It can be challenging for homeowners to choose the right flooring that will work best in their home. Each type of flooring comes with pros and cons. Choosing which type is right for your situation means several things you need to consider.
Tips on Selecting The Right Flooring for Your Home
Choosing the right flooring you need to take into consideration your budget. Other factors include aesthetics, tastes and lifestyle. Don’t forget about the amount of humidity, sunlight and water in the room where you are installing the floor. There are an extensive range of choices and limitless design options to suit all kinds of looks and needs.
Advantages and disadvantages of Different Types of Flooring
Hardwood
Hardwood floors are known for their strength and sturdiness. They are also simple to maintain as they only require dusting and vacuuming. They need to be refinished about every 10-15 years. On the flip side they are prone to scratches and gouging. They have a tendency to get discolored and/or cracked, if exposed to excessive dryness or wetness for any length of time.
Ceramic
Ceramic tile adds value to your home because of it’s durability and wide decorative range. There are types to suit every budget and need. Caring for it is simple as tile only requires sweeping and moping to maintain it. The downside of tile flooring is that it can feel cold for bare feet. It may be difficult to clean light colored tile and anything you drop on it usually breaks!
Laminate
Laminates are made to look like an exact copy of wood floors but at a much lower price! They are easily maintained and are also known for their strength and durability. Maintenance needs to be performed using little moisture. Many laminate floors are easily damaged by water. Lower quality laminate floors will scratch and dent much easier than the better laminate floors. In high traffic environments replacement may be needed as frequently as every 10 years.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is affordable, durable and resistant to wear and tear. There is a wide variety available. Luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is very popular today. These floors may be installed in a variety of ways. Sweep and mop to maintain them.
Carpet
Carpeting is less expensive than other types of flooring. Carpets come in many shapes, colors, sizes and fibers and are easy to install. They do require a little more maintenance than some other types of floors. They need to be vacuumed on a regular basis. A thorough shampooing and cleaning once a year (and sometimes more often depending on what type of traffic they get). If you have allergies you might want to steer clear of carpeting as it can trap dust mites and other allergens in its’ fibers.
Hopefully this article will be of some assistance to you in choosing your right flooring in the future!