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Feeling Floored: How to decide which Floor is best for you

There are more flooring options than ever before, but so much variety can lead to confusion. How do you choose which floor is best suited to your space?

There are three main things you need to keep in mind when choosing a floor: your room type, amount of traffic and budget. You need to determine what type of room the flooring is needed for and then consider how much traffic will be going through that room. After determining that, you should consider how much you’re willing to spend on flooring, because that will make a difference in terms of the flooring you choose.

Here is a brief overview of the main types of flooring on the market today to make choosing your new floor a bit easier.

Wood

Hardwood is one of the most popular options these days because the elegance of this type of flooring will add character to any room in your home. Recent advancements in technology and manufacturing have made it possible for wood floors to be installed easily over almost any kind of sub-flooring. The increase in demand has also given rise to a higher quality and variety of finishes for the wood. There are three types of wood floors that can be purchased today: strip, plank, and longstrip. Each of these comes with its own pros and cons so you’ll need to do a bit of research and decide on the best option for your home. You can also choose between a pre-finished or unfinished wood floor. Pre-finished may be more practical, but if a smooth, uniform surface is your goal, you might want to go the unfinished route.

Laminate

If you want the appearance of wood, but have high traffic areas or can’t afford real wood flooring, you should consider laminate flooring. Laminate floors originated in Europe and most of the floorings available are still imported from there, though you can find a few domestic brands nowadays. Laminate floors are very easy to clean and are incredibly durable. They are also stain and fade resistant. Most brands snaps together so installation is easy – as is replacement at a later stage. With the quality of laminate floorings these days, some makes can even be mistaken for wood. Laminate flooring is an excellent alternative to wood if traffic and cost are issues.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring may have gotten a bad rap, but now this type of flooring is available in all sorts of stylish colors and patterns. There are new manufacturing processes being used now that mean both the texture and look of tile, wood grain and stone can be replicated on vinyl. If you haven’t looked at vinyl flooring options recently, you might want to take a second look.

Ceramic Tile

There are many reasons to choose ceramic tile. They are durable and scratch-, fire- and water-resistant. They are also environmentally friendly because they do not retain bacteria and odors. If you decide to go with ceramic tile then you will need to consider things like the slip-resistance of the tile, the most suitable cleaning methods and the color and thickness of the grout. Ceramic tile works better in some rooms than others. Types of ceramic tiles include: marble, granite and unglazed floor tiles.

Carpet

Carpet may not be as trendy as hardwood floors, but it can offer you a floor that is warmer and softer than any other flooring option. It is also much quieter than any of these other kinds of floors. You can choose from a real array of colors and patterns these days. If considering carpet, you might want to go with a solid, neutral color that will go easily with any décor you choose. Carpet is also more economical (in terms of the product itself and installation costs) than some of the other flooring options on the market today.

There isn’t really a right floor for everyone – just floors that are more suitable for certain rooms and for certain budgets. Take a bit of time and think about your needs. This will really help you narrow down the type of floor that is best suited to your room. You can also consult your local home or décor store for more information on each type of floor if you are still having trouble narrowing it down.

Five Important Things to Consider Before Tiling

Picking a new floor can be overwhelming. Even after you’ve narrowed it down to one particular type, it is still challenging to find the right tile because there are so many different varieties to choose from these days. And then once you’ve purchased your new tiles, there are still quite a few things to consider before you begin laying the tile. Here are the top five things you should know before you began tiling.

1. Is Ceramic Tile Suitable for Your Space?

There are many advantages to ceramic tile. It is really durable and easy to clean. It isn’t the best option in some spaces though. During the winter months, ceramic tiles can really hold the cold, so you might not want to use them in a basement space. Certain types can be slippery, so you if you are considering tile for an entryway, you should go with a more slip-resistant variety.

2. Select the right Size, Style and Texture

Ceramic tiles come in all sorts of shapes – anywhere from one inch to two feet. The most common size tiles are between one and one and a half feet in size. Choosing the right size is actually easier than you might think. Just figure out the size of your room and then choose a size that suits it. For example, if you have smaller room, a large tile would not be the best option because it would look like panels rather than tiles. A large tile is really best suited to larger spaces because they look less busy than smaller tiles do.

Currently, there are many styles of ceramic tiles to choose from. The easiest way to narrow down your options is decide on the type of look you are going for. It you want a rustic, natural look than you might want to consider a rugged, natural looking tile instead of a polished marble.

Choose a tile with the texture that will best suit your rooms theme. If you go for a rustic, natural looking tile, it will be rougher than a polished marble surface. When choosing a texture, you do need to take safety into consideration. The smoother that a surface is the more likely it is to be slippery when wet. If you have children or elderly people in your home, then a high-gloss tile is not the best option from a safety standpoint.

3. Choose an Appropriate Grout Color and Width

Grout is a cement mix that has color added to it to compliment your tile. Grout fills the space between tiles so you need to choose a grout width and a color that works in your space.

4. Installation Materials and Methods

There are different installation methods and a successful installation will really depend on the materials used and the energy and patience put into the project. You will want to make sure that you do the proper preparation and have all the materials you need at hand. You will need to make sure that you purchase a high quality bonding material, grout (as discussed above), a sealer and the right tools to get the project done.

Laying tile can be a bit tricky. You need to make sure that your cuts are correct and that the space around each tile is even. If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of installing it yourself, then you might want to look at contracting the job out to a tiling professional.

5. Maintenance

Ceramic tile is one the easiest types of floors to clean and if you take care of them, they will maintain their shiny, new appearance for years to come. To clean tile, all you really need is water and any household cleaner product. You can start by removing any dirt and dust with a broom or vacuum and then using a sponge or mop you can apply the mixture of water and cleaner to your tiles. It’s as simple as that! You will need to be cautious about dropping heavy objects on tile. If tiles split, crack or chip, it is impossible to replace just one tile. Odds are you’ll have to live with any cracks or chips until you’re ready to re-do the entire floor.