Choosing the right flooring for your home can make a huge impact and dramatically change the way your property looks and feels when someone enters it.
It’s also something you’ll need to get right the first time, as you’ll have to live with your decision for a long time, and changing the flooring once every six months isn’t economically viable!
To help you out, we’ve put together a few things to keep in mind the next time you decide your flooring needs a makeover.
outer space
The first thing to consider is the rooms in which the floors will be laid.
Size and shape can play an important role in making the right choice, as can the way you light a room.
Flooring works the same way wall coverings and paint do in this regard.
Light colors will help make small rooms feel more spacious, while darker accents can bring in warmth if needed.
It’s a good idea to get some samples from your local flooring supplier and put them in the room you’re thinking of sprucing up.
Seeing it in place can give you a greater sense of how it will blend with the room and its furnishings, and will also give you the opportunity to see how your new flooring will look at different times of the day as well.
the pattern
As we think about how the flooring will fit into the existing surroundings, it’s a good idea to talk about the flooring style you choose.
It can be easy to get carried away when you’re in a showroom or browsing the Internet.
One often forgets the simple fact that the flooring we choose must match well with what we already have in our home.
Choosing the right style of flooring for your property will largely come down to personal choice, but making sure it will fit in with existing elements is definitely something you’ll need to keep in mind when narrowing down your selection.
Not doing so could result in a trip to the furniture store too!
Practical application
Another important consideration is practicality, think about how much use the floors will get and what kind of activities take place in that particular room.
Will you likely see heavy bumping, such as a hallway, or will the room be used only on an occasional basis?
Maybe a spare room, for example?
What goes on in the room is also something to keep in mind, and kitchens will frequently encounter spills and stains, so you’ll need something sturdy and easy to clean in areas like this.
Similarly, bathrooms need floors that can withstand the constant humidity levels associated with them.
Type
Now that we know more about the style, size, and functionality of the room in question,
We can start by looking at the different types of flooring options available.
There are a lot of options out there these days, but for most people’s homes there will be four main types: tile, vinyl, wood, and carpet.
The type you select will be influenced by the points we covered above,
but it will often come down to your personal preference as well.
Once you have decided on the type of flooring, you will then need to decide on the sub-type.
For example, if you like the idea of wood floors in your home,
Do you want hardwood floors, hardwood floors, old-fashioned planks,
or perhaps wood effect imitation vinyl?
Then there’s the shape that some people prefer which is the uniform squares,
while others think long, thin planks are the way to go.
budget
As with everything else in life these days,
flooring can be either relatively inexpensive or surprising,
jaw-dropping.
Knowing your budget is essential, but sticking to it may be even more important.
Know what you have to spend and stay within your means.
You may decide to save yourself a little money by trying to lay the floors yourself.
All of this is fine if you are an experienced DIYer,
But maybe it’s not the best of ideas if things are constantly slipping off the last shelf you put them on.
Although it may seem like a simple task, laying floors is really anything but.
However, if you decide to try it yourself, choosing the right type of flooring will help you do a successful job.
Engineered flooring is generally the easiest type for a hobbyist to work with,
so try to stick to it if you can.
However, you will need certain tools,
so it pays to do some rounds to determine exactly how much you will save by doing it yourself.
Don’t forget to factor in the cost of your time and the potential headaches you may face if you decide to go this route.
If you decide to opt for a professional installation, there is still room for savings,
and the Internet is likely to be your friend here.
Take advantage of Google and do plenty of research on local businesses before diving in.
Ask for quotes and experience levels and make a judgment from there.
maintenance
The last thing on our list is maintenance. Are you ready to spruce up your new floor with a lot of TLC?
Or are you more likely to treat maintenance as a chore?
This is important to keep in mind before purchasing,
as the type of flooring you choose will greatly affect the amount of work that follows.
Resilient types, such as vinyl plank, vinyl tile, and laminate flooring,
require very little maintenance.
A quick squeegee now and then will keep it looking as good as new,
Sure, you should still tackle any spills in there and then prevent stains from appearing,
but that’s only to be expected.
Other than that, these floors will stay looking great with minimal effort.
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