Tips and considerations for choosing flooring

The importance of the floor to the impression visitors have your home can’t be underestimated. If you’re selling, the floor can be key to making that sale.

When considering what kind of flooring to put in, many factors are involved. The types of flooring are many, such as:

Hardwood
Bamboo
Carpeting
Vinyl
Ceramic tile
Stone
Laminates

As you can probably tell, some flooring may be better suited for certain rooms. So one of the first things to consider is what room or rooms is the flooring going into. There are many more things to take into account, however.

If you simply want to make a good impression, such as when you are selling your home, you can’t go wrong with hardwood. Most people love to see hardwood.

But another key factor is how you use your home. We’re not all selling homes; we’re living in them. As much as we may like hardwood, we need to consider how our home is used.

For example, if you have a dog or dogs you may want to hold off on putting in flooring such as hardwood because there is a potential those animals may damage it. Similarly, small children may damage it and, more importantly, other flooring options may be better suited from a safety perspective. Hardwood or a laminate may hold the potential of being slippery. Carpeting may be safer for people with children.

Carpeting is also good as a protector of hardwood and as an additional layer of insulation. In the case of animals or children, laying down carpeting can add protection and safety. It can also be a great enhancement to the look of a room.

Other things to consider include:

Will the floors be used a lot, such as with large families or frequent get together?
Are there rooms below that may require the flooring to have soundproofing?
Maintenance – does it require a lot or a little cleaning?
Will health issues such as asthma be a factor? Some flooring products may work better than others.
Cost – will the material and installation fit your budget?
Is a subfloor required or, if one exists, does it need repairs first?

As you can see, quite a few things can come into play when making flooring decisions. If it seems a bit overwhelming, don’t worry. Consultants like those at Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes can help you with all aspects from suggestions that fit your requirements to recommendations that work within your budget to estimates on costs.

Your home’s floor is important for many reasons and our consultants know it. That’s why they take care to ensure you get a floor that works for you and catches a visitor’s eye.