How to Choose the Right Flooring for Your Home

The floors of a home are far more than a support for your feet and furniture. They're a canvas a homeowner can use to personalize a home and increase its value. Flooring is the literal foundation upon which the rest of the room is built, and there's a lot to consider about how you can use it to transition from one room to the next. With all the options out there, it helps to have a few references to turn to before deciding on the perfect material for each space. All flooring types have special considerations to remember when selecting them for a room, as does the installation process for each type.

Bathrooms

With so much splashing in a bathroom, homeowners need to beware of mildew and mold. Tiles are normally the most popular flooring choice because they're stain-proof and water-proof, making maintenance far easier to handle for the average homeowner. Vinyl, ceramic, and even stone tiles are all acceptable, provided grout is used to keep the seams from moisture. Or to skip the seam problem entirely, consider sheet linoleum or sheet vinyl as a solution. It rolls out as one large covering, so every part of the floor has equal protection from moisture. Concrete is also a popular choice due to its durability and (believe it or not) it's aesthetics.

Family Rooms/Dens

Carpets collect moisture and store it for many years to come, but there's probably not a lot of water in the family room. Carpets are still the most popular choice in homes today for the living room, even though hardwood floors have managed to make a big comeback. If you do decide to go with hardwood floors, consider a large area rug to complement the room. Not only do rugs or carpeting bring colour and texture to a room, it's also a safety feature. The more traction everyone has, the fewer accidents there will be. Choose plush, wall-to-wall carpeting for playrooms or nurseries.

Kitchens

A kitchen's design and features have a lot to do with how an owner feels about their home. From morning cups of coffee to glasses of wine at the breakfast bar, it's often where we start and end the day. The flooring in a Hounsfield Hills home is going to be exceptionally important both while an owner lives in it and when they sell it. If at all financially possible, skip traditional tile and opt for limestone, granite, or even marble instead. Marble has a lot of drawbacks: it's expensive, it can be slippery, and it's not easy to maintain. But the class marble brings to a room is undeniable. If you opt for wood in the kitchen, make sure the wood is pre-finished otherwise it will swell if it gets wet.

Dining Rooms

Hardwood floors are still the classic choice for dining rooms today because they're classic and elegant. These floors are specifically built to resist the dangers of heavy traffic, so it can handle the antique oak table that requires six bodybuilders to lift. However, the finish will eventually wear away over time, so there will be some maintenance on the homeowner's part. Other possible options include ceramic or porcelain tiles or even Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Vinyl is known for being inexpensive and flimsy, but it's come a long way in the past few years. LVT today is made to look just like natural stone, so the homeowner gets the look they want without the maintenance. Both tile and vinyl are easy to clean, and they're stain-resistant.