Flooring Options

Flooring Options

Choosing the type of floor for your house can be far more complicated as it’s not just a matter of looks. Some other factors such as moisture, durability, and cost greatly influence one’s decision.
Before starting your flooring project, it is advisable to do a little research on the types of flooring available – their costs, their pros and cons. After considering those, then you can choose the floor that fits your area and budget.

Flooring Options

1. Wooden

Wooden

Wooden floors come in many forms such as Solid wood and Engineered wood. These can be either strips of 3.5cm by 6.5cm, or planks of 10cm by 20cm. They can be made from normal domestic species to exotic species. Wooden floors may be finished or unfinished. The unfinished will require some sanding and finishing after installation.

Advantages
Wooden floors look great in any home no matter the decor. They also last for a long time as it can be refinished several times to give it a new look. Wooden floors have also proven to increase the resale value of homes as well.

Disadvantages
Wooden floors cannot stand rough handling and moisture. Wood does warp when exposed to moisture, and this makes wooden floors undesirable for kitchen and bathroom floors.

2. Ceramic Tiles

Ceramic_tiles

Ceramic tiles are made from a mixture of clay, sand, water, and the mixture is then baked in a kiln to remove the moisture. Ceramic tiles are hard materials that come in many patterns, shapes and colors. You can choose from a variety of ceramic tile types such as the glazed ceramic which has a glass-like coating, porcelain which is made by exposing them in very high temperatures making them extra hard and durable, terracota which is an unglazed tile that comes in earth stone and the quarry tile which is also an unglazed ceramic tile with a slightly rough texture.

Advantages
Tiles are available in many colors and shapes and this makes styling a home much easier as you have many color options to choose from. With the advancement of technology, printing tiles with virtual textures has become possible and tiles can be produced with a natural stone or wooden look.
Porcelain tiles have been found to be the most durable type of flooring, as it is resistant to scratches, dents and moisture.

Disadvantages
Barefoot tiles feel very cold. Tiles can be slippery as well unless they are coated with anti-slip finish.
Tile durability depends on the type of tile and the producer. Some tiles from some countries have been proven to be of poor quality.

3. Vinyl

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is one of the resilient floors that is made of flexible material with a soft feel underfoot. Vinyl is made from PVC layers.
There are several types of vinyl such as sheet vinyl which comes as a large sheet of flooring sheet that one unfolds and cuts it according to the desired size and shape and later glues it to the floor. Other types are click-style vinyl and peel-and-stick backing.

Advantages
Vinyl can withstand moisture and traffic pressure due to the toughness of the material. Vinyl is not as cold as tiles and hence feels good on barefoot. Compared to the previous flooring types, vinyl is way cheaper but durable as well.
It has a wide range of colors, patterns, and is very easy to install.

Disadvantages
Qualities of vinyl vary a big deal. The cheaper ones do not have a wide range of colors compared to the expensive ones, and they also bear a fake look sometimes. Although vinyl is durable, it’s susceptible to scratches compared to the other flooring options.

4. Linoleum

Linoleum

Linoleum is a flooring material that is made from cork powder and linseed oil.
Linoleum is available in sheets, tiles or laminated planks that can be installed on a pre-existing floor.

Advantages
Linoleum floors have been around for almost 150 years, and have proven to last up to 40+ years when well taken care of.
Linoleum is offered in a wide range of colors and has been proven to be an eco-friendly material as it does not produce any harmful emissions.

Disadvantages
Linoleum cannot stand sharp things such as high heels and sharp objects. When hit with direct sunlight, linoleum’s color tends to fade.

5. Carpet

Carpet

Carpets are made by pulling soft fibers eg. wool or nylon through a woven backing and later glued on more layers to strengthen the material.
Carpet Types are Wool, Nylon, Acrylic, Polyester and Polypropylene.
Carpets vary in thickness and fiber density. The higher the carpet density, the higher the durability.

Advantages
Carpet is the most liked floor option due to its warm underfoot, softness and quietness. Carpets are also slip-resistant and very easy to install.

Disadvantages
Cleaning carpets is very difficult compared to hard floors. Soft carpet fibers have a tendency to harbor allergens which makes it not desirable to allergic home residents.

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