Do you intend on flooring your home and lack ideas on which type to pick? Look no further; we have compiled a few tips to help you make your purchase decision for that perfect finish you’re aiming for in your home.
There are several choices to pick from;
- Ceramic tiles are the go-to for your waterproofing purposes.
- Hardwood flooring is your first choice when looking for durable yet beautiful flooring.
- Laminate flooring is your number one product choice for its all-around benefits; it’s cheap, easy to maintain, great decal options and durability. It is perfect for almost all your rooms thus making it a significant investment.
- Vinyl is an affordable choice, easy to maintain, waterproof and scratch and dent resistant. Perfect for high traffic rooms.
- Stone flooring is perfect for warm climates as it keeps your floor cool. It is stunning and adds unparalleled character to your home
- Marble flooring provides you with a long-lasting, versatile finish as a result of its durability.
- Marble tiles are easy to personalize to suit your artistic tastes.
- Cork flooring is great for commercial spaces as they are comfortable to walk and stand on.Bamboo flooring provides a clean and robust surface in your home.
Tips on picking the right type of flooring for each room.One flooring choice will not suit all rooms. What’s suitable for one chamber will not be the most appropriate in the next.
Here are a few things to consider when picking appropriate flooring for each room.
1. Your square foot based budget
You can get a luxury vinyl tile for $2 or less. The only downside is that it requires labor-intensive installation.For $2 to $5, you can acquire well-engineered wood flooring or an LVT.You can purchase a well-polished hardwood LVT or well-engineered wood for $5 or more.
2. Pets
For big clawed pets such as dogs, you will need a highly polished wood, bamboo flooring, or laminate coating for your floors. This way your pets won’t skid, hurt their claws or leave scratch marks.
3. Children
If you have very active children, you will require an accident-proof and durable flooring that does not wear quickly. You can opt for carpets or cork flooring.
4. Seniors on wheelchairs
If you live with your elderly parents or a person with limb disabilities, you will have to avoid mats and boards that have spaces in between to prevent the wheelchair from being caught and stuck.
5. Maintenance
Some flooring requires minimal care while others require frequent care. Vinyl, tiles, sheets or plank vinyl need minimal attention while laminate will require special cleaning to prevent dulling and scratching.
6. High room moisture content
In the bathrooms, basements and laundry room, you will need concrete, ceramic, vinyl or porcelain which doesn’t absorb water.
7. Location of the room
For any rooms connected to an entry point, you will need a durable and easy to clean flooring.
8. Potential allergens.
Avoid carpets as the can carry and store all kinds of allergic particles; dust, pollen.
9. Room uses
Each room has its specific function.
Let’s look at each room separately;
- The kitchen
The kitchen is the most active room in the house; this is where life happens thus requires the most durable flooring that can endure pots, dishes and pans dropping and breaking, and food and liquid spills.
Hardwood will dent and scratch easily, not forgetting that when the dishwasher leaks, your floor will be rendered useless; this also goes for laminate flooring. If you pick wood, you will have to; purchase micro bevels to prevent dirt accumulation in between the boards, and choose a light color to reduce the visibility of dirt, water spots, and crumbs.Porcelain tiles are resistant to denting and scratching and require low maintenance hence the best choice.Vinyl is effortless to repair and clean, and durable.Laminate is an affordable and durable alternative to hardwood; it doesn’t fade over time, it resists scratches, water, stains, and dents. It is easy to clean and install. However, when it comes to standing water, laminate flooring is a terrible option. The water will seep in and cause swelling and with time renders it useless thus making it a terrible investment.Cork flooring has a cushiony surface that prevents your cutlery from breaking once the fall.
- The mudroom or entryway
Choose flooring that easily catches dirt and is easy to clean, but one that is a good investment. Whichever choice you make, you can also add a sisal rug over to help in trapping dirt.
Porcelain tiles are durable and very effortless to clean.Ceramic tiles are also low maintenance and long-lasting.
- The bathroom
Here, the greatest threat is water on a daily basis because of the toilet, sink, and shower or bathtub. The flooring should be stain and water resistant, and easy to clean due to a high probability of cosmetic and toiletries spills.
Textured porcelain tiles are highly skidding and waterproof thus an excellent option for your bathroom flooring. Tiles are inexpensive and beautiful especially with the vast range of styles they come in.Vinyl is cost-friendly but less durable then tiles. It lacks seams hence zero water seepage into the material. With a variety of patterns, you can choose one to match the décor.
- The laundry room
Just like the bathroom, most of the time this area is usually wet hence will require waterproof and long-lasting flooring.
Pick vinyl or porcelain tiles. Not only are they waterproof, but they are also durable.
- The dining room
You can use the same flooring as the kitchen seeing they are adjoining.
Vinyl is effortless to maintain, resistant to scratches and waterproof.Porcelain tiles are easy to maintain and durable. In case of any food or liquid spill, no scrubbing is required since a mop will do the trick.Laminate flooring is cheap and long-lasting therefore a good investment choice for your house.
- The office room and library room
Your office or library requires a tranquil atmosphere to enable you to concentrate on your work and study. Whichever flooring you pick, should be welcoming and not over the top; just comfortable.
A flat weave rug can sustain a rolling chair hence more suitable than soft plush ones.Hardwood flooring keeps the room looking elegant and stylish. It retains floor heat during cool seasons.You can opt to laminate to reduce noise as you walk around the room to retrieve files and books for work and study respectively. It is more resistant to scratches and dents than hardwood.
- The living room
The living room is a high traffic area; this is where all your visitors and family pile up for conversations or parties.
Laminate flooring is an excellent option for the living room since not only is it inexpensive and easy to install but also durable, stable and with less wear and tear thus resistant to damage by kids and pets. It has a wide range of patterns to fit in with your décor.Hardwood is another popular option as it creates an elegant look that not even a beautiful carpet can beat. Although popular than laminate, it is not always affordable.Bamboo flooring is also resistant to damage by pets running around.A carpet is perfect for those who don’t desire laminate or hardwood. It acts as a cushion when children are playing and reduces slips and falls. Although it retains heat during the cold seasons, it is a bad choice if one of your family members is wheelchair driven and if anyone has allergies or asthma. You have to clean carpets more regularly as they trap dirt and pet hair.
- The bedroom
The bedroom is a significant room as this is where you seek comfort after a long day of work and chores so put a lot of thought into choosing the perfect flooring. No one would like to wake up to a cold floor in the middle of the night and disturb your beauty sleep.
A soft, plush carpet is excellent for this room as it keeps the floor warm by retaining heat, and reduces falls and noises. It adds a cozy and friendly atmosphere in the chamber. You can use a carpet rug instead of a wall to wall carpet.Hardwood also retains heat and effortless to clean. It is durable and adds elegance to the room.
- The kids’ playroom
A soft carpet rug or wall to wall carpet to cushion against falls and reduces slips. The carpeting should be tight and effortless to maintain.
Rough-textured tiles are also an excellent choice to reduce skidding as the children run and play around the room.Smooth tiles are a NO-NO, a big NO as they are an accident waiting to happen. In case of any moisture or dust, your kids will skid and fall; not forgetting how hard tiles are, they can cause significant injuries to your kids.Laminate flooring helps reduce noise from all the running and jumping when your children are playing.Cork flooring is perfect for playing areas as it is very comfortable with its cushiony surface.
- The enclosed porch
For your porch, consider how enclosed it is because of the intense sunlight and also rain or snow.
An outdoor-rated porcelain tile is a durable option against water and heat, amongst other outdoor factors to consider. It is simple to maintain and clean.Exterior decking engineered wood is both durable and waterproof. It is an excellent option since it retains heat during cold seasons, unlike tile which gives you cold feet.
- The basement
The basement is subject to persistent moisture, from dampness from the subfloor to flooding as a result of a failure in plumbing or storms. If the concrete floor is below grade, it will be constantly damp. Most threats come from below and not above when the area floods porous materials will absorb water, expand and buckle.
Choose a floating flooring that attaches to itself allowing the subfloor to shift with moisture and temperature changes without buckling or loosening the cement.Hardwood is a poor flooring choice as it is susceptible to water and may rot as a result.Vinyl wins this one! It retains heat and therefore keeping the floor warm regardless of the season and moisture content of the subfloor.Porcelain tiles can survive basement conditions but tend to be very cold as they do not retain heat.You can also use laminate flooring in your basement. It is cheap, easy to install, dampens the hollow sound it makes as you walk and resembles other flooring types. It is an appropriate choice in moisture free and leak-proof basements.
A laminate coating or not?It is a high-density fiber-board that combines wood fibers with resin toughened and protected by pressure bonding to form sheets giving it a smooth finish. It is made to appear like stone, hardwood or ceramic tiles with a wide variety of decals, with a transparent resin wear layer on the surface.
While laminate flooring is ideal for most rooms, it is important to note that it is unsuitable for bathrooms, kitchens, mudrooms, and laundry rooms, unless if highly polished to protect from moisture and food spills. The four planks cut from the sheet are machined together enhancing its stability and integrity.
High standards of abrasion criteria when purchasing mean less wear and tear, and more stability for your flooring. With laminate flooring, enjoy the tranquility that they offer by canceling out up to 22 decibels with the soft cushioning below them.
It is a popular high traffic flooring type due to its relatively low market price, easy installation, hardwearing nature and wide décor range that mimic the appearance of other types.
Pros
Laminate floors offer quite as it reduces sounds.It has a smooth, attractive finish.It is very durable.It is easy to maintain, with no scrubbing or waxing required.It is easy and fast to install such that you can do it yourself, with its “click-lock design.”It is resistant to sunlight fading.It retains heat, especially in cold areas.It does not accumulate dust particles thus safe for people with allergies and asthma.
Cons
You have to replace all of it when damaged since you can’t refinish the surface.The seams in between planks provide a path for water intrusion.It may require special cleaning when water seeps in causing it to swell.
A highly polished laminate flooring is a perfect choice for all your rooms as it is water resistant, reduces noise, scratch resistant, durable and pocket-friendly. It will require extra care in your bathroom, entryway, kitchen and laundry room since standing water reduces its performance. If you feel that laminate flooring is what you’ve been looking for; feel free to look at the various options of this in Laminate Flooring UK. We hope that this helps you decide.
