Homehowner’s Guide: Picking the Right Flooring – Avoiding A Flooring Catastrophe
Look, we all want it. We want the perfect flooring in our home that’s going to make everyone walk in through our doors, compliment us on how beautiful it is, and then ask us where we got it. That’s a given.
After all, what child ever said to themselves “I’m going to work really hard when I’m older so I can have an ugly house!”
I can’t think of many. But before we get started on which color and and design you like, we have to solve an issue, picking the right flooring.
Choosing the right flooring isn’t a black and white issue. Most people just go ahead and purchase the prettiest thing they can think of, all while ignoring their current situation at home.
By situation, I mean lifestyle. There are a several questions you should ask yourself before deciding on flooring, and here are just a few:
Questions to Ask Before Picking Flooring –
- Do you have pets at home, with nails that scratch floors easily?
- Do your pets shed often, causing their fur to get caught in carpet?
- How about small children and babies with soft and tender feet?
- What does your foot traffic look like?
- Is there a certain part in your home that has more people going through it than others?
- Do small kids bring in dirt often? How about spilling drinks? Natural wood bloats when something is spilled on it and not cleaned up right away.
As you can see, picking the right flooring is much more than finding something that matches your walls and cabinets. Ignoring questions like the ones above could cost you a considerable amount of money!
Brand new wood flooring could get ruined by toddlers (or adults!) spilling drinks. Pets could get newly polished floors badly scratched with their nails. The list is endless.
To help out with this process, we’ve compiled a list of different types of flooring and their benefits and cons.
Picking The Right Flooring – Types of Flooring
Wood Vinyl
The great thing about vinyl wood is that it is completely waterproof.
It looks like wood flooring and has a bit of the softness as well, but will be much more convenient for those who may have small children in the home who are prone to spilling juice boxes and drinks.
It’s also not as warm as original hardwood floors but isn’t ice cold either. If you want an economic choice for a wood look floor, look no further!
Wood Tile
If you want the look of wood but the benefit of tile, look no further. Wood tile is tough and doesn’t scratch as easily as its counterparts. It also comes in many variations so it’s ideal if you want to match it with different interior design ideas.
Ceramic
With ceramic flooring you can bet that your variation will be consistent. Sometimes materials come with different variations, even if it is the from the same box and only includes the same style of flooring.
They will often be inconsistent due to the nature of the material, but not with ceramic! It also tends to be a true and tried material for many homes.
Carpet
If you love walking around barefoot in your home, then carpet flooring may be your best bet. Depending on which you get, it can either be soft enough for you to enjoy in your bedroom, or flat and tough enough to put in a kids playroom.
Either way, this is a better option than ice cold flooring if a little one’s (or your) bare feet are constantly in contact with the floor.
Wood
There is nothing like the look of original wood flooring. When cleaned and finished properly, it has a great shine and its also soft and warm.
It can go great with many different interior decor ideas and doesn’t have an equal for it. The con to original wood flooring is that it is high maintenance.
Have a dog that accidentally gets inside? That could end up in permanent scratches to your floor. Toddler spilled a drink? Clean it quick, or your floors could bloat and be permanently ruined.
As you can see, picking the right flooring is very important for many reasons. If you’re going to make a long term investment, you want to make sure it keeps its shine for as long as possible!
If you still need helping picking something out for your home, don’t hesitate in contacting our sales team or designer! They would be more than happy to help you pick out what’s best for your home.
You can schedule a free in-home estimate here.
