What Flooring Fits Your Lifestyle?

When considering flooring, there seem to be an endless number of variables that need to be factored in before making a decision. Do you have pets? Do you have kids? How big is the space? What’s the budget? What’s the room’s purpose? We could go on but you get the jist- it’s not necessarily an easy decision.

Hardwood

There is no denying hardwood floors are beautiful when properly finished and maintained. Getting to that point however can be a bit of a challenge. On the pricier end of our flooring panel, you can expect real hardwood’s to run you somewhere between $12 and $20/sq ft. installed. Of course, if you are pulling up carpet and working with original hardwood floors underneath, you can expect this expense to be mitigated some but you can expect some labor costs when it comes to refinishing them. Depending on the type of wood and finish, hardwood floors run the spectrum when it comes to being kid and pet friendly.

Tile

Losing steam in terms of whole house flooring popularity in the last couple years, tile still stands as a strong contender for those with young children and pets given its relative ease when it comes to cleaning. Depending on your taste, tile can be a cost effective option or just as expensive as hardwood flooring. While cleaning tile is generally a breeze, you’ll want to keep in mind the echo that can accompany the material as well as heating implications it may have for folks living anywhere other than the South. Tile can be cold but there are heated flooring systems you can invest in if tile is where your heart is.

Carpet

Carpet, carpet, carpet. Chances are you love it or you hate it. While, much like tile, carpet has taken a backseat to some of the more trendier flooring solutions, it is still a viable option for low traffic rooms or homes less frequented by little accident makers. Lusting for hardwood’s in your main areas but need a more budget friendly option for areas like bedrooms? Carpet is a great flooring to mix in. If you decide to carpet a large area, you’ll want to invest in a good vacuum and/or steam cleaner.

Laminate

Laminate has come a LONG way since those boxes of peel and stick squares that you could pick up virtually anywhere in the mid-90’s. Laminate can often serve as a cost effective substitute for a family wanting a hardwood-esque look but not wanting to bear the cost are require quite a bit less maintenance. Laminate can serve as a great option for those with small children who don’t necessarily want to sacrifice aesthetics because of less than graceful little ones. Easy to clean and virtually kid and pet proof, it’s easy to understand why laminate has made such a come back.

Concrete

Definitely the trendier of the flooring crowd, concrete floors can make a bold statement in any room. Determining what type of subfloor you are working with is the first step in deciding if concrete may be in the cards for you- generally speaking, installing concrete floors over a subfloor supporting joists isn’t advised. If you have the foundation to support them, concrete floors are probably the easiest to care for of the bunch with nothing more than sweeping and a damp mopping required. Remember though- they are concrete which means they may not be the best choice for homes with teetering toddlers or the elderly.