6 Best Flooring Options for Your Home

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Written By Trisha

Hi, I’m Trisha McNamara, a contributor at The HomeTrotters.

What’s the best type of flooring for your home? Flooring in a home is more than simply something to trod on. When you think of the floor of your house, aesthetics, practicality, and budget should be considerations you make.

1. Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is quite a popular option, especially since it can also be more affordable if you find the right brand. Essentially, laminate flooring uses an image of wood, stone, or another material securely attached to a thick layer of plastic and dense fiberboard.

The appeal of laminate flooring comes with its aesthetic, easy-to-clean plastic top coat that is usually very resistant to scratches and liquids. There are some subjective downsides to laminate flooring, though. For example, although it may give off the appearance of wood or another material, its plastic feel gives it a way pretty fast. Likewise, it can be difficult to replace if it’s installed in large sheets.

    2. Hardwood Floors

    Hardwood floors would suit your home perfectly if you prefer a more classic style. Several types of wood are often used for flooring, with the most common being oak, ash, maple, walnut, or structural plywood. The benefit of using wood for your flooring is that it definitely adds a beautiful warmth to your home. It’s also an extremely durable option.

    On the downside, if you’re looking at your more exotic hardwoods, you will pay premium prices. Thankfully, there are multiple woods that you can use for flooring, which vary in price, but there are cheaper flooring options. In addition, after a few years, you will need to sand and re-varnish the floors throughout your house so that they continue to last.

      3. Tiles

      Tiles are another all-time classic. Often used mostly in kitchens and bathrooms because of how easy they are to clean when wet, many modern homes, businesses, and malls have adopted them as their main flooring because of their versatility. Tiles come in many natural materials like stone, granite, marble etc. However, the most common materials used for tiles are ceramic and porcelain tiles.

      Ceramic tiles have a reasonable density and can come in a range of different shapes, sizes, and colours. Porcelain tiles are also ceramic, however, they are baked at higher temperatures which makes them stronger, less porous, and also the more premium option between the two. Do some research on tiles for floors before you buy, there’s a lot to choose from.

        4. Carpets

        The use of carpets for flooring in homes has been on a study decline as newer, more resilient and convenient flooring materials have been created. That said, carpets are still a great option if you’re looking for a comfortable flooring material. You can get many types of carpets, most made from polyurethane or woven fabrics. One of the benefits of carpets is that they are easy to install and just require regular vacuuming to keep clean. Unfortunately, if you don’t keep up with cleaning or mess up something that smells on the carpet, it may retain that scent, which is a downside for us.

        5. Stone Flooring

        If you want a more natural tone for your home, installing stone flooring can add a unique touch. There are three main types of stone flooring: sedimentary stone, igneous stone, and metamorphic stone. Each material will come with its pros and cons. Unfortunately, stone flooring is typically a more expensive option than most other materials on this list.

        6. Concrete Flooring

        Finally, there are also concrete floors. Concrete is a pretty common structural material used in the building industry. Lately, it’s been favoured for its unique style when applied as part of a home’s interior design. Concrete is a versatile material that offers a sleek, modern look for floors, countertops, and other structures around the house. Like natural stone, concrete is also an expensive material because it often requires a custom job to achieve the desired results.

        Final Thoughts

        Consider the overall design of your house and the type of flooring that would complement your home’s aesthetic the best. Likewise, consider function too. If you have a lot of foot traffic through your home or kids prone to making a mess, then strong and durable flooring would be ideal, like concrete flooring or tiles. Likewise, consider your budget too. After all, it will control what flooring you’re able to choose.

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