Flooring Choices:The Good and The Bad

Renovating your home is always stressful with budgets, material costs, time and labor, dealing with contractors it can all become overwhelming. But it is never a bad idea to make improvements and one of the improvements that will show immediate results is flooring.

There are so many choices out there for flooring from very expensive to very affordable, Carpet or hardwood, laminate or tile, vinyl or concrete. This is a big decision so make sure you really love the material before you buy it and make sure it works with your current design style and colors. Some of the questions you want to ask yourself is:

  • Is this a high traffic area?
  • How hard will it be to clean and maintain?
  • How does it feel to your feet and legs?

All of these questions are important. If you are looking to cover a high traffic area you might want to think about tile or vinyl, as these wear better. Carpet will get worn down over time and hardwood will scratch.

If you are looking to replace the kitchen or bathroom flooring then hardwood is a good option but look at bamboo or cork. Both woods are easy on your legs and feet and great for high moisture areas.

You also have to think about the area you live in, if you live in a colder climate wood and tile will not hold the heat in the winter so you can offset that with area rugs or radiant heated floors. If you live in high humidity and warmer climate then tile and concrete would be a better option. Both work well with the humidity and are cooler to walk on.

Here are a list of the popular types of flooring and the good and bad for each.

Hardwood

Good: Durable and attractive. Can be easily refinished in areas of damage and if the house is fairly moisture resistant will last a lifetime of the house.

Bad: Without regular maintenance the wood can warp with moisture. It does need to be refinished periodically especially in the high traffic areas and will need a subfloor installed.

Engineered Hardwood

Good: More affordable, comes prefinished and easier to install. This type of flooring works well with radiant heated floors, doesn’t need a subfloor and is more resistant to moisture damage.

Bad: For high traffic areas it will wear out quicker and can only be refinished a few times before it will need to be replaced.

Carpet

Good: Feels wonderful on your feet and legs, softer and warmer. Can be less expensive than other flooring.

Bad: Stains easy, wears down more quickly and can retain mold and other allergens.

Tile

Good: Extremely durable, lasts a lifetime, easy to clean and maintain, comes in a large variety of styles, sizes, colors and design. Love the look of wood but want tile, now you can even buy porcelain tile that looks like wood.

Bad: Grout can be a problem to clean and will needs to be re-added eventually, it is hard on the legs and feet if standing or walking over an extended period of time, and it is not very forgiving anything dropped on tile breaks. To lay tile correctly you will need an expert to install unless you are a skilled DIY homeowner.

Laminate

Good: Laminate is beautiful and fairly inexpensive, can be installed over existing floors, comes prefinished. With proper backing it is very easy on your feet and legs. It is the perfect DIY project.

Bad: Can’t be refinished you must replace so it is not ideal for high traffic areas and can easily be ruined by flooding or moisture.

Still can’t make a decision on what kind of flooring is best for your home? Head over to PlumbTile and our expert employees will be able to further discuss each type of flooring. Remember the most important thing is what you want. Do you want something that is super popular and may be more expensive or something that is a little cheaper and not as popular? The choice is up to you, but we are certain you will make the right choice!