It creates a canvas for all the other items we put in the room. As the holidays loom closer, it is also a relatively inexpensive and quick way to update the look of your home without having to undertake major construction. If you’ve ever visited a flooring or home improvement store, you may have felt overwhelmed with the countless options for flooring and have found it hard to decide what best suits your needs. Do you need a soft and warm floor that creates good sound insulation? Do you want something more resilient and can hold up to traffic? Do you need something pet proof? What is your budget for the size room you are looking to do? Here's a list of the most popular flooring options out there and the benefits of each.
Carpet
Carpet is one of the most popular choices for homeowners for a variety of reasons, number one being comfort. Stretching out on a hard floor just isn't the same as relaxing on a plush and inviting carpet covered floor. And let's not forget the insulating properties of carpet. It stays warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than most other materials. Add to that the fact that carpet absorbs noise, both in a room and between floors, and it's easy to see why many homeowners turn to carpet to meet their flooring needs. Many people shy away from carpet because of the notion that it stains really easily and can hold allergens. However, with today’s superior carpet technology, like the new fiber developed by Dupont for Mohawk that has stain resistance built into the fiber that never wears off; you have a product that is soft, durable, and stain resistant. Also, with the multiple color and texture options, you can create a “custom” look to any room without breaking the bank.
Tile
Tile is a great option for anyone looking for a low maintenance and beautiful floor. Tile offers a large variety of styles and designs that can fit almost any homeowner's vision, and it is versatile enough to be used in almost any room of the house. There are also different types of tile: from a ceramic tile to porcelain tile (denser than ceramic) to natural stone like marble, slate, and travertine. Tile in general is very durable and easy to clean (although natural stone should be sealed yearly) and although materials cost similar to other forms of flooring, the labor tends to be higher. Tile also tends to be colder than other types of flooring but with under floor heat (like Schluter’s Ditra heat) it creates the warms floors in the winter and the coolest floor in the summer.
Hardwood
You can't beat the beauty of a hardwood floor. Hardwood not only adds value to your home but also adds an atmosphere of warmth and class to any room in which it is installed. They are a little less durable than other materials, but the application of a urethane finish will help to prevent the scratches and other blemishes that are inevitable with this type of flooring. Mohawk hardwood applies their “Armormax” (a baked on Scotchguard protection) to variety of their hardwood which makes it 5x’s less likely to abrasion than its leading competitors. Also, a hardwood floor can always be refinished (multiple times if necessary) to look like new, something that isn't possible down the road with most other materials.
Laminate
Laminate floors are made of pressed, composite wood with a thin layer of veneer appled over the top that can mimic almost any other surface. They are nearly impossible to scratch and stain resistant, making them a popular choice for those who want the beauty of hardwood without the upkeep. Like everything else, there are different price points for laminate and typically, the higher the price, the nicer the visuals. The thickness of laminate may also vary from 6mm to 12mm. The thicker laminate usually has a better locking system although many may argue that Mohawk’s “Uniclic” system is the best locking system in the market.
Vinyl
This isn’t your grandmother’s linoleum! Vinyl floors are very durable and offer a cost effective flooring solution for today’s market. Also, there are many other options for vinyl flooring other than the traditional sheet vinyl. Vinyl tiles like Congoleum’s Duraceramic (a limestone/vinyl composite) gives you the ceramic tile look without the “coldness” of tile. There are also floating vinyl planks that compete with laminate floors but offer superior water resistance.
Specialty Materials
Your flooring options aren’t limited to these common materials. Rubber flooring is tough and long lasting when applied in the right setting while those who are more ecologically-minded might want to consider bamboo or cork floors, which are just as durable and beautiful as hardwood, yet made from a renewable resource. Talk to a flooring professional to get a complete list of the less common materials out there that might meet your specific needs. If you liked this article or would like a FREE consultation on your flooring or home improvement project, feel free to visit our showroom in the Wildewood Shopping Center in California, MD or call 301.866.0337 for a FREE estimate. You can also schedule online at www.somdkitchenbathfloors.com
