Having the right flooring under foot takes a little knowledge about the options available.
There are more flooring options now than ever before and making the right choices for your home and lifestyle can be a little overwhelming. Determining the right flooring requires a review of your home’s structural capacity, the function of the room, the amount of traffic through the area, safety and your interior decorating plan.
Once you’ve got a real feel for the space you’re working with its time to familiarize yourself with some of the options available.
Stone, marble and ceramic tile are popular alternatives that can be quite expensive. These flooring options are very durable and work well in high traffic areas that don’t have much of an echo. They are also very easy to clean.
Resilient flooring such as vinyl and linoleum are much less expensive and also work very well in high traffic areas. Clean up is very easy but sometimes stains cannot be removed and cuts and tears are possible. The greatest benefit of resilient floors is the thousands of color and pattern options available.
Cork has become a trendy solution and is surprisingly durable and versatile. Expect this flooring option to pop up in more homes as people realize it is also water resistant and has a dampening effect on noise.
Wood flooring is another very popular alternative and the lucky owners of older homes are ripping out their carpets to expose the home’s beautiful original hardwood floors. Older hardwood floors may require refinishing to restore their luster and waterproof features and they may not be able to handle the heavy traffic newer floors can but nothing beats their natural patina.
Laminates are a good alternative to hardwood floors for the homeowner who wants the appearance of wood but cannot afford the real deal. And the bonus is that this flooring option can often withstand more abuse than actual hardwood.
Wall-to-Wall Carpeting was the “must-have” flooring of the past but it’s taken a slightly less vital role in the modern home. Carpeting is still a great option and has a wealth of benefits including comfort, price, variety, and durability. Carpet is also very good at disguising dirt and sub floor flaws. Newer textures and pattern alternatives may encourage more homeowners to leave the hard, cold trends of the past decade behind and switch to this practical solution.
Concrete floors are a new trend and, when treated properly, it really becomes a work of art with layers of depth and color. Obviously a durable choice, concrete is also cutting edge and very stunning. The downfalls of concrete are obvious as it’s cold, hard and your floors must be load rated for this type of weight.
The key is to remember that looks and trends alone should not determine your flooring decisions. They are obviously an ingredient in the selection recipe but you also must consider the traffic of the room, the function of the space, durability and cleanliness and possible safety issues.
