Elevate Your Home with Floor Country
How to Choose Flooring for Your Home
Types of Flooring Materials
Before we dive into the factors that will impact the best possible flooring option for you, your home, and your family, let’s take a look at the flooring options you have.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood continues to be the top choice for its great appearance and long-term ROI. The cost of installing hardwood flooring ranges from $2,500 to $7,000, making it one of the most expensive options. It can be best for the shared living spaces of the main floor. Hardwood flooring will develop scratches and dents over its lifetime, requiring refinishing, which can cost between $1,100 to $2,400 every three to five years.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring can be an attractive option because it is much cheaper than hardwood flooring, as many alternatives are. Laminate flooring is also easy to install, durable, and comes in a variety of colors and styles, like natural wood. However, some of the drawbacks of laminate flooring include the material being prone to moisture damage and difficult to repair. It could be a great option for high-traffic areas in your home that are not your kitchen or bathroom.
Carpet
Carpet is a favorite among homeowners, especially in bedrooms, for obvious reasons. It is soft, warm, and helps cut down on noise. In addition to adding comfort to your home, carpet is a cheaper flooring option. The drawbacks, however, are something to consider. For example, carpets take much more upkeep, they impact the air quality of your home, trapping dust, pet dander, allergens, and more, and also show their age much more than other flooring options.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is a cheaper alternative as well, but perhaps not as inexpensive as you may think. The synthetic flooring that is used today is highly durable and effectively mimics wood, ceramic, and stone. It is versatile and meant for high-traffic areas of your home that you can put almost anywhere. Installation and maintenance are a breeze, so it may be something to consider.
Tile
Ceramic or porcelain tile is durable, non-porous, and a beautiful flooring choice. Since it is waterproof, it is a great option for kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways. It is more difficult to install, however, and can chip and scratch under heavy use. An upside is being able to replace individual parts instead of the entire surface, if necessary.
Natural stone tile is a classic flooring option that includes granite, marble, travertine, and sandstone. Some materials are more durable than others, but keep in mind that finishes require different amounts of care. A polished marble surface will show scratches and scuffs more easily than a tumbled one, for example.
Questions to Consider
Will your floor be installed in a high-moisture area?
If yes, you need flooring that is suited for a high- or medium-moisture environment, like concrete, ceramic or porcelain tile, or vinyl tile. If moisture is not a factor, then all types of flooring still may be used.
Do you need a pet-friendly floor?
If yes, you will need a floor with superior wear resistance. Some flooring that appears to be wear resistant often is not. Hardwood flooring can easily scratch, but its saving grace is that scratches can be sanded out. Other flooring options like ceramic or porcelain tile, laminate flooring, plank vinyl flooring, or even carpeting may provide more resistance to wear. If durability is not a chief factor, keep reading.
What is your square-footage budget?
If your answer is $2.00 or less, you will find some laminate flooring hovering around this price. It may not be gorgeous, but it will have an attractive appearance. You can also find sheet tile and ceramic and porcelain tile around this price range, but tile is a more labor-intensive installation.
If $2.00 – $5.00 is your price range, you have more flooring options. You can choose from domestic solid hardwood and engineered wood flooring, not to mention more attractive laminates and higher quality luxury vinyl tile. Anything above $5 means you explore many more options at a higher quality.
Do you want a lower-maintenance floor?
If you are looking for low-maintenance flooring, vinyl, whether it is tile, sheet, or plank, will work best. Laminate flooring is a close second, but only because it needs special cleaning methods as mops can ruin it.
Contact Floor Country Today!
Your safety and health are a top priority. The kind of floor you choose for your home is directly linked to both of these factors. The best part is that there is a wide range of floors to choose from. This is where we come in.