When you have a new house and are working to finish its design, deciding about what kind of flooring to have in it is not something you should do in a hurry. Three of the major factors homeowners look at to choose the features in their home are cost, beauty, and durability.
For the flooring in your home, these considerations are also important. Floors must be attractive enough to improve the aesthetic appeal of the ome, says Evolve NV. They should be tough enough to withstand the inevitable abuse they will be subjected to. Lastly, they should be within reach, cost wise.
Finding a way to balance these three factors can be hard, but in this post, we present some of the questions you can ask yourself when choosing flooring for your home. The post also discusses some of the best flooring materials on the market, along with the pros and cons of each option.
Questions to ask when choosing the flooring for your new house
Will it be installed in an area with high-moisture exposure?
High-moisture areas like bathrooms need a different type of flooring than other rooms.
Will the flooring be in a high-traffic area of the home?
Areas with high foot traffic will be exposed to the possibility of greater wear and tear.
Are there pets in the home?
Pets’ claws, toenails, teeth, and urine can wreak havoc on some kinds of flooring.
What does it take to maintain the flooring?
The long-term cost of maintaining the flooring is critical. How much work does it require?
Flooring options for your new house
Below are some of the flooring materials you should consider for your new house.
· Engineered wood
Engineered wood is real wood flooring that is slightly different from traditional hardwood flooring. Engineered wood is made of plywood with fine veneered hardwood overlaid on the top. This type of flooring has the same unique appearance of hardwood flooring – the natural pattern of wood – that has made hardwood so popular. But engineered wood does not have many of the moisture issues traditional hardwood flooring has.
The layers of engineered wood flooring are more dimensionally stable and able to handle moisture exposure better. Compared to hardwood floors, the only drawback of this type of flooring is it can only be sanded a limited number of times before the veneer wears thin.
· Decorative tiles
Decorative tiles bring an additional dimension to the original advantages of standard tiles. Tile is a popular flooring material because it is one of the most affordable options. In addition to being cost-effective, it is highly resistant to moisture and easy to maintain.
They last a long time – up to twenty years – as long as you don’t drop something on the floor to crack it. Decorative tiles offer all these advantages but bring the added benefit of having beautiful designs. This can help add visual interest to the flooring in rooms. Decorative floor tiles come in a wide array of options. The drawback of tiles is they are cold beneath the foot and have poor noise-cancelling qualities.
· Laminate flooring
Laminate is mostly made from wood products; the percentage of wood products in it can be up to 99%. It is a good option if you want the charming appearance of real hardwood flooring without the cost and maintenance. If installed properly – without exposed seams – laminate offers a waterproof surface. Otherwise, water can seep into the layers and damage the flooring.
If the laminate is installed with foam underlay, it offers a soft surface that is comfortable to walk on. Also, laminate is easy to install and feels warm under the feet. Lastly, because its top layer doesn’t wear easily, laminate is great for high-traffic areas and homes where there are pets.
· Vinyl flooring
The number one advantage of vinyl flooring is its water-resisting abilities. It is one of the best flooring options for rooms with high-moisture exposure or where there is a possibility of spills. But beyond standard vinyl flooring, Wood Plastic Composite or Waterproof Core (WPC) extends the benefits of vinyl flooring even further.
WPC boards look like real wood and are very easy to install. Vinyl and laminate are a bit similar in cost, appearance, and ease of installation. But vinyl flooring has an advantage over laminate in its ability to handle moisture
· Carpet
The number one attraction of carpet is comfort; carpet is warm and soft. Another reason to choose carpet as the flooring material for your home is it comes in a dizzying selection of colors and patterns. When it comes to maintenance, carpets need to be cleaned on an annual basis. Newer types of carpet offer qualities that are not available with older carpet technology, such as stain resistance.
Carpet has the additional advantage of being able to prevent injury; this makes it the right option when there are infants or elderly people in the home. Carpet is also easier to replace than tile or vinyl. The drawback of carpet is it doesn’t handle moisture well, is prone to tear, and can trip people.