What to Look for When Shopping for Home Flooring - Your Complete Guide to Floors
Upright Vacuum Guide
APR
3
2009
Shopping for Concrete Flooring?
Concrete isn't just for your garage and basement anymore. Concrete can be used as a flooring material for the living areas of your home, too.
Pros:
- Super stain resistant - clean up on cement flooring is easy
- Various finishes are available so concrete flooring can match any home decor
- Generally less expensive than wood or other traditional flooring
- Concrete floors are environmentally friendly
- For cold weather dwellers, cement floors can be chilly in winter months
- Concrete is a very hard material and might not be suitable for a family with young children
Where to avoid concrete floors: bedrooms (unless you have large area rugs)
Shopping for Cork Flooring?
Cork flooring is a popular choice when it comes to refurbishing your floors. Cork floors come in a variety of styles and is easy to install yourself, which makes it a hit among homeowners.
Pros:
- Holds up to damp environments
- Variety of styles can compliment the look of your home
- Cork floors are warm (unlike vinyl flooring and wood flooring)
- Cork flooring is environmentally friendly
- Cork floors are easy to clean - spills aren't a problem
- The biggest problem with cork flooring is the price - it's as expensive as wood flooring
- Cork flooring is also soft so consider investing in some padding for furniture in cork floored rooms
- Cork flooring can fade in direct sunlight
Where to avoid cork flooring: bathrooms
Shopping for Wood Flooring?
Wood flooring is usually oak, birch or maple. Each material offers a different look for your home, so shop accordingly. When you're shopping for wood flooring, keep in mind that wood floors come in various shapes - strips, tongue-in-groove, and parquet. Installation is different depending on the type.
Pros:
- Wood floors are very durable
- Wood flooring has a classic, clean look
- Hardwood flooring can be expensive
- Water damage is a concern for hardwood floors.
- Repair and installation can be difficult
- Can be cold in the winter
Where to avoid wood floors: bathrooms, kitchens
Shopping for Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring or linoleum flooring is typically installed in tiles or sheets. Modern vinyl flooring often has a peel-and-stick option which is great for easy installation.
Pros:
- Linoleum flooring or vinyl flooring is easy to clean
- Vinyl flooring holds up against water
- This type of floor is relatively inexpensive and easily installed
- Specific repairs can be difficult to make - you might have to repair a whole section of the floor
- Vinyl flooring can be thin so imperfections in your floor will show through
Where to avoid: bedrooms, living areas
Shopping for Carpeting?
Carpeting is a great option for areas in your home that are meant to be warm and cozy. Keep in mind, carpeting is best in dry, clean airs.
- Synthetic carpeting is the most common type of carpeting. It's typically made out of nylon and acrylic, though the quality depends on several factors like the installation job, weight of carpeting, and quality of the subfloor.
Pros:- Synthetic carpeting holds up to moisture better than wool carpeting.
- Synthetic carpets are easier to clean than wool carpets
- Less expensive than wool carpeting
- Susceptible to burns
- Compared to wood or vinyl floors, carpeting is prone to staining and can be a pain to clean
- In general, not suited for damp environments - carpeting is prone to mildew and mold
- Wool carpeting is another option when it comes to carpeted floors. It's less popular than synethic carpeting but has many benefits.
Pros:- Many homeowners like wool carpeting for its durability - carpets are prone to everyday wear and tear but wool holds up better than synthetic carpeting
- Wool is typically a very soft material for carpeting
- Wool carpeting is more expensive than synthetic carpeting
- Wool carpets, like synthetic carpets, are difficult to clean
- Like all carpets, wool is prone to mold and mildew
- Wool is susceptible to burning
Where to avoid carpet: Kitchens, bathrooms, foyers
