Your new interior décor strategy will be selected and based on the sorts of flooring you choose for your property. Additionally, the correct flooring will have a practical impact on how well each space functions in addition to how your home looks. The room it will be installed in will have an impact on the flooring you select. For instance, the ideal flooring for the living room may not be suitable for the kitchen and vice versa.
If you are adding flooring to a new house, you can do whatever you want. However, if you are doing so in a historic building, your choice is likely to be influenced by the architectural style of the building and your attempt to match what is already there.
Your budget will also significantly influence your final decision. If you want to save even more money, do not only consider the price of the flooring. Instead, consider which options are simpler to install yourself. In this article, we have outlined the various flooring possibilities and options, along with style and installation tips, as well as useful ideas about which rooms each type of flooring works best in.
Types of Floor Coverings
The best place to start when choosing between flooring solutions is with a set spending limit. By doing so, you can eliminate items that might tempt you to overspend and help you focus on the options that fall within your price range. Remember to account for installation costs as well. Some flooring can be installed by the homeowner alone, but many require expert assistance to be installed properly.
After that, think about the space where it will be installed. Even though having the same flooring throughout a house is visually appealing and totally feasible, it might not be the best fit for how each area works. For instance, carpet used to be laid everywhere back in the day, including, regrettably, in kitchens and bathrooms as well as bedrooms and living rooms. With the range of alternatives available, an attractive and useful home may be built without being hampered by unsuitable floor coverings.
Thus, here is an overview of available flooring options:
Stone Flooring
Stone flooring has been a well-liked flooring option for ages since it is quite durable and looks fantastic in both traditional and modern homes. There is a staggering variety of options available, ranging from flawless white floors with consistent coloration to deeply incised dark stones with a wide range of tonal changes.
Stone flooring is best suitable for:
Kitchens: Granite, marble, slate, sandstone, and limestone are the primary choices for kitchen flooring ideas.
Utility rooms: It is important to note that some stones will react with specific detergents and bleaches even when sealed. Thus, stone property must be carefully considered with this choice.
Bathrooms: Natural stone gives a bathroom a true air of opulence, with slate and marble being particularly excellent options because they are less porous. Before and after installation and grouting, limestone and travertine must be cleaned and sealed.
Hallways: Since durability is the primary concern, stone is an obvious choice.
Porcelain Flooring
Porcelain tiles are durable and come in a variety of designs and finishes. They fall in between stone and ceramic tiles in terms of cost and low upkeep. Porcelain floor tiles are more affordable than natural stone, require no sealing, and are very durable. In addition, their uniform shape makes them, perhaps, easier to place as well as easier to produce fine grout lines. Nevertheless, they are more difficult to cut than ceramic tiles.
Porcelain tiles go well with underfloor heating because they are simple to maintain and come in a variety of hues and finishes.
Here is how to best utilize porcelain tiled flooring:
Kitchens: you should prioritize flooring made of materials that are moisture- and stain-resistant, like porcelain tiles, as well as easy to clean.
Bathrooms: For flooring that is more non-slip than glazed, choose an unglazed finish. Opting for this means that installation of the floor may need additional sealing.
Hallways: This option is simple to keep free of pet and muddy shoe paw prints.
Engineered Wood Flooring
With engineered wood flooring, traditional natural wood designs may be incorporated into modern decor while providing a much more water- and movement-resistant option than solid wood. If you want to install underfloor heating, engineered wood flooring is a fantastic substitute for solid wood since it is more resilient to temperature and moisture changes.
Engineered wood flooring is best suitable for:
Kitchens: Choosing engineered flooring over solid wood is safer in terms of mobility, but keep in mind that an engineered floor will still be susceptible to scratches and stains, and may need to be sanded and refinished to maintain its finest appearance over time.
Bathrooms: Although engineered wood is more stable than solid wood, it might not be the best option for family bathrooms. Any water spills should be cleaned up right away, and ideally, you should not leave wet towels or bath mats on the floor either.
Living rooms: Engineered floorboards have the advantage of being simple to maintain clean while also adding a warm aesthetic to the room.
Ceramic Tiled Flooring
Ceramic tiles can be made in a variety of designs and colors, or they can be made to resemble stone yet be lighter and less expensive. When comparing the advantages of ceramic vs. porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles are less expensive yet perform a fairly comparable function. However, they are less durable, are prone to cracking, and are frequently not fully colored, making any damage quite evident. As a result, they frequently cost less.
Ceramic flooring is best suitable for:
Kitchens: A less expensive, but less reliable, choice.
Bathrooms: Bathroom flooring must be able to endure high moisture levels and temperature changes. Additionally, it must be non-slip and stain-resistant. On these fronts, ceramic floor tiles can provide.
Hallways and utility rooms: In these rooms, choosing porcelain or ceramic tiles should lessen the possibility of stains.
Vinyl and Linoleum Flooring
With their incredible durability, water resistance, ease of maintenance, and affordability, these two materials provide much more than just a cheap and cheery flooring. Vinyl, in particular, may also simulate wood and stone. Forget the faded, flimsy coverings of the past.
Vinyl is a synthetic petroleum-based substance, whereas linoleum is a natural product created from linseed oil mixed with plant material such as cork. Despite sometimes being lumped together, they are fundamentally different from a material standpoint. Vinyl has a somewhat short lifespan when compared to the other alternatives, but it is water-resistant and easy to clean. A variety of colors and finishes are available. Both cork and linoleum also make for excellent eco-friendly flooring options.
Linoleum and vinyl flooring is best suitable for:
Kitchens: Makes for a practical and low-maintenance solution.
Bathrooms: The majority of people prefer easy-to-clean surfaces, so be sure the floor you choose can be installed over any underfloor heating you may wish to install in your bathroom.
Carpet Flooring
It is hardly surprising that carpet remains popular because it is cozy, quiet, and comfortable underfoot. Although it should be avoided in damp rooms like bathrooms, it is appropriate for most rooms. However, the type of carpet you select should be determined by how much traffic the space will likely see.
Carpets are best placed in:
Living rooms: An intuitive option, but people who have dogs may want to think about how practical it is in this space.
Bedrooms: Carpet flooring is a common option for flooring ideas since it is cozy and comfortable underfoot.
Bamboo Wood Flooring
Depending on the supplier, this could be a fantastic option for eco flooring because bamboo is known for growing quickly and is therefore an affordable alternative to hardwood flooring. Instead of staining, heating gives it its color, and the longer it is cooked, the darker it becomes.
Bamboo-based flooring is best placed in any room but the wet room, as the bamboo will contract due to the humidity.
Rubber Flooring
Rubber as a choice of material for floors can look fantastic in modern dwellings. Additionally, it is highly weather resistant, insulating, and noise-absorbing. Rubber is a great option if you want to add a burst of color, even though it might not be the obvious choice. It receives excellent marks for sustainability because it is a renewable resource.
Additionally, it is more forgiving than hard surfaces like stone and porcelain in case you drop something, waterproof, and soft underfoot. When properly maintained, it also has outstanding sound absorption capabilities and a 20-year service life.
Rubber flooring is best placed in these rooms:
Bathrooms: A great option for family restrooms and bathrooms. It is soft underfoot, available in anti-slip coatings, and has a variety of vibrant colors and designs.
Kitchens and utility rooms: Rubber is an excellent option for a utility room floor because it is exceptionally stain resistant.
Bedrooms for kids: Easy to clean and soft underfoot.
While this list is far from extensive, it is our hope that, with the help of this guide, you have learned more about your options when it comes to the choice of flooring materials. And thus, you will be empowered to make the best choice possible to make your interior design solutions work in the best manner possible.
