Whether you have lived in your home for years or are buying a new home, choosing the best flooring for your home can be a bit daunting. Hardwood, tile, carpet, not to mention the color and type of each. To help make the decision easier, we narrowed down what the top factors are when choosing the best floor for your home.
Best flooring for the space
When looking at what flooring to use in each room you should consider what the space will be used for. Not every room in the house will need the same flooring., as a matter of fact it shouldn’t have the same floor. Here are key factors to consider in each room when deciding on the floor.
Moisture: will the space get moist daily? If your answer is yes, then you will want to stick to tile or water resistant flooring like, laminate flooring, glue down vinyl, or porcelain tile. These are great options for bathrooms, laundry rooms, or kitchens
Subfloor - is the floor level? Most flooring has a subfloor underneath. Usually cement or a thick plywood is used. If this flooring is not leveled prior to laying down new flooring then you will encounter problems down the road. The floor may begin to buckle in places, show divots or even pucker up causing chipping and wear. If you are looking at floating vinyl flooring then this is not an issue as it will lay over most sub flooring and self level. However, if you are looking at vinyl, laminate vinyl, porcelain tile, or real hardwood flooring then you will want to ensure you lay proper subfloor to level out prior to laying down the new floor.
Traffic: how much will the room be used? The living room is where most people spend their time so you will want something that can handle the traffic. Hardwood floor is a great option for this. However, bedrooms are usually only used for sleeping or relaxing so a nice plush carpet would be nice.
Aesthetics: what do you want the room to look like? If you want to go with what is trending or have a vision of what you want the room to look like, then that should be taken into consideration. You may want to have bamboo flooring for an all natural look in the living room or go with a design tile for the bathroom to match the style you want to achieve.
Lifestyle: who will be using the space? For example, if you have kids and pets then you will want to look into scratch and spill resistant flooring for most rooms in the house. Laminate, vinyl plank and tile are great options that come in a large variety of colors and textures and are easy to clean.
Budget for new floors
Do you have a savings fund for your home flooring project? Even if you do, you still want to consider a realistic budget. Not all flooring is created equal when it comes to cost. Real hardwood flooring is definitely more expensive than the laminate versions. Carpet tends to be on the less expensive side but requires more upkeep.
These are things to consider when choosing the right flooring for your home:
Look at each room in your home and decide if you would like the floors to flow and work together or would you rather have different flooring in each space. This will determine the square footage you will look at for each type of flooring and its cost. On average you can get vinyl plank flooring, tile and carpet for $2.50/square foot whereas glue down laminate flooring is around $0.99/square foot and real hardwood flooring starts around $5.00/square foot. You may decide glue down flooring is fine for the laundry room and save your budget for a nice hardwood in the living room.
Once you decide the type of flooring you want such as vinyl plank or tile, you will want to look at the different types of flooring they offer. For example, if you decide you want the hardwood look, you will want to get pricing on both real hardwood flooring, bamboo flooring and laminate wood flooring. This will tell you what type of flooring you can afford within your budget. Then you can look at colors, texture and make sure it covers everything the space will be used for.
The last thing you will want to consider is installation. Glue down flooring is a simple project most homeowners feel comfortable doing themselves. Vinyl plank or laminate flooring are referred to as floating floors which means they do not need to be secured to a subfloor. These are generally just click together patterns that are easy to install. Tile on the other hand will need mortar and grout and you will need a wet saw to cut the tile to size. This you will need to consider when looking at the cost. Most flooring types should be installed by a professional. You will want to factor professional flooring installation into your budget costs.
Other factors for the best home flooring
Having numerous pets, a child with asthma and another child with allergies, hardwood floor was the only way to go for us. Even so, it also means vacuuming daily! Every flooring type comes with its own maintenance plan and their own set of rules for cleaning. These are the final things to consider when looking at flooring types:
Maintenance: we all know carpet needs to be vacuumed daily to cut down on dust, pet dander and dirt but it also needs to be cleaned at least once a year. Laminate and vinyl are probably the easiest to clean out of all the flooring as they can be swept or vacuumed daily and a damp mop will keep them clean. However, real hardwood floors are harder to maintain. They require a certain type of cleaner and mop to be used and are not stain resistant. Additionally, hardwood floors may need to be stripped and sanded every once in a while.
Durability: spills are inevitable. When looking for the best flooring for a home, durability needs to be factored in because even in the most cautious and careful homes, different flooring types have varying durability when you consider where it’ll be used and what will drop on it. Tile may work best in areas like bathrooms and kitchens but it’ll be less durable, over time, if the surface it’s being installed onto isn’t level - which will lead to cracks.
Longevity: these days it seems floors don’t last that long and the average lifespan of any floor is around 10 years. That said, there are some flooring types that have a longer lifespan. Laminate flooring will generally last the longest out of the flooring options. It is scratch resistant, water resistant and easy to clean. Plus, it lasts for 10+ years.. Hardwood will last forever if taken care of properly but is a softer material and is not scratch or stain resistant. Take a look at our tips to prolong the life of your hardwood flooring. Carpet fibers may break down over time and will not be as plush or soft. It also requires more maintenance.
Hire a professional floor installer
Many homeowners assume they can install different flooring types on their own. It’s possible but there’s no guarantee that your floor will be installed to the manufacturer’s specs. That’s important because manufacturers have their own warranty and if your floors start breaking down, the warranty usually gets thrown away once you mention you installed it yourself. When you hire someone to install floors professionally, you typically encounter an installation warranty on top of the manufacturer’s warranty. As homes age, the flooring on the main or basement level shifts which could cause disruptions in your flooring. Hiring a professional helps ensure that your floors last for a while. At Multi Lakes Handyman Services, we pride ourselves on a job well done – especially when it comes to flooring services. We are your total solution for most types of flooring like tile, hardwood floors, laminate floors, and even stone or veneer flooring installation and repairs. Our contractors are experienced so you can trust us with your flooring projects. Give us a call to start your next project today!