wood, what kind?  Has anyone tried bamboo?
>   How do you keep it from being scratched up by traffic.  (We're in   
> rural Alaska where little bits of sand and gravel are brought in on   
> boot soles all winter.)
>
>   Hoping to read what you have,
>   Jerrie
>
>
>
>
> Jerrie Clarke
> Director
> Sheldon Museum
> PO Box 269
> Haines, AK 99827
> (907) 766-2366
> fax: (907) 766-2368
> www.sheldonmuseum.org
>
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