Designing a home involves a lot of decisions about flooring, as it has a significant impact on the overall design. However, picking any flooring simply because it goes with your desired design is an error you should avoid. Unfortunately, this makes picking the best flooring a little more difficult.
The process will be made easier for you by this guide. You can choose the best type of flooring installation for your home by going through the various types of flooring and using their advantages and disadvantages as a guide.
Hardwood
Hardwood can be cherry, walnut, or oak. Installing hardwood flooring is as easy as nailing solid wood to a subfloor made of wood. Solid wood is the best flooring for living rooms, hallways, and bedrooms.
You can buy finished or unfinished wood. While unfinished wood must first be sanded and finished before installation, finished wood can be installed immediately. For a cheap house, hardwood is a good choice. Consider purchasing recycled or reclaimed wood for your flooring if you’re trying to save money.
The best places for hardwood flooring are rooms with little foot traffic, like living rooms, hallways, and bedrooms. It is ideal for living spaces, dining areas, and family rooms. Wood flooring is sometimes used in kitchens, but it cannot withstand the influx of dragging chairs, dropped cans, or grit-covered shoes.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood is constructed using solid wood and several layers of plywood. To lower the price of plywood, a thin veneer of naturally occurring wood with visible grain adheres to the top. It is appropriate for basements, hallways, living rooms, and bedrooms.
Different types of engineered wood exist. They are made from various solid wood species, including oak, maple, and others. They come in a variety of patterns and wide widths and are very reasonably priced.
Like hardwood, engineered wood requires little installation work. It may be floated on top of a cork or foam layer, nailed down, or glued down. It could be installed directly on a concrete subfloor, unlike hardwood.
Ceramic
A combination of fired clay and pigment for various colors is used to make ceramic tiles. One of the most adaptable kinds of flooring is this one. They have various textures, sizes, colors, and shapes.
Some types of ceramic tiles are more appropriate for walls than for flooring. Before making a purchase, ask the retailer if it is suitable for flooring. Porcelain, glazed ceramic, terracotta, and quarry tiles are the four main types of ceramic tiles.
One of the ceramic tile options best suited for your bathroom is porcelain. Whether glazed or unglazed, it is water and stain-resistant. It is robust and hard. The glazed ceramic has a glass-like coating that can change the color or texture.
Bamboo
Bamboo is a type of grass that grows quickly and can be used to make flooring that resembles hardwood. It has recently gained popularity as a greener option for wood flooring, however, experts warn that it isn’t always a better choice for the environment.
It comes in various designs that highlight the grain in various ways. For example, vertical-grain bamboo flooring has long, thin strips that are closely packed together; flat-grain bamboo flooring has darker shades across the boards that reveal the nodes in the bamboo; and end-grain bamboo has a lot of tiny, short strips.
Compared to wood, bamboo flooring is more moisture resistant. It comes in easy-to-install forms, just like engineered wood. It is just as simple to maintain and refinish as solid or engineered hardwood flooring.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a resilient flooring option that is flexible and has a softer feel underfoot than tile or wood. It is constructed of a felt layer on top of a PVC plastic layer. A cushioned vinyl with a thin layer of foam is more comfortable to walk on. In addition, a textured surface on thicker vinyl flooring can make it appear like stone or wood.
A large sheet of flooring called sheet vinyl is unrolled, cut to size, and glued to your subfloor. Some vinyl tiles have a peel-and-stick backing so that you can install them without adhesive. In addition, vinyl is a hardy substance that can withstand moisture and high foot traffic.
Carpets
Like ceramic tiles, carpets are adaptable. They are available in multiple patterns, hues, and textures. Fiber count determines carpet quality. The durability increases with the amount of fiber.
Wool, nylon, acrylic, polyester, or polypropylene are used to make carpets. Compared to other types, wool carpets can withstand moisture and stains better. Recycling nylon carpets is simple.
Acrylic-made carpets can withstand crushing, insects, and mildew. While polypropylene carpets are extremely stained and moisture resistant, polyester carpets are vulnerable to stains. As a result, carpets are appropriate for use in living rooms and bedrooms.
Linoleum
Unlike vinyl, linoleum is made of natural, renewable materials like linseed oil and cork powder. As a result, almost all homes no longer have it as vinyl became more prevalent. However, worries about the vinyl flooring’s chemical composition have rekindled interest in this substitute.
Like vinyl flooring, linoleum can be installed as a floating floor and is available in layers, tiles, or laminated planks. Some types of linoleum such as marmoleum flooring have a protective finish that helps it last longer and resist stains, while others must be refinished every few years.
With the right maintenance, a linoleum floor could last up to 40 years. Since the pigment runs through the entire fabric, it is simple to clean and does not show scratches as often as vinyl.
Laminate
Like engineered wood, laminate wood flooring lacks the real wood layer at the top. Instead, a clear plastic coating makes up its top layer. As a result, it has the appearance of wood, tile, stone, or other flooring options.
Compressed fiber can also be used to create laminate. Tiles or planks are available. Most laminate floors are set up using a floating flooring system. This flooring is suitable for high-traffic areas like kitchens, playrooms, and foyers. Wet rooms, such as the bathroom and laundry, are unsuitable.
