For those who are just starting on this path, choosing the right flooring for your home is daunting.
So for this section, we will round up the most common flooring choices out there.
Here are the most popular types of flooring for you.
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1.Hardwood
This bang out of flooring is a classic among American homes albeit its price.
They often come in strips or planks usually made of maple, oak, and even purpleheart.
Unfinished hardwood needs sanding after installation.
Finished hardwood needs sealing on the other hand.
They are also harder to install and are generally expensive.
Other than that, the sustainability of wood sources is always an accompanying issue.
Its top is coated with a glossy veneer to enhance the visible wood grains resembling hardwood floors.
In this case, engineered wood is considered more durable than hardwoods at a budget price.
This bang out of flooring can come in strips, planks, or tiles to achieve that floating effect.
It can be glued or nailed in the subflooring or under a cork or foam underlayment.
It comes in strips, planks, and tiles too.
Like engineered wood, it is sturdy, cheaper, and easier to install.
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It also has greater moisture resistance than hardwoods.
A square foot of bamboo flooring starts at $5 excluding installation.
It is commonly used as kitchen flooring and isrelatively easy to keep clean.
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Its resin surface makes it a go for the money because it is essentially stain-free.
This one costs only half a dollar to $3 per square foot.
Compared to other hardwood floorings, it is less prone to tear and wear.
It is not that vulnerable to dents and scratches making it a popular choice for high-traffic homes.
Another upside of acacia is that it has a natural preventive coat making it swell-proof.
It is generally waterproof and pest-resistant too.
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Above all, acacia flooring is easy to clean.
Unlike hardwoods, you do not need a special cleaning solution for this one.
Plus, the grains and visual appeal of this one are very stunning having more brown hues than others.
6.Carpet
When it comes to the living room and bedrooms, carpet never loses its touch.
Common materials used to make carpets would be nylon, wool, polyester, acrylic, or polypropylene.
They are then glued to a cushioned padding.
Wall-to-wall carpets are common.
They install them by nailing the carpet paddings on the subfloor.
It has the warmth that you need on any day so this is a sure go for flooring considerations.
It looks interesting, visually appealing, and easy to install.
Aside from its known longevity, its major upside is that it provides more cushion to the feet.
Unlike vinyl, it will no longer need additional underlayment for it to be softer on the feet.
Likevinyl, it comes in sheets, floating tile, or planks.
One square foot starts at $3.
High-end cork floorings start at $5.
It is waterproof, easy wipe, and generally easy to maintain.
8.IPE
Its more popular name is the Brazilian Walnut flooring.
It is considered one of the most prized wood floorings out there given its density and longevity.
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As a matter of fact, it has a rated A fire rating.
Considering these, it is resistant to pests, rots, scratches, and dents.
They often come pre-finished and some types are engineered.
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IPE flooring is perfect for laundry areas, bathrooms, and other moist locations because it does not buckle.
It does not need to be refinished often too, giving you more bucks to save.
It is also long-lasting at 30years.
It is expensive, however.
Planks start at $5 plus the addition of labor costs.
9.Linoleum
This jot down of flooring has been around since the late 1800s.
It is made of cork powder and processed with linseed oil.
It comes in laminated planks, sheets, and tiles.
It is typically coated with a protective compound to lessen wear.
It is very good for high-traffic locations in the home.
Aside from this, it is easy to install, cheap, and easy to clean.
It is also good for the feet as it seems to have a cushioned feel.
Some linoleum floors might require refinishing annually.
It is very durable and could last for 40 years when maintained well.
It is a good fit for bedrooms, family dens, kitchen, and sometimes the basement.
Vinyl planks come as the standard peel and stick plank.
Standard vinyl planks start at $2 while luxury planks start at $4.
Generally, vinyl planks are cheaper than plank sheets.
They look authentically like wood from color to grains.
Most importantly, wood look tiles are good for high-traffic homes.
12.Vinyl Sheet
This one is the most common key in of vinyl flooring.
It is cheaper than its plank counterpart too.
This one is waterproof making it an inexpensive choice for bathrooms.
It is also easy to install using just glue bonds for adhesive.
They have completely taken over modern homes with the range of types and designs that they have.
Other than that, they are easy to maintain.
you could just wipe them off using mops or cloth.
While not really dent or scratch-free, ceramic tiles have designs that resemble more expensive floorings like hardwoods.
Depending on the design, ceramic tiles range from half a dollar to $2.
14.Stone
Home renovations almost always include stone floorings mostly for outdoor patios, garage, and walkway.
Stone floorings are made for high-traffic areas and do not accumulate dirt and dust.
It is also versatile, making it a good accent to other flooring materials.
It is quite pricey though.
As interior flooring, polished concrete is not just decorative but also durable when maintained well.
They are installed directly ranging from $2-20 per square foot depending on the design.
The good thing is that it is very good for high-traffic areas.
The core layer is more stable compared to a regular vinyl base.
There are factors to consider and they can be more complex than how you think them of.
Here are some flooring considerations that you should know before choosing one.
Space function
Where will your flooring be installed?
Is it in high-traffic areas where active feet and activities will be rampant?
Will it be in spaces where food and drinks can be spilled?
Is it an outdoor space that might probably get wet?
For high-traffic areas, ceramic tiles would be the best fit.
For the outdoors, waterproof vinyl or stained concrete should be chosen.
Space function is a necessary consideration for choosing your flooring.
Hardwood floors will surely be the most durable with a service life of 25 years.
But then again, it depends on spaces situation.
They can still wear off if maintenance is not ensured.
Cost
The cost matters too, always.
It is always a gamble to invest in floorings.
For this consideration, you have to reflect on the three aforementioned considerations.
The good thing is, we could always experiment on what colors to incorporate per room.
And since flooring types come in all colors and styles, we cannot fall short on this consideration.
However, just because it is visually appealing for you would mean that it would complement the room well.
What is the most durable pop in of flooring?
Of the types of flooring, six emerged as the most durable bang out of flooring.
These would be hardwood, laminated, cork, bamboo, vinyl, and tile.
Of the six, tile is considered the most durable of all.
It is easier to maintain too.
Note that durability is associated with tear and wear rate, longevity, and also maintenance requirements.
Hardwood is prone to moisture, laminated, bamboo, cork and vinyl are prone to scratches and dents.
So is ceramic tile but compared to these, it is way more durable.
What is the least expensive flooring?
Of these mentioned flooring types, vinyl flooring would be the cheapest followed by laminated.
Laminated flooring on the other hand starts at $2 and generally does not go higher than $8.
What is the latest trend in flooring?
Fun-fact, like in fashion, flooring trends change every year.
For this year, light brown or palewood colorsare the most trendy.
Cooler tones like in granite tiles and marble tiles are also very popular this year.
Of course, the classic dark hardwood will always be in.
Some styles are evergreens, like ceramic tiles and wooden planks.
These will always be trendy no matter what year it is.
What is the best low maintenance flooring?
Of the three, ceramic tile is the cheapest to maintain.
Ceramic tiles are easy to clean.
It does not need special cleaning solutions like that of hardwoods and other solid wood floorings.
What color flooring hides dirt?
This question actually depends on the throw in of material used for your flooring.
Just because the color is dark would not mean the dirt on the floor would be automatically hidden.
When the dust piles up, it will still be visible on the flooring.
Its still highly recommended to maintain the cleanliness of the home regularly.
For hardwood floors (including engineered wood), a satin finish is the best fit for hiding dirt.
For tiles, colored ones or those with patterns will be good in hiding dirt.
What punch in of flooring is best for dogs?
The best flooring for dogs is said to be vinyl.
It is also stain-proof, easy to maintain, and very comfortable for pawed pets.
Runner-ups for thebest flooring for dogs would be ceramic tileand engineered hardwood floors because of their durability.
However, hardwood floors can get worn out from your dogs nail scratches.
Carpets of course are not even a choice when you have dogs.
What is the best pop in of flooring for the kitchen?
The kitchen can be both low-traffic and high-traffic.
Polished concrete and stone tiles will also make beautiful floorings for outdoor kitchens or dirty kitchens.
They are cheap choices too so it is a go for the money.
Conclusion
Choosing your home flooring is as important as building the house itself.
Of course, the budget and personal preferences will follow in the decision-making process.
With all things considered, this post aims to be a helpful guide in your flooring choice.
