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Different Flooring Options For Your Home

While renovating your home’s flooring can be a very rewarding and exciting process it can also be quite stressful. There are a variety of flooring options to choose from, and each of these options has its own advantages and disadvantages. It can be challenging to understand what material offers the most advantageous profile for your home’s Flooring. The following list discusses popular flooring materials and the advantages and disadvantages these materials possess. If you are looking to renovate your home’s flooring in the foreseeable future then this list was meant for you!

Ceramic

Tile Flooring

Ceramic tiles are made from natural elements like sand and clay that have been baked in a kiln. This flooring option is highly durable and offers homeowners the choice of several different designs and colors. Ceramic tile also does not get easily scratched or damaged and is a solid choice for high traffic areas and home’s with pets and children.

There are also several disadvantages associated with ceramic flooring. This material can be quite slippery and can pose a potential hazard to the elderly or young children.

Ceramic also does not conduct heat and can be quite cold to touch. Therefore, walking on ceramic tile, especially in the winter, can be uncomfortable.

Shop ceramic bathroom accessories, Handmade ceramic tiles, & ceramic corner shower shelf

Concrete

A slightly unconventional but widely available flooring material, Concrete can come in a variety of colors and designs that can add texture and depth to a room via its flooring. Floors made out of concrete will also increase the overall energy efficiency of a home and improve a home’s fire protection. The material is not combustible and acts as an additional source of insulation.

Concrete floors are very hard to repair. Any section that does crack or fade can’t be easily patched or replaced. Concrete floors also can be quite loud and uncomfortable to stand on for long periods of time. Shop: Concrete polishing pad, concrete cement board

3. Wood

A classic home flooring material, wood floors are an investment and drastically increase the resale value of a home. This material is also highly customizable and comes in a variety of shades, designs, and patterns. Wood floors are also a good source of insulation in a home. However, wood floors are also very expensive, easy to damage, and require extensive ongoing maintenance and care. Shop: hardwood floor cleaner, hardwood floor installation kit

Vinyl

In recent years, vinyl flooring has seen tremendous advances in design and functionality. Similar to linoleum, this flooring material is normally installed in kitchens and bathrooms. The material is very easy to clean using a broom and dustpan. Vinyl flooring is also water-resistant and can be moped and dried quite easily. The disadvantages of vinyl flooring relate to the chemical compounds of the material. These compounds are quite harmful to the lungs and eyes when broken down. Therefore, vinyl flooring has to be removed completely to replace even the smallest of defects.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is designed to imitate hardwood flooring in a home. This material is easy to install and easier to maintain than wood flooring. The material is also highly inexpensive and comes in a variety of shades, designs, and textures. The major downfall associated with laminate flooring is its water resistance. While the material is somewhat water-resistant it should never be installed in a laundry room or other area where water damage is likely.

Carpet

Carpet is making a comeback in the flooring discourse because of its consistency and softness. The material also comes in a variety of styles, textures, and designs. The maintenance of carpet flooring is also rather simple as it only requires regular vacuuming and occasional shampooing. The disadvantages associated with carpet flooring are that the material can make a home appear dated and that it is easy to stain or damage. Shop: Carpet stain remover

Enjoy Your Home’s New Floors

It’s true that there are a variety of flooring options on the market to decide between. However, homeowners who follow the list of materials above are sure to choose the perfect flooring option for their home.

Skylar Ross is a contributor to Innovative Building Materials. He is a blogger and content writer for the residential and commercial flooring industry. Skylar is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and manufacturers discover materials and methods of installation that increase property value, improve durability, and discover innovative flooring options for their home or commercial space.

What You Should Know About DIY Flooring

So you think you are ready to take on a weekend warrior project?That green shag carpet in the den has got to go. Maybe it is the dingy, torn-up vinyl flooring in the kitchen. Before you even start ripping up your old floor, make sure you have the skills, knowledge and tools, or your weekend project could become expensive and cover a few weeks.

Replacing Worn Out Carpeting

An experienced DIY enthusiast can rip out old carpet and install new carpeting. The job will be messy — it is amazing how much dirt settles under old carpet. You should put down new padding unless yours is in pristine shape. This project will be easier if you remove the old tack strips and install new tackles ones, as Do-it-yourself.com suggests. Allow the new carpet to acclimate to the temperature of your home for 24 hours before installation to prevent shrinking. You still need to use a stretcher to attach the carpet to the tackles strips.

Requirements for this project include the ability to lift and move a large roll of carpet. You will also need to be able to cut it correctly. One mistake can ruin an expensive project. Seam tape can be used for minor errors.

Laying New Wood Flooring

The instructions on the box say the pieces just “snap together”. How much easier could it be? You need to read the part about the sub-floor, if the package even mentions it. Your sub-floor is the base you will be snapping your new floor to according to HomeTips.com. If your sub-floor is wavy, deteriorating or running off at a 30-degree slope, your new floor will look worse with every piece you install.

DIY requirements for this job? You really need more than average handyman skills. You need tools for cutting the flooring to fit as well as a power nailer. When you consider the expense of the materials, you should hire a professional. You can easily do some research online to find contractors in your area that fit your budget for the job.

Installing Vinyl Tile

Twelve-inch peel and stick flooring can be installed in a weekend without rocket science skills. One critical aspect of the job is the condition of the floor you are applying the new tile to. If this floor is not even, your new floor will not be either. The tiles are inexpensive enough that one or two mistakes should not be too costly. However, if you plan on removing old flooring, make absolutely certain it does not contain asbestos.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns homeowners that older vinyl flooring may contain asbestos. You may not be able to tell just by looking at the tile — it may require testing. Asbestos is a mineral fiber that was frequently used in many building materials from the 1930s through the 1970s. If you are not sure whether asbestos was used, leave it alone.

To end up with a successful project, keep your tiles all going in the right direction. On the back of the tile, you will see an arrow. Each tile you lay needs to have the arrow going in the same direction. You also need to start with a very straight line, in the center of the room, and continue placing the tile straight, according to Do It Yourself. Adjustments and short pieces should occur at the edges of your room. If you work with plain tiles–those without extensive patterns–you will have better results. Save the mosaics for a professional.

Remember to not overestimate your skills when you want new flooring. Simple projects are not always simple. If you are investing a considerable amount of money into the materials, invest in a professional to install the floor. Spend your weekend relaxing while you watch someone else work.

Article by Joanie Ogden

Floating Floor the Preferred Choice

Flooring can enhance the aesthetic appeal of your house, provided it is appropriately installed. Right installation of the flooring is as important as choosing the right flooring material. Nowadays, people are increasingly opting for floating floor. Floating floor, a misnomer, is actually a floor installation method, which is wrongly confused by many as a type of flooring material. In floating floor, the flooring material generally consists of planks, which are installed without being glued, stapled, or nailed to the subfloor. Instead, of being fastened to the subfloor, the planks are joined to one another; allowing the floor to ‘float’ over the surface underneath.

Homeowners can choose amongst the different types of floating floors; such as the ‘glue together’, which is an older version of floating floor. The glue together floating floor is assembled with the help of appropriate adhesive and pressure applied on the planks, to bind it together. Another version of floating floor is the ‘click together’, which is also referred to as ‘enter click’ or ‘tongue and groove’. In this, the edges of the planks are so designed that these easily click together, when combined and tapped on the edge toward one another. This does not require the use of any adhesive, making installation hassle-free and time-saving. The latest as well as the fastest floating floor option is the ‘lock and fold’ system, which requires neither tapping of the planks nor sticking them with glue. In this type of floating system, the planks are attached with the help of a special milled interlocking system.

The rising popularity of the floating floor is due to the various benefits it offers. The biggest advantage of choosing floating floor is that it is convenient and hassle-free, which saves both effort and time. This installation method is so easy that the flooring of the room can be completed in just a few hours; irrespective of whether the installer is amateur or experienced. In addition, the floating floor is available in a wide range of material, such as hardwood, linoleum, bamboo, cork and plastic laminate. Depending upon their preferences and budget, homeowners can choose amongst any of the available options.

Floating floor is an ideal choice for areas with high humidity or moisture problem. Most of the flooring options are affected by fluctuations in moisture and humidity. Wooden planks, for example, tend to contract when humidity is low and expand when humidity is high; thereby causing gaps and buckling, respectively. In contrast, since the floating floor is not fastened to the underlying surface, it contracts and expands as one complete unit without giving rise to gaps or buckling. Besides, spacers are left alongside the walls to allow for expansion.

As floating floor is generally available as planks, homeowners only need to replace the damaged ones, rather than change the whole flooring. As a result, homeowners tend to save significant amount of money. Additionally, it is less expensive than most of the other flooring choices.

Owing to all these benefits, floating floor has become a preferred choice of more and more homeowners.

Basement flooring options

Choosing the right flooring for your home is vital, but selecting right ‘basement flooring’ is all the more important. When it comes to selecting the appropriate flooring for your basement, it is important to take into consideration all the challenges, especially that of moisture and flooding. Basements generally have high moisture content, which can actually damage the installed flooring. Hence, before you choose any basement flooring option, you need to figure out an alternative for the problem of moisture.

Other than this many basements face the problem of flooding, and there are very few flooring options that can withstand the damages caused by it. Hence, it is advisable to eliminate this problem before you spend money on installing your basement floor.

Basements are generally used for the purpose of storage, hence are not accessed too frequently; though some homeowners also use it for other purposes. The use of basement is an important factor in deciding the right flooring option. If your basement is relegated to a storage area only, then you can select concrete flooring. It is the most common flooring option chosen by many homeowners because of its high durability. Concrete can easily withstand a lot of pressure and last for a lifetime. Though it is inexpensive compared to other flooring options, it lacks the aesthetic value. To overcome this, you can add thick carpeting over it, only if the basement is dry and has no moisture or flooding problem. Carpets are available in different sizes, colors, designs and patterns, which soften the look of the concrete floor basement.

If your basement is not merely a store room, then you can use ceramic tiles for flooring. A good alternative to concrete flooring; ceramic tiles are available in an assortment of colors and can make your basement aesthetically appealing. Moreover, tiles are resistant to moisture, thereby solving the problem of moisture as well.

Tiles are highly durable and easy to install, and can be done so without professional guidance. Another great option is laminate flooring, which beautifully imitates the hardwood flooring. The biggest advantage of using laminate flooring is its sound-resisting capability. This helps in reducing the noise coming from the basement, especially if you are using it as a game room or a ‘mini-theater’. Only precaution that you need to take is to use a high grade laminate that can withstand the traffic as well as moisture in the basement.

You can even opt for engineered flooring which is made up of three to five layers of hardwood. Despite the layered construction, it is thin and you can add extra insulation if you want. It also offers higher resistance to moisture and traffic. Apart from this, you can even use rubber or foam mats. These mats are resistant to moisture and also have noise insulating capability which makes these a good choice for busy basements with high traffic and activity.

Hence, depending upon the use of the basement and budget, you can choose amongst any of these flooring options.

Difference between glued laminate flooring and non glued laminate flooring

Out of all the flooring options, laminate flooring is probably the most popular choice. Laminate offers the same visual effect as hardwood flooring, but with enhanced durability. Other benefits associated with laminate flooring are its low cost, ease of installation and ease of maintenance. Although laminate flooring was quite easy to install earlier, recent advancements have further simplified this process.

Traditionally, laminate flooring used to be glued to the sub floor of the room. Now, you can find no-glue type laminate flooring that can be installed in a much easier and timely manner. No-glue laminate flooring locks together without the use of glue, which makes it much simpler to install.

Apart from the ease of installation there are a number of other factors that make no-glue flooring better than traditional laminate flooring. One such benefit is that the simple installation reduces the chances of anything going wrong during the process. Traditionally, installing laminate flooring required strapping until the glue dried. Furthermore, the installer also had to ensure that the flooring was being laid down in an accurate manner. With no-glue laminate flooring there is no requirement of using strapping, and the chances of the floor’s shape being disrupted are also eliminated.

Generally, the joints of no-glue laminate flooring are made to fit tightly in order to make the flooring stronger. Along with making the flooring structure stronger, this also reduces the chances of moisture seeping through the floor and damaging it.

Although installing traditional laminate flooring was quite inexpensive, getting it repaired in case of any damage can be a costly job. Generally a professional would have to be called to cut out the damaged piece from the flooring and replace it with a new one. No-glue laminate flooring removes all these hassles. All that is required to replace a damaged portion is to unlock it from the rest of the flooring and replace it with another one. This process is quite simple and can even be undertaken as a ‘Do It Yourself’ project.

Although no-glue laminate flooring has numerous distinct advantages, a number of people still prefer the traditional form of laminate flooring. One of the reasons for this is that since no-glue laminate flooring is not attached to the sub floor it would make a loud noise when walked upon. This noise could be a cause of constant disruption in the house. Another reason is that no-glue laminate flooring is not considered to be as strong as traditional laminate flooring. The strength so achieved by gluing the flooring can add a few years to your flooring.

All in all, both glue and no-glue laminate flooring has specific advantages and disadvantages. Prima-facie there is no difference in the cost of these two variants; however, you can save with the no-glue flooring by installing it by yourself. Furthermore, maintenance of no-glue flooring is much easier, and any repairs can be undertaken as a DIY project. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the specific advantages and disadvantages of each type of laminate flooring before selecting one.

Tag: Laminate flooring

Different Flooring Options For Your Home

What You Should Know About DIY Flooring

Replacing Worn Out Carpeting

Laying New Wood Flooring

Installing Vinyl Tile

Floating Floor the Preferred Choice

Basement flooring options

Difference between glued laminate flooring and non glued laminate flooring

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