How to Choose the Best Flooring for Your Home
By Dana Krizmanic,
How to choose flooring is difficult when the options are limitless. Choosing which is best can be overwhelming. To make things easier, let us go room by room and narrow it down. Here are the most common floor types that offer the best value and performance for that room:
Dining room, living room and entryway:
Hardwood and ceramic tile
Hardwood is the most popular choice for the common areas in any home. It adds a classic and timeless look and adds value to any home. Solid hardwood is all-natural, can be refinished many times and last a lifetime. Ceramic tile is also a stylish and traditional selection. The home's common areas are where you want high-quality flooring for look, performance, and added value.
Bedroom, office, media room and family room:
Hardwood, laminate and carpet
Hardwood throughout a home is a reasonable choice for all rooms with little moisture exposure. It is also sensible to consider less expensive possibilities like laminate or carpet. Laminate flooring looks identical to hardwood and costs less. You can also save money with carpet. Carpeting will provide more of a casual and comfortable element you may want in these rooms. The softness of the carpet is also important to have in a child's bedroom and playroom.
Laundry room, mudroom, bathroom and kitchen:
Porcelain tile and vinyl
These rooms require moisture-resistant flooring. Porcelain tile is the best choice and is ideal for shower stalls and bathroom floors. Porcelain tile is highly waterproof, scratch-resistant and can last a lifetime. Ceramic tile is also a recommendation; however, ceramic is slightly less waterproof. Ceramic and vinyl flooring are both great choices and affordable for kitchens, bathrooms, laundry and mudrooms. Vinyl tile is highly water-resistant.
Basements:
Epoxy, vinyl tile, engineered wood and carpet
Basements are concrete and can be subject to cold and humidity. You need a flooring material that offers the best moisture resistance. Epoxy and vinyl tile are best. Engineered wood flooring would be another option. It is more resistive to moisture than solid hardwood, but it will require a moisture barrier. Carpet can sometimes be used in basements, but it will also require a moisture barrier along with a plywood subfloor.
Screened room:
Indoor/outdoor carpet and ceramic tile
Stanton's Cable Beach rug in Moss
Screen rooms are subject to humidity and moisture from the outdoor elements. So, you want a moisture-resistant flooring there. Screen rooms are usually on a concrete slab. Tile is a fine choice but can become cold. Looking for something warmer and less expensive? Then an indoor/outdoor carpet would be the way to go.
How to choose the flooring that is best for each room and situation depends on budget, durability, exposure to moisture, maintenance, look and feel… to name a few. Visit the flooring consultants of Creative Carpet & Flooring, who can help you with all flooring types and their qualities for every room to make you house a home you will love.