Type of Flooring Options Selection Guide

With so many type of flooring options available, such as wood, ceramic, stone, vinyl, carpeting, and others, it can be challenging to make the right choice. Even within these styles there are hundreds of different flooring options. The following selection guide will help you narrow down the many choices available to you.

Obviously, the first thing you're probably going to want to consider is your budget.

For this reason, many people decide to go with carpet, but some vinyl flooring is quite affordable as well. The bad news is that you usually get what you pay for when it comes to flooring. If you buy cheap carpet, it's not only going to look cheap, it will be of poor quality.

Cheap carpet will be lacking the ease of cleaning and durability that you're probably looking for. You need to consider if it's really going to be worth replacing the poor quality carpet every couple of years. The time and money spent cleaning lesser quality carpet will not be worth it either. One major consideration when choosing the quality of carpet will be the area it will be used.

Hardwood is durable, beautiful, and easy to care for, but it is rather expensive. Brazilian Teak and Chinese Cherry will not always fit into your budget, however. Laminates make a nice alternative to hardwoods. Laminates may not live up to the 50 years or so that hardwoods will last, but they will last quite long if cared for properly. They are also very nice to walk on.

The important factor when choosing the laminate flooring option is the AC rating. Many factors make up this rating, including durability, scratch and stain resistance, and others. Moderate traffic areas can be covered with AC1 flooring. Higher traffic areas, however, should be covered with AC3 flooring. If the flooring is intended for use in a public building, it is best to use the very durable AC5 flooring.

Ceramic flooring option is available from very cheap to very expensive. Durability is a major factor in determining the price. Even though they all have a hard surface, the difference is in how brittle they are. If low end tiles are purchased, they are more likely to crack under normal use. This being the case, it makes sense to spend a little more to begin with rather than replacing broken tiles later on.

On the higher end of the price scale is stone flooring. This is because it will last at least as long as the house. This is why the tiles from old houses that are being torn down will be salvaged and used elsewhere. Sandstone and slate are good choices if you are looking for something durable and stylish. If cared for properly, they are very stain resistant and easy to clean.

Concrete can be a very stylish and affordable option for flooring. With the modern surface effects, this material does not have to be hidden in the basement anymore. They can be made to look like marble, wood or tile, depending on your taste. The nice thing is that they are easy to clean and will last forever.

The type of flooring options you choose will depend on your personal tastes, as well as your budget and specific traffic needs.

         

Types of Flooring Options