Hardwood, laminate, tile, or vinyl? Picking the right flooring can make or break you home’s decor. Read this step-by-step guide to choosing flooring.
Look up. Look down. You might not think it but visitors to your home do notice the floor. They will notice not just the way it looks but the way it feels and the sounds their shoes make as they trample, slide or gently saunter across it.
Making the wrong decision can not only mean your room doesn’t look how you want it, but it can also create bigger issues with dampness.
Here’s how to choose flooring and our best flooring tips for making sure your room lives up to your expectations.
What’s Your Budget?
You can find bargain options for less than $2 per square foot but they might not meet your requirements. Equally, you can splash the cash at $5 per square foot. But these might not be suitable for your needs even though they look the part.
There is also the option of installing the floor yourself or paying extra to hire a professional to install it.
Only install the floor yourself if you are confident and experienced because failure to lay it properly could end up costing you more down the line.
You don’t want to have to remove furniture and fixtures to tear up a newly decorated room in a few months. And you don’t want to end up committing a DIY disaster like the man labeled Britain’s clumsiest husband who has flooded the bathroom and blown up the oven ten times.
After you have settled on a rough budget you now need to establish what you need in terms of flooring and what is non-negotiable in terms of durability
Damp Issues
The first thing you have to establish is where the floor will be installed. If it is in a basement, on a ground level or in a bathroom then you will need to take precautions to ensure no damp seeps through.
Not taking such precautions could end up costing you thousands of dollars in the long run as you may have to rip up the floor or consider even more costly structural repairs.
You need to install a floor that can withstand this damp such as vinyl tile or concrete. If you are installing flooring in a bathroom then tiles could be a good option here. You won’t slip on it as you would on other surfaces and the tiles evoke thoughts of the ancient Greek or Roman Empires.
Child-Friendly
Another option it is important to consider is whether the floor can endure children who will regularly jump and run all over it and most likely spill all manner of things onto the surface. The same goes if you have a four-legged friend who is part of the family.
You need a material which is wear-resistant such as hardwood. Hardwood is one of the most durable floors you can buy. Be sure to do your research here if you can. A laminate floor or vinyl flooring might also be a good idea as these are easy to clean if there is a spillage.
Dirt and grime can easily build up on other surfaces and this is not something you want if you have young children. They could easily become ill or develop a cold.
Choosing Flooring: What Are Your Needs?
While, of course, we all want our rooms to look perfect and it can be easy to pick the most expensive materials, it is also important when choosing the right flooring to think about what is practical in terms of durability.
If you are installing a floor in your bathroom you want it to be able to resist the damp and moisture. If you have children you want flooring that can be cleaned easily and endure the general wear and tear that they bring to it, one of many great flooring tips.
Be sure to check out our gallery when choosing flooring to see some of our luxury flooring projects today and to contact us for a quote.