If it’s your first time in the flooring store, you might notice that nearly every floor product is touted as ‘a revolutionary alternative’ or as ‘the most sustainable solution for your flooring needs. Forgetting the fact that this is a normal marketing and sales gig, you still need to choose what type of floor to install in your house.
Choosing the right flooring type will work wonders in renovating your space and transforming it immensely. Maybe you need a different floor for each room, or you want to go old school and go after just one reliable option for all your room. Whichever your tastes may be, this article is the right guide for you.
The Popular Types Of Flooring Options
There are largely three popular flooring types, and these are laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, and tiles. The choice of one over the other depends on several factors, which vary from one person to the other. Before you head over to the store, it is important to know what each of these floor types looks and feels like.
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Laminate
Laminate is the cheapest option on the list, and it is mostly preferred by homeowners who want to avoid the high costs associated with hardwood, tiles, and vinyl floors. Laminate floors consist of a wooden base with a laminate photo of a tile or wood under a protective plastic layer. It will set you back about $3 to $7 per square foot to install. Apart from cheaper costs, the other main advantage of laminate floors is that they are easier to clean, DIY friendly, and scratch-resistant.
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Engineered Wood
Engineered wood offers the same aesthetic appeal as real wood because it has a real thin hardwood layer, which is bonded onto a cheaper layer of plywood. It costs about $4 to $9 per square foot to install, and you don’t need a professional installer if you follow the installation guidelines properly. Engineered wood offers better water resistance as compared to wooden floors and offers several variations of installation methods. The wood is also less likely to warp because it features a hardwood surface with a plywood substrate.
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Vinyl
Vinyl is made of plastic and comes in two types, namely: the luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). Costs average about $6 per square foot. They are durable and easy to maintain, offering a wider variety of designs and themes. They are extremely impervious to water or other fluids as water can sit still on a vinyl surface for days without causing any damage to the surface.
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Tiles
Tiles come in the form of ceramic or porcelain, and they have a much wider variety than the other flooring options. They are installed on the rough concrete floor, making them quite durable and impervious to water. They are suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms where moisture is expected. Costs range from $2.50 to $3-$10 for both ceramic and porcelain tiles. Overall, you are more likely to find more flooring stores featuring tiles than the other options.
Factors To Consider Before Going To The Flooring Store
Before you decide on which floor type to settle on, there are some key considerations first to make. You may have seen your friend’s house as a particularly nice floor and may want to copy it. However nice your friend’s floor may look, you should keep in mind that different considerations went into making that decision. For example, maybe your friend or neighbor doesn’t have children, which influenced his decision to go for tiles and laminates rather than concrete or wood. To make your choice easier, you can consult with an interior designer, or specifically a flooring consultant, to narrow down your options based on the following considerations:
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Location
Every room in your house is different. Your bathrooms will do with tiles, whereas your bedrooms would appreciate a softer surface suitable with a rug. Similarly, kitchen surfaces ought to be slightly rougher. Since laminate floors tend to be more aesthetically pleasing, they are a great option for areas where you won’t need rugs. You may like laminate floors for your staircases, lounges, and offices, but shift towards tiles for the kitchen and bathrooms.
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Durability
Every homeowner wants their floors to last much longer. The process of repairing and overhauling entire floors is expensive and inconvenient, so the flooring options you choose should be durable and require less maintenance. Traditionally, tiles have been one of the most durable options because of their perceived permanency with the concrete floor. However, with new technologies, vinyl and laminate floorings have proved to be equally as resilient and durable. They are water-resistant and scratch-proof, meaning you can choose them for busy surfaces and are ideal for your children’s bedroom or play areas.
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Cost
Pricing is the most popular consideration when choosing between tiles, vinyl, laminate, and wooden floors. Though wooden floors have mostly been averagely priced, the emergence of engineered wooden floors, which offer a combination of advantages offered by laminate and vinyl flooring with the aesthetic appeal and timelessness of pure wood, has increased the price profiles of wooden flooring. Tiles, therefore, seem the cheapest option, followed by laminate flooring.
Conclusion
Now that you have all the necessary information, you can go to your nearest flooring store and make the right choice. Your floor choice will need proper and regular maintenance to ensure it offers your proper utility. You should consider talking to a building and flooring consultant to aid you in making the right decision.
It would be unfortunate to overhaul an entire floor just because the initial choice is not the right fit for what you intend to do with the room. Some flooring options are more versatile than others, and you should keep this in mind as you make your choice. Overall, your floor choice will be a reflection of the overall theme and aesthetic you are aiming for.
