How to choose your home flooring.

Deciding on your home's flooring can be very confusing. There are a lot of things that you need to consider. First you need to decide how durable you need your flooring to be, if you have pets, if it's a high traffic area in your home and if it needs to be water resistant. You also need to consider the cost and maintenance, so an easy way to start is to determine a budget and that will help narrow down your choices a bit. Sticking to your budget doesn't mean that you will have to give up the look that you're dreaming of. It is also important that you choose a material that goes with your home's style. In this post we will discuss the common types of flooring and the difference between them.

Marble flooring.

Marble is one of the most luxurious choices that a lot of people go for because they want to add grandeur to their homes. Being a natural material, it is beautiful, comes in a lot of interesting colors and is very durable but it's one of the most expensive. Marble is naturally a cool material so it's suitable for hot climate areas, but the coldness makes it less cozy so unless you're using a dark colored marble you'll have to do a lot of effort to bring coziness into your space. If you want to get the luxurious look of marble but can't commit to using it on the floor, a great way to use it is as an accent wall or TV wall. Marble is also water resistant so it's ideal for bathrooms and kitchen where there's a lot of spills and humidity.

Porcelain Tiles.

Porcelain is a cheaper version that gives the same effect of marble. They are available in a variety of textures too since they can be glazed or unglazed. They are easily cleaned and durable. Regarding moisture resistance, they have good resistance that is better than ceramic tiles but worse than marble ones. They are suitable for living rooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

Ceramic Tiles.

Ceramic tiles are very versatile and available in a wide variety of colors and shapes. When shopping for ceramic tiles, you have to make sure that it's suitable for floors because some types are only suitable for walls and won't be durable for use on floors. They are also water resistant and less slippery than porcelain tiles so they're ideally used in bathrooms and kitchens. They're not recommended for living rooms or bedrooms because they give a cold vibe.

Hardwood Flooring.

This is the warmest type of floors. They are very durable, luxurious and timeless but very expensive. Wood floors go with almost any design style so they're the easiest choice if you're confused and don't know what to choose. They are made of a single piece of wood from a tree such as: Oak, walnut or cherry. They are also available in different finishes and stains so you can choose your favorite color and shape. They give a lot of warmth to bedrooms and living rooms.

Engineered Wood flooring.

This gives the look of hardwood flooring but is more affordable. They are made with a core of plywood and a layer of solid wood on top which gives it better resistance to moisture than hardwood. You can also choose the tree source just like hardwood floors. They are recommended for living rooms and bedrooms because they give a very cozy vibe. They can't be maintained as often as solid hardwood floors though due to the use of a thin layer of wood.

Laminate Flooring.

If you like the look of engineered wood but it's not within your budget then you can go for laminate floors. The difference between engineered wood floors and laminate floors is that laminate floors don't have a real wood top layer. Instead, it's an image covered with a protective plastic coating. Good quality laminates are considered durable, easily maintained and can last a long time.

Carpet Flooring.

This is the most popular flooring for bedrooms. It comes in a variety of colors and textures. It's made from an upper pile layer attached to a backing. The upper pile can be wool, nylon, polyester, polypropylene or acrylic. Carpets have sound and heat insulating properties but can stain easily and can be damaged by water or moisture. Wool is the most popular choice because it's durable, naturally moisture resistant and feels good. Nylon is also a popular option because it's a strong fiber but it builds up static electricity so make sure to get it treated to reduce that effect. The prices vary according to the material you choose.