It is really important what you are walking on. And we do not mean outside. We think that home flooring is as important as the insulation, heating, air conditioning and arranging the furniture. And since there are quite lot of materials nowadays there are plenty of options which one could use to put the right flooring type on the right place.
Types of flooring and the rooms they are suitable to
If you have faced the struggle of choosing the right and most suitable material and type of flooring in your dwelling, you probably know that it’s not an easy task to accomplish. It doesn’t matter if you are just stepping into your new home or you just have decided to change the outlook of your old one. It all comes to the moment when you have to choose and deal with the specialists for this purpose if necessary.
Wood looks quite nice and warm for sure. Laminate floors are easy to assemble and put into usage, terracotta is easy to clean, and other types of stone flooring can bring a distinctive feeling in your dwelling. There you- a lot of options and probably not enough time for thinking about that.
Wooden flooring
Since we tend to like this type the most we start with it. Depending on the kind of wood the price of this one could be various. If the wood is the so-called engineered it will probably cost less. And if you are not the type of guy which deals well with hammer and nails, you will probably need a specialist to “put the pieces together”. Nevertheless the effect of a hardwood flooring is absolutely exquisite and brings a warm and sophisticated look to your home. And in the same time it leaves a sentimental hint which is perfect for a family-inhabited house or an apartment.
The other thing is that wooden floors are easy to be cleaned and need only a good vacuuming once in a while. You only should have in mind that hardwood could be ruined by water spilling and could be worn off on “high-traffic” places in your home. So the best room for such a flooring is the living room. It will make it rather stylish and distinctive. To muffle the sounds of creaking wooden plates you could put a carpet or a rich rug over it. They will combine just perfectly.
Tiles
Here you have got plenty of choices for the design, color or size of the tiles. You could have them shiny, glazed ceramic for example. They are very sustainable to almost everything. They are resistant to scratches, they do not wear out and cannot be ruined by water or any other spilling. So there could not be any stains and spots left behind a simple cleaning. The only thing we do not prefer and dislike for this type of home flooring is that it keeps the floor cold. This could be a big trouble during winter. The only solution if you have this problem is to put additional floor heating underneath the tiles. This type of flooring is great for bathroom, kitchen or a dining area as well.
Laminated floor
It’s a type that can resemble a wood-kind of flooring. It creates that same warm feeling when you enter a room, covered with it. It is easy to clean and maintain. It scratches very hardly and if it does you could fix that thing with a bit of vegetable oil rubbed over the concrete place. Standing water though could ruin the laminate floor. It is important to know that because laminated flooring are not like real-wood ones. Once they are ruined by water for example they simply cannot be refinished. You have to change the whole thing all over. This type of flooring is great for bedroom, or any other room with lots of activity in it.
Textile
Carpets and rugs create a very exquisite atmosphere in a dwelling. Especially if they are placed over a hardwood flooring. If you choose this type of design idea you will have a variety of choices for the finishing touch. Carpets feel very soft and create an idea of home-welcoming feeling. And also- the isolate most of the noise when walking around. They are cool for a kids-playing area. The only thing you should be very aware of is hygienic moment. Carpets are still textile and are very easily stained. They could be spilled over with all kinds of things from the kitchen, meals, sauces, drinks.
They also tend to hold odors, which obligates you to clean and wash them on a regular basis. This is not so hard of course, since there are already machines which can clean your carpet right on spot- vacuum cleaners, steam cleaners. The best location for a carpet or a rug are the rooms with “low traffic”. Such is the bedroom for example. Carpets minimize the noise of walking around and create a warm atmosphere.
Cork
It is a good and reliable insulator. The warm feeling which the hardwood floor can provide is available with this material as well. Cork has the ability to absorb sounds and it is soft in manner. One of the best parts about it is that it is absolutely nature-friendly. It is natural product, which is also resistant to mold, and the best part is that it is absolutely healthy-safe for the family, even to those with little kids.
It is better not to leave cork under a direct sunlight. This way in time cork may change its color into yellow. Another “heads-up” is that under concentrated pressure of furniture for example, cork can fold and got damaged because of this. Be careful with spilling water on it, because once left with some water on it for a while it may swell. As the hardwood cork is suitable for bedrooms, because it is also soft and a good noise isolator.
Vinyl
Easy to be found this material has a wide range of usage not only for dwellings, but for offices and other types of rooms. It is rather cheap than the rest of the flooring materials we talked about. Just like the rugs, vinyl is noise-killer and it is easy on the feet. We personally are not big fans of a vinyl-looking surfaces at home. It is well-maintained in laundry rooms, where it could insulate the washing machine sounds in a way. Also it is often used in kitchens, because if the warm it adds.
