How to Choose the Right Floor for Your Home to Create the Perfect Space

When it comes to decorating your home, choosing a new floor can be fun and challenging. The choices are plentiful and the steps to install it are numerous. Flooring comes with several costs. Not just the cost of the floor, but the installation and maintenance requirements, too. Whether you choose 100 year old pine floors or Italian marble tile, your flooring choices should fit your style, budget, and lifestyle.

Location and Function

Before you choose your perfect floor, you should consider where you are putting it. Some floors are better suited to high-traffic areas like kitchens and hallways, while others are better suited to comfortable spaces like bedrooms and dens. In today’s world, it is unlikely to put carpet in a bathroom and tile in a bedroom simply because they do not fit the purposes of each room.

1.     Carpet

Since carpet is made of fibers that can easily stain, it is best to put it in areas like bedrooms and living rooms. Carpets are rarely used in kitchens, baths, or hallways because these areas require regular cleaning.

2.     Hardwood

One of the most desirable of all flooring types is hardwood. This type of flooring can be used in nearly any room of the home because it can be sanded and refinished several times. It is easy to clean and looks great with nearly any type of decor. Most people will avoid using it bathrooms and mud rooms because moisture can damage it over time.

3.     Laminate wood

Laminate wood floors are not the same as hardwood floors, but they are designed to look like real wood. Composite or engineered wood flooring is made of medium-density fiberboard, pulp, and resin to resemble real wood. These are good choices living rooms and interior hallways. They tend to be challenging to maintain in kitchens, baths, and entryways because they do not stand up to excessive moisture.

4.     Tile

Carpet and wood floors are not ideal for baths and mudrooms, but tile is. Whether you choose ceramic or porcelain or another type of stone, it is water resistant and relatively easy to clean. Unfortunately, porous tile can become stained, so its placement should be considered before installation. Tile has become extremely versatile now that it is made to look like real wood and stone. Many people will put tile in mudrooms, kitchens, patios, and other spaces that require regular cleaning.

5.     Vinyl and Linoleum

This is a utilitarian style of floor that comes in several styles. From room-size sheets to individual tiles, this synthetic type of floor is an inexpensive alternative to ceramic or porcelain tile. It is useful in basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and entryways. It is easy to clean and inexpensive to install.

Maintenance and Materials

Flooring is an investment in your home. To keep your floor looking good, you will need to maintain it properly. Each type of floor has different maintenance requirements. Some floors are easy to maintain with a broom, vacuum, or mop and bucket while others might need occasional work by a professional. You should consider your lifestyle and how much maintenance you can do and can afford over time.

●      Carpet

Carpet really warms up a room, but it can be a pain to maintain, especially in a high-traffic area. Carpet is made up of thin fibers and they stain quickly, so if you spill, it is important to clean it up before it sets. Stains can be treated with carpet cleaners, but you should only use those that are designed for the brand of your carpet.

The easiest way to maintain carpet is with a vacuum. Some people will use carpet cleaning equipment once or twice per year to deep clean their investments.

●      Hardwood

Hardwood floors are easy to clean and if the floor is damaged, it can be refinished or lightly buffed to bring it back to a lovely shine. The easiest way to clean hardwood floors is with a broom or a dust sweeper. If necessary, a damp mop can be used, but only occasionally as the water can damage the floor.

Older homes had hardwood floors in every room of the house. But, if you have the choice, you might not want some woods in your bathroom. If you must put hardwoods in your bathroom, choose the hardest woods (like maple or oak) that are least likely to absorb moisture.

●      Laminate wood

Laminate floors can be cleaned with a broom and a slightly damp mop. Some laminate floors are designed to be moisture-resistant, but be sure you have that type before you use water to clean the floors. If you use too much water, the joints that keep the laminate planks together can be damaged.

Unfortunately, while hardwood floors can be refinished if necessary, laminate floors cannot. You cannot repair laminate floor, but it can be replaced as it comes in planks rather than sheets. Overall, laminate floors are durable, but only in dry spaces like bedrooms and living rooms.

●      Tile

Tile is another flooring option that is easy to clean. However, the grout between the tiles is not. Tile can be swept and washed with a mop and soapy water. But, if the grout gets dirty, you might have difficulty doing much with it, especially if the grout is colored. White grout can be bleached, but the bleach with wear down the grout.

Grout stains easily and it can get moldy, too. In fact, it is common for people to replace tile grout every few years, especially if it is in a bathroom or kitchen. It takes something very heavy to break tile on a floor, but it is easier to crack large pieces or tile rather than small ones.

●      Vinyl and Linoleum

Vinyl is one of the easiest floors to clean, but it is not the most durable, especially if sharp or heavy objects are dropped on it. However, the vinyl that comes in tiles rather than sheets can be replaced easily. To clean a vinyl floor, you can use a mop and water, a broom, or an all-in-one floor cleaning device.

Vinyl and linoleum floors are often thought to be made of the same materials, but they are actually rather different. Linoleum is a natural flooring that includes linseed oil with other materials like cork or jute. Vinyl is made of plastic polymers like PVC. Because of the natural materials, linoleum is more expensive than vinyl; it is also slightly more difficult to maintain.

Budget and Installation

It is not cheap to purchase and install flooring. In most cases, it is not a do-it-yourself activity, because of all the steps involved. Each type of floor has different installation requirements and specialized materials that are needed for proper installation.

●      Carpet

It is uncommon to hear of homeowners installing their own carpet and with the inexpensive cost of carpet at $5 to $15 per square foot, paying for installation is common. Installers use carpet tuckers, seam rollers, and other specialized tools.

Carpet is usually installed over padding, which is placed above the subfloor. Padding does add to the cost, but it makes the floor much more comfortable to step and sit on.

●      Hardwood

Hardwood floors are expensive to buy and to install. Typical hardwood floors cost between $10 and $20 per square foot and installation is not included in those costs. The installation varies based on the subfloor needs and the size of the room.

●      Laminate wood

Laminate floors have a wide range in price, anywhere from $3 to over $15 per square foot. The price is based on the brand and the quality of the materials used. Of the five different types of flooring, this is the easiest to install yourself because most of the planks are designed to snap together. Some brands require adhesives, but most just float atop the subflooring. You will want a table saw to cut pieces to special sizes.

●      Tile

Tile is another flooring that some people feel comfortable installing on their own. Prices per square foot vary greatly, from $3 to $20 or more based on the type of tile you are buying. If you want a specific design out of tile, you should consider hiring a professional.

There are a few different types of saws that will cut tile, from wet table saws to snap cutters, and you will need one or both to get the job done yourself. You will need a special type of adhesive to lock the tiles in place. Tile installation also requires spacers and the grout that will fill the space between all of the tiles.

●      Vinyl and Linoleum

Vinyl is one of the least expensive flooring options available ranging between $2 and $6 per square foot. Linoleum is more expensive at $4 to $7 per square foot. Both are available in sheets, but they also come in other options like tiles and planks, too.

These both need to be installed over a subfloor and in most cases, a pre-existing subfloor will do just fine. Because there is so little needed for installation, it less expensive to install vinyl and linoleum than any other type of floor. Installers use an adhesive to stick the flooring to the subfloor.

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