Perhaps the hardest and most painstaking challenge when decorating your home is the task of choosing the right flooring, and it can seem like a daunting task. To do so, you have to combine your taste with careful thinking about the aspect of practicality during the process. It is one of the main parts of your house, it is a place where you walk, sit, and stand, where your loved ones roam around, it is a place where your kids play, and it is a place where you watch your kids grow up. Thus it deserves all the extra attention and effort that it requires.

Choosing the right floor for your house is more than just the perfect aesthetics, there are several other factors that should influence your decision, including durability, required maintenance, and the potential value it can add to your house in case you decide to sell it. Flooring is not something you change every day, and when you are choosing the right flooring for your house, you should ideally be looking for something that will last you a lifetime. Fortunately, there are more flooring options available than ever. Let’s have a look at some of them along with their pros and cons so that it gets easier for you to choose.

Flooring options

Carpet

Carpet flooring offers warmth and softness that is unmatched by other types of flooring. It is also available in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures, making it perhaps the most versatile style option of flooring. Due to new innovations in carpet flooring like the synthetic fiber carpets, the age-old problem of stains has also been solved as these modern carpets are resistant to them. The natural alternative with the desired resilience, durability, and comfort is the wool carpet.

Carpet flooring has many advantages. Firstly, no other option can beat the range of style, color, and pattern options that carpets offer. These options are virtually endless. Secondly, they have the ability to absorb sound and act as sound insulators. Thirdly, they are relatively easier to replace. Fourthly, they also insulate your feet from the concrete.

There are a few disadvantages related to carpet flooring too. Firstly, unlike other surfaces, carpets are stained more easily, and spills are harder to clean. Secondly, unless vacuumed regularly, they can store dust and allergen. Thirdly, they are prone to water and moisture damage.

Vinyl

Vinyl is a flooring material that has commercial applications and is usually seen in commercial places. It is preferred for commercial applications because it has the properties of being cleaned with ease, it is low-maintenance, and it is economical. It also offers a wide array of color choices and patterns. Many vinyl choices offer durability and texture choices by incorporating technology. Karndean is a luxury vinyl flooring brand and is an example of good quality vinyl flooring. Karndean is an excellent alternative to wood flooring as it can have the same look being made with a textured surface, and the expense of installing a Karndean floor is much smaller than that of installing a wooden floor.

Vinyl flooring offers many advantages. Firstly and most importantly it is affordable and offers excellent value for money. Secondly, its maintenance is easy and thus saves money, time, and effort. Thirdly, it can be laid in a seamless manner determined by the size and layout of the room.

There are a few disadvantages, too, that come along with vinyl flooring. Firstly, if you are an eco-friendly customer, the bad news for you is that vinyl flooring is not exactly as eco-friendly as you might want it to be when compared with other choices as it is not made from sustainable materials. Secondly, it is very easy for vinyl flooring to get tears and cuts when heavy objects are dragged on the floor. Thirdly, the heat tolerance of vinyl flooring is low, and it can get burnt.

Wood

Arguably the most beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, and desirable flooring option amongst them all is wood, as it has been for hundreds of years. It has stood the test of time because of its durability, character, and insulation. It is also a very versatile option as there are a plethora of options to choose from – Teak, Oak, Hickory, Maple, Jatoba, American Chestnut, and the list goes on. Within this category of flooring, you can choose between engineered wood and solid wood.

Wood flooring has numerous advantages which have made it an age-old preference for home flooring. Firstly, it is very durable and lasts a long time, given it is properly maintained. Secondly, it has the quality of being renewable. Thirdly, when you take into perspective its renewability, it becomes an economical choice in the long run. Fourthly, it offers diverse style choices.

Opting for wood can also have a few disadvantages. Firstly, wood flooring can develop creaks and squeaks over time. Secondly, liquid and moisture can cause damage to wood flooring. Thirdly, certain types of wood can be prone to damage by the sun.

Tile

Tile flooring is durable, lasts a long time, compatible with in-floor radiating systems, and practically offers an endless range of style and design options. Tile flooring comes with many advantages. Firstly, the choices you have for styles, colors, and textures are infinite. Secondly, it is a very long-lasting and durable option. Thirdly, it is very easy to maintain. Fourthly, it is cost-effective in the long run.

Along with the advantages, tile flooring also has its disadvantages. Firstly, it has less cushion and can break items dropped on it. Secondly, it can be a cold surface to stand on in the winter. Thirdly, glossy and smooth finishes in tile flooring can cause it to be slippery, especially when it is wet and thus can present a hazard.

What should you consider?

In order to choose the perfect flooring for your house, you need to take a few things into consideration. Firstly you need to determine whether the flooring will be in a high moisture area or not, and choose the material accordingly. Secondly, if the floor is to be used by children and pets, more durable material is needed. Thirdly, you need to determine your budget and choose accordingly. Fourthly, you need to take into account the maintenance you can provide and then choose a high or low maintenance floor accordingly.

Conclusion

Flooring is a very important part of your house so you need to put extra thought into what you’re choosing. Luckily for you, with so many options available, you’re bound to find something you like!

What flooring do you have at your house and why? Let us know in the comments below!