Whether you just bought a condo or a house, or just simply wanting to update the floors in your home, choosing a flooring type can be a bit difficult. Of course, you’d want to know what would look best with your interior style, but it’s also important to know some pros and/or cons prior to choosing a floor type.
Carpet
If you’re wanting your home to feel cozy with a natural warmth, carpet may be right for you. With carpet flooring, there are four types to choose from:
- Texture: This type is semi-soft to the touch yet durable. This would be a great choice for a Traditional or Transitional interior style, and great for an area with high traffic (ex. Hallways, Entry ways, etc.).
- Twist: Durable yet soft, the Twist type of carpet matches well with a Contemporary interior style as it provides a subtle sophisticated and updated look. Because of its softness, this will be great in bedrooms or family/entertainment rooms.
- Loop (Berber): As Loop or Berber carpet has more of a ‘hard’ feeling to the touch, which works great if you have an in-home gym, finished basements or a family room. This type provides the max durability and ideal for high traffic areas as well.
- Pattern: Pattern carpet, semi-soft to the touch, gives an upscale and sophisticated look to the home. Its patterns automatically provide a design that make the room stand out without adding décor.
Hardwood
Hardwood floors are absolutely timeless and would match well with any interior style. Take a look at these three hardwood types to find out which one best suite your home:
- Solid Hardwood: There are several different options of wood types (Acacia, Ash, Elm, Maple, Oak, Hickory, Pine, and Walnut) and can be purchased ‘Unfinished’ or ‘Pre-finished’. The Solid Hardwood flooring popularity is due to its durability but is also naturally beautiful and classy. A major pro to choosing this type of flooring is because it can be refinished multiple times. Depending on your location, a major ‘con’ is that Solid Hardwood flooring is not good in high humidity as it can swell or warp and can be a bit expensive. This is not recommended in places like bathrooms or laundry rooms but will be fitting in the living room and dining room.
- Engineered Hardwood: Just like Solid Hardwood, there are many options of wood to fit your style but there are many pros to choosing Engineered Hardwood. This option is easy to install as it can be placed over existing flooring and applied in many ways-ex. nailed OR glued down. Engineered wood is also durable but most importantly, it is less affected by high humidity.
- Laminate Flooring: Out of the three types of hardwood flooring, Laminate Flooring is the easiest to install. No nails, glue or staples are needed when installing, the only thing you need to do is click these planks together! This is DIY friendly and provides a shiny, clean, and realistic wood look to your home without all the installation complication and cost. Like Solid Hardwood flooring, Laminate flooring does warp when high humidity or liquid strikes.
Bamboo
Like Hardwood flooring, Bamboo has also become very popular as this look is almost identical to the classy hardwood floor look. Not only is it naturally beautiful, but it is easy to install like Laminate flooring and will not be affected by water and humidity.
Tile
- Ceramic: This style is the best option if you’re looking for tile that is easy to maintain and cost effective. Ceramic is best used for indoors as it can easily chip in cold weather if it is not installed correctly outdoors and may also be damaged in high traffic areas over time. A pro to Ceramic tile is that it is waterproof, in which it can be used in bathrooms and kitchens.
- Porcelain: Since Porcelain is denser, durable, and water resistant, this can be used both indoors and outdoors. Its durability can also be tested in high traffic areas like an entryway or your patio in the summer.
- Natural Stone Tile: Natural stone tiles include many different stone types like Marble, Slate, Granite, Limestone and Travertine. Many purchase this tile type as it gives the home an exotic, and high-end look. This is ideal for bathrooms and kitchen countertops as it is durable and water resistant. Besides the luxurious look this tile may give, it requires more care to keep up with the look and is an expensive option.
Concrete & Cement
If you’re looking for a flooring type that provides maximum durability and is long lasting, concrete or cement are the best options to go for. It can be beautifully customized to appear as marble or any type of natural stone and can be used both indoors and outdoors. It is a bit more expensive than ceramic tile but is worth it as not too much maintenance is required.
Vinyl
If you’re looking for the EASIEST way to have your floors looking luxurious and polished without spending hundreds of dollars, Vinyl flooring would be the best route. Vinyl flooring is easy to install (DIY friendly), water resistant, durable, and cost effective. There are three types of Vinyl you can choose from:
- Peel and Stick Vinyl Style: With creative installation, this can be made to look like real tile.
- Sheet Vinyl (linoleum): Great for kitchens and bathrooms.
- Vinyl Plank: This style gives the look of real wood and would look great in living rooms and kitchens.
