CHOOSING THE RIGHT FLOORING FOR YOUR HOME
Flooring can do a lot for a house, it can completely transform an old house to brand new and can make a simple structured house appear more exquisite. Choosing new flooring can be quite the task for anyone. Some things must be taken into consideration, from the type of the room to personal taste or even traffic flow. Other factors such as durability, exposure to moisture, regular cleaning and the presence of children are also in question.
There various materials to choose from and each material has its pros and cons. Here are some of the most popular types of flooring guaranteed to make your home as appealing as you desire it to be;
HARDWOOD
Hardwood is the most preferred type of flooring worldwide by homeowners. The flooring’s natural outlook, durability, and warm feeling make it the most sought after when it comes to flooring.Hardwood is much more resistant to stains and spills. There are different types of hardwood. The oak is the most installed type of hardwood given its smooth finish. Hardwood can give your home a luxurious interior look and has a long shelf life. It's organic origin, and electromagnetic nature repels dust and hence minimal allergens or molds accompanied by dust. Hardwood floors come in a multiple of styles from parquet, planks and even prefinished boards that you can install on your own. They get scratched, dented, scuffed and damaged but can easily be rectified by sanding, smoothing and refinishing. As compared to engineered wood and laminated flooring, hardwood is less prone o damage. Hardwood is also very baby-friendly. With its maintenance stretching between 3-4yrs depending on the traffic flow, hardwood flooring might be exactly what you want.
LAMINATE
Laminate floors are made from different wood-based materials layered or laminated together and finished with a wood grain photographic imprint on each surface of the board.
You might have come across laminate flooring in homes, boardrooms and a few corridors. Laminate flooring is one of the most sought after floorings there is, with its wood-like appearance, many homeowners are inclined towards it. Not only is this type of flooring cheaper compared to solid wood hardwood installation but also easier to install.
Unlike marble or carpet, hardwood laminate flooring does not experience fading in the sunlight. The durable melamine plastic wear makes it resistant to stains, impact, and scratches. The laminate flooring does not require any specialist; one can easily install the flooring on their own with the tongue and groove system.
There exist different variations of laminate floors, and one of them is the engineered wood floors. The engineered wood floor consist of a real hardwood veneer attached to multiple plywood layers. This type of flooring is much more expensive than the average laminate flooring because it incorporates real hardwood rather than a photographic imprint. The engineered floor appears to be more real than the conventional laminate floor, to some extent, it assumes the nature of the hardwood floor.
BAMBOO
The bamboo tree which takes only five years to grow to maturity is cheaper as compared to the hardwood floors that take up to 120 years to grow to its full size. The material used to create the floor is a lightweight woody grass and not a tree. It has multiple qualities in line with the hardwood. Bamboo flooring is recognized as an ecologically friendly activity, streamed from natural vegetation. There are different types of flooring boards such as the vertical bamboo which has the striped outlook, and horizontal bamboo shows the unique grain pattern and strand wove bamboo mixes the grass fibers together so that they are interlocked( it’s the most expensive flooring).
This material is highly resistant and can withstand extreme changes in temperature and humidity. The installation of the bamboo flooring is quite similar to the hardwood flooring installation, in both cases tongue and groove joints are incorporated for a smooth finish. Bamboo flooring is cheaper than hardwood flooring and lasts just as long.
Bamboo can be carbonized to prevent it from darkening due to Ultra Violet rays. Carbonized bamboo flooring is softer than natural bamboo.
CORK
If you are pro-green, then Cork flooring is another option to take into consideration. The wood’s honeycomb-like structure gives the flooring a cushioning feel when one walks around. This similar characteristic enables the floor to absorb vibrations and sound. Cork flooring gives the room certain warmth and quietness as well as aesthetic versatility. They usually come in tiles which are nonslip and with a natural appearance making it suitable for wet areas such as kitchen or bathroom. You can also find them available in planks coming in various styles, colors and sizes.
Cork flooring is durable as it resists cracking and abrasions, comfortable, fire-resistant, however, melt or ignite at high temperatures and practical
LINOLEUM
The popularity of linoleum is on the rise primarily because it is eco-friendly. The fact that the flooring is made from natural materials such as linseed oil, rosins and wood flour appeals to many people all over and is considered as the green flooring choice. Linoleum being natural based, it has nil adverse health effects whether it’s during production, installation, use or disposal. The pros of linoleum are vast- the floor is antistatic meaning the potential of electric shock is minimized, scratch resistant, the floor is easy to clean, water resistant and comfortable underfoot. This type of floor comes in a variety of colors and gives the homeowner freedom of creativity. It is mostly found in hospitals.
TILE
When choosing the correct tiles for your house, porcelain is definitely on top of the list, terracotta and natural stones- marble, granite, travertine or slate are also quite popular. Porcelain is mostly preferred given that it is cost-effective. The material is also easy to maintain, and its aesthetic value combined with the hardness makes it more alluring. Unlike porcelain, the marble is porous and must be under maintenance. Glazed porcelain tile can withstand heavy traffic areas and doesn’t restrict one to a single type. The variety of different hues, textures, and finishes gives one the opportunity to be creative and explore the varied options of color, sizes, and textures. Tiled floors are most suitable for hotter areas in the country as they do not retain heat as efficiently as carpets or laminates.
VINYL
Vinyl flooring is the most value conscious option today. This flooring is most suitable for rooms that are moisture prone such as the kitchen, laundry room, bathrooms or basement. Vinyl is easier to clean and has a soft underfoot. It may come as a sheet or self-stick tile. Vinyl gives you the freedom to choose the thickness and width that suits the room. The thicker the vinyl, the more traffic it can withstand.
CONCRETE
The last bit, not the least is the concrete flooring. The plain and gray concrete can be manipulated into becoming anything you have ever visualized. There exist multiple special stains to stamp the concrete making it appear as polished marble, tumbled stone or brick pavers.
Concrete floors are durable and are ranked as the highest resistance type of floors. They are also cheap and require minimal maintenance. Have your home with beautified concrete floors.
Different rooms require different floorings. Such as;
Kitchen
The kitchen flooring needs ease of cleaning to be subtle and also durability. One is inclined towards linoleum, wood and ceramic tile. All require very little maintenance and are very durable- resisting dents, dings, and scratches.
When installing tiles, keep in mind the subflooring whether there is structural movement and if replacement is needed before installation. Also if you have children or persons with disability, take note to ensure you install the floors with a textured surface and not just a smooth tile.
info about flooringHardwood is a great option for the kitchen given the heavy traffic of the room. Ensure that the wood has the protective outer layer of polyurethane that protects its surface from different kinds of moisture.
Bathrooms
Linoleum, limestone, marble, granite and ceramic tile are accessible and functional options for the bathroom. These different materials have different price tags and installation. Ceramic tiles are expensive to install but all the same worth it if you desire that marble outlook.
