Tips and Advice for Choosing the Right Flooring for Your Home

Choosing new flooring for your home isn’t just about finding something that looks great or is in fashion, and many other factors like cost, durability and water resistance all have to be considered before you make your final choice. It’s worth it to take the time to find the perfect floor that you can enjoy for many years to come, and our helpful advice will hopefully make this decision a little easier!

Consider the Function of Your Floor

Flooring in different parts of your home has different functionality, so where you are installing it and how you are planning to use that space are an important consideration. For example, thick carpets are luxurious in a bedroom but would be a disaster in a kitchen or bathroom. Here are some of the top flooring products on the market examined by their functionality:

• Concrete: Polished concrete is a very trendy look right now and it’s incredibly durable, making it a great choice for high traffic areas like kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms. It’s not going to get marked by pet claws, high heels or heavy furniture either, and it is stain-resistant if it’s been sealed.
• Vinyl: Modern, high-quality vinyl floors are beautiful, easy to clean and maintain, and highly water-resistant. This makes them ideal for all areas of the home, including the laundry, kitchen and bathroom. It also works well in bedrooms, offering a warmer touch than concrete or tile.
• Tiles: These are a home-remodeling favorite and it’s easy to see why – they’re hard-wearing, water-resistant, easy to maintain and come in an endless variety of shapes, textures and colors. They are ideal for laundry rooms, kitchens, basements, outdoor entertainment areas and living spaces, and handle high traffic with ease. Like concrete, they may not be ideal for bedrooms depending on your personal style and comfort requirements.
• Hardwood: Everyone’s favorite luxury is hardwood floors! They’re very durable and work well in most areas of the home, although some people prefer more water-resistant flooring in bathrooms and laundry rooms. They are easy to clean but do require some maintenance, including sanding and finishing every 5-10 years. They can scratch up and show wear-and-tear, especially in high-traffic areas, but a sanding will make them as good as new. They also come in a wide range of colors and stains to suit your personal style.
• Engineered wood: Also called composite wood flooring, this is a wooden flooring product that is developed by compressing layers of plywood and covering it with a thin layer of hardwood. While it’s very durable and similar to genuine hardwood flooring in terms of its looks, its composite structure makes it less suitable to rooms where moisture is present. It also can’t be sanded down, as there is only a thin layer of hardwood on top of the plywood base.
• Carpet: Ideal for living areas and bedrooms, carpet gives a warm and comfortable appeal to your home. Depending on the type of material it is made from, carpets can be suited to either high or low-traffic spaces but is best kept far away from any rooms where moisture is present. Because of the material it’s made of, carpet is not ideal if you have pets – it’s more difficult to clean fur and accidents off it, and dust and pet dander tend to gather in it, which can aggravate respiratory conditions.

What’s Your Budget?

Flooring is one of the biggest costs in a remodel, and the type of flooring you choose can make a massive impact on your budget. While each flooring product is priced differently, here’s a quick guide to give you a general idea of how much they will cost to buy and install.

• Concrete: This can cost between $3-8 per square foot, depending on the condition of your current concrete subfloor and whether or not you want to incorporate additional design elements into your new flooring.
• Vinyl: This is a very affordable option, ranging from $2-4 per square foot. It’s easy to install over almost any type of subfloor, making labor costs fairly low too. If you’re skilled at DIY, this is a project you could take on yourself.
• Tiles: These have quite a varied price range depending on the tile material, shape and size, and can be between $12-19 per square foot. It’s also a good idea to use professionals to install your tiles, but this adds quite a bit in terms of labor costs.
• Hardwood: This is probably going to be your most expensive option, although cost varies between $10-15 per square foot, plus the cost of installation, according to the type of wood you choose.
• Engineered wood: These products tend to cost less than genuine hardwood at around $6-12 per square foot, again according to the type of hardwood finish you choose. It is much easier to install however, so you can save on installation costs if you’re skilled at DIY.
• Carpet: Carpet does require a professional installation, but it’s a fairly affordable flooring option at around $4-6 per square foot. It’s pretty quick and easy to install too, so labor costs aren’t very high.

Take Your Time and See What’s Out There!

Choosing flooring for your home is a big decision and you want it to look great and function well for many years into the future, so don’t rush the process. Ask around for recommended suppliers and contractors, visit wholesalers and high-street stores to see what’s available and what appeals to you, and don’t be afraid to get lots of estimates! In the end, it’s your floor and you are the one living with it, so spend some time evaluating your different options. We hope our little guide helps!