Are you looking to add a ‘wow’ factor to your home? Besides decor and soft furnishing, you can actually go for a more permanent option, floors. The floor is one of the things that people notice when they walk into a house. Well, this is especially so if they are breathtakingly beautiful. A floor isn’t just a floor, it can serve both a decorative and functional purpose. All you need is a nudge from the experts towards the right direction. Remember, this is a permanent part of the house, you need to be sure of it.
1. Room of the House
Each room is unique and should be treated as so. Your bathroom needs a different kind of construction compared to your living room. In this case, you will need to choose a water-resistant floor for your bathroom and laundry room. For this room, ceramic tiles, acrylic and vinyl are ideal choices. While hardwood and carpeted floors do not belong in here, they would fit in best in the bedrooms, living room, dining area and even the kitchen.
2. Easy Maintenance Routine
The point of having a functional home is an easy time maintaining it. After all, isn’t this what technology is all about? If you are a busy or neat person, you definitely need a floor that makes cleanliness easy. It also allows you to maintain them in good condition for longer.
Tiles and laminates are some of the easiest to maintain. A simple sweep with a wet mop will get rid of dirt. Carpeted floors on the other hand need more care and attention.
3. Theme of the Home
The overall style of the home will dictate the kind of floor to go for. Interior designers advice home owners to match their floor with the style of the furniture. For modern furniture, tile and carpeted floors are a suitable option. For classic furniture, marble and stone are the best.
4. Durability of the Floor
Truth be told, flooring isn’t cheap. Regardless of your choice, be sure of spending a good amount of money for this. Unlike your wallpaper, paint or soft furnishing that you can easily change whenever need arises, floors are quite permanent. This calls for a clear mind when making the choice.
If yours is a home that experiences high traffic from the many occupants, pets and children, you definitely need durable floors. This will rule out the need for renovations and replacements which piles in unnecessary expenses.
5. Your Lifestyle
Do you have kids or pets in your house? You should know that this will influence your choice in flooring. With little kids, especially those crawling or learning to walk, it is best that you opt for carpeted floors, this will offer a soft padding for their knees. Such small kids also spend a lot of time on the floor. Carpets also offer the warmth they need as opposed to stone tiles.
On the other hand, pets may change the game for you. Carpets are known to harbor fur and dust left behind by pets. These may trigger allergens especially if you do not have the time to vacuum often. Plain floors in this case are ideal.
If you have both a pet and a child, you should only carpet a small section and not the entire floor. Place the dog/cat crate and its toys on the non carpeted are. The pet will learn where their place is and hopefully stay off the carpet.
5. Climate of your Residence
Did you know that your location dictates the kind of floors to go for? It’s true. If you live in a place dominated by hot weather, you may need to go for stone tiles as opposed to a carpeted floor.
Stone and marble are suitable as they provide a cooling effect that’s much needed in a hot place. In cold regions wall to wall carpets are the best. With technology at our disposal today, heated floors are joining the market. Imagine how much in handy they’d come.
For your patio or yard, choose an all-weather kind of floor, for instance, stone. Tile may be a tricky option as it gets slippery when it rains. However, you can choose one with a course finish on its surface.
6. Maximum Comfort
It is also advisable to consider a comfortable floor especially if you find yourself sitting on it most of the time. A carpeted floor is a better choice in this case as opposed to ceramic tiles.
7. Degree of Use
How much traffic does your house encounter on a daily basis? The answer will determine the kind of floor to go for. Some rooms and areas are highly used hence the need to rule out carpets as options, for instance hallways and living rooms.
Ceramic tiles are an ideal alternative as they do not wear out. If carpet is used in such an area, you will find yourself needing to replace it and often cleaning it which also shortens its life.
Guest bedrooms and other rarely used areas of the home would do particularly well with carpets and hardwood floors.
8. Budget of the Project
Just because you love the marble floors on your neighbor’s house doesn’t mean that you should get them. The floor installation or renovation project entirely depends on your budget. If you’ve got it then by all means invest in the best. After all, this is a lifelong investment. However, if you are on a tight budget, there’s always an option for you. If you’re lucky, you will stumble upon high quality imitations. They will give the sophisticated appeal but at a lower price. You still have the option of choosing a cheaper option as long as it works for your home.
It is everyone’s dream to have a breathtaking home and floors highly contribute to this. For this project, you will need to work closely with your contractor or interior designer. Due to the nature of their work, they may be able to get the materials including the floor at a discount. Chances of getting the wrong type of floor are reduced this way as opposed to working alone.
