Getting Flooring Right: Picking the Right Type of Floors for your Needs

Careful Planning and Thought Goes Into Selecting the Right Floors. Your choice of flooring for your home must ultimately stand up to the everyday stresses you subject it to. Your lifestyle should play a big part in your choice of flooring, as this is the part of your house that can reflect a home's condition.

A World of Choices
From wood to floor to stone, to rubber and other types of flooring, you have a world of choices at your feet (quite literally) for your home's flooring. Surely you have the flooring of your dreams, but for your flooring to work, you have to understand that your lifestyle and the conditions surrounding your home and your flooring all contribute to whether a certain type of flooring is right for you. Consider your options:

• Wood
  • does not harbor dust and allergens; easily cleaned and maintained
  • greatly increases a home's value
  • gives your home a warm and inviting feel
  • a durable and popular flooring option
  • susceptible to damage from sunlight, spills, and water seepage; also, refinishing may be costly
  
  
• Laminate
  • Easy to install
  • Generally more budget-friendly than other choices
  • Easy to maintain
  • Versatile - you can get a wide variety of surface effects in a wide variety of interior locations, even in basements
  • Lends no structural benefits
    
  
  
• Natural Stone Tile
  • an extremely durable flooring choice
  • available in a variety of colors and patterns
  • usually heavy, and this might add to the difficulty of installation
  • may be damaged by acidic substances such as orange juice, but can be repaired by the appropriate cleaners
    
  
  
• Ceramic Tile
  • available in a variety of decorative patterns and styles to fit your preferences
  • fired ceramics offer a rugged quality and durability that is a hit with homeowners
  • well-suited for bathrooms and other areas where moisture is expected, such as bathrooms and kitchens
  • ceramic tile installation is a major project, and best left to professionals if you are not too keen with the process
    
  
  
• Vinyl
  • perfect for kitchens, entryways, and other areas where you think water and grime will be a problem with other types of flooring
  • cleans up well and resists damage
  • easy to install
  • vinyl flooring must be cut to the exact size prior to being laid and uses glue to be attached to your floor