The Choice is Yours-Helpful Hints for Selecting the Right Floor for Your Home

“You can get with this, or you can get with that”. These are words to a famous rap song from the 90’s. It is also the reality of choosing flooring for your home. Depending on your style, type of home, geographical location, and size of your wallet, a myriad of flooring choices exist out there. I am here today to offer you some friendly advice from someone who has been there. I hope you learn something new, and that this wisdom helps you the next time you are searching for your flooring needs.

One thing you should consider when choosing flooring is what room you are planning to put the floor in. How many people will be traipsing through that area on a daily basis? If it is a high use area such as an entryway near your front or back door, you will probably want to go with a laminate type of flooring. For areas of comfort such as bedrooms, or a family room, carpet could be your best bet. Bathrooms do very well with tile flooring, although some laminates are also made for the bathroom. If the elegant look is what you are after, you may want to put hardwoods in most of the areas of your home. Each of these types has good points and bad. Let’s take a look at some of them now.

Laminate – The look of hardwood without all the hassle:

Laminate floors exist in many forms. They come in planks or in tiles. They can mimic everything from the look of oak hardwood flooring to that of a granite tile floor. Laminate floors are easy to install, and are very affordable. I have virtually zero handy-man skills and was able to install laminate floors throughout my home in a relatively short amount of time. Besides that, laminates are easier to care for than their hardwood brethren. You can couple them with area rugs for a great look. One word of caution of though: If your home is on a slab, laminate floors can be very cold in the winter. I live in the south so it isn’t so bad. If I lived in a cold climate I would think twice about installing these in large areas of my home. You can couple them with a radiant floor heating system and take care of this problem however. If you are looking to save time and money, go with laminate.

Hardwoods – Elegance and style to make your home beautiful:

If you want my humble opinion, there is no better looking floor you could put in your home than one made of hardwoods, particularly oak. However, with the good also comes the bad. These floors are typically some of the most expensive. They are subject to scratches and gouges fairly easily. They are not simple to install and require an advanced do-it-yourselfer or professional to install properly. However, they come in a wide array of finishes and styles that will add beauty and value to your home. So if you don’t mind investing the extra time and money, there is no better choice.

Carpet – The old standby is still great for many reasons:

Oh, I know what you are thinking. Carpet is full of allergens, horrible for the environment, and ugly. All I have to say about that is: not true, not true, and not true. Today’s new brands of carpet feature excellent styles. Carpet tile is a new phenomenon that offers versatility because it comes in squares that you can mix and match to create your own one-of-a-kind floor. Carpet tile is great as well because if you get a stain on one part of the carpet, you can just take up that tile and replace it with another one. Today’s carpet it also made from materials that are environmentally friendly including special polymers and even recycled bottles! Not only that, but the computer age has allowed for much more intricate pattern work in the design of the carpet. Carpet that keeps the allergens to a minimum is also possible. So, if you are looking for that comfy feel beneath your feet in your bedroom or when relaxing in the family room, you may want to look into some of these new carpeting options for your home.

So you see, carpet, hardwood, and laminate floors all have their high points and limitations. Depending on the size of your wallet, your handy-man skills, and even where you live, you can easily find something that will work for you. The important thing is that you pick the flooring that truly speaks to your tastes. Still, it’s good to know that lots of options exist.

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