Selecting the right flooring for your house is a big decision. What does the best flooring mean for you?
It totally depends on various factors and all these factors are based on your situation. Before picking the right flooring for your home, ask yourself these questions.
- Budget: How much is your flooring Budget? If you don’t want to spend more than $1200 on kitchen flooring, then solid hardwood and granite are not your options.
- Location: Where will the flooring installed? Will it be in wet location, dry location or high-traffic?
- Maintenance: The durability of the flooring depends on maintenance.
- Look: How you want your flooring to look? Today’s flooring manufacturers are skilled enough to completely change the look of your flooring with not so expensive classic flooring options.
If you are in the dilemma of picking up the right flooring for your home, then you are in the right place. This article will help you pick the best flooring options for your home. Read over and find the perfect fit for your home.
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Hardwood
Hardwood flooring is the traditional favorite and best flooring option for the majority of homeowners. With its natural feel, durability, character, and warmth, it has become the flooring choice of many homeowners.
Out of all hardwoods, oak is still the number one choice, but other woods like cherry or Tasmanian oak are worth considering. Hardwood flooring comes in various styles like parquet and plank which you can also install by yourself.
Cost: It depends upon the type of hardwood you choose it would cost you $3 to $12 per square foot.
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Laminate
Laminate flooring is the less expensive and widely used flooring option. Laminate floors are composed of different wood materials that are laminated together with a wood grain photographic film on each face of the board.
Engineered wood floors are the variation of true laminate floors. They are a little more expensive than laminate floors, but they have a very convincing sound, feel and awesome look than laminate floors.
Cost: It ranges from $0.50 to $3 per square foot.
- Tile
Tile flooring is one of the cost-effective and readily available flooring options. It comes in a variety of materials – Porcelain, terra cotta, natural stone to name a few. For a tight budget, porcelain is the first choice of the homeowners. It combines the hardness and beauty of stone and is easier to maintain than marble.
Tile Flooring is the Best Flooring option for repair ease. Now unleash your creativity and combine the tiles of unique color and textures to create a perfect floor.
Cost: Many different types of tile ranges from $1 to $20 per square foot. The professional installation may cost hundreds of dollars depends on the size of the area.
- Bamboo
Bamboo flooring is made from a woody grass which is a renewable resource. Though technically it is a grass, its’ fibers can be conditioned to more tough than hardest woods. It has a tensile strength of steel which makes or highly durable floor.
Bamboo flooring is impact-resistant and pre-finished. Bamboo is grown in deep forests and takes 3-5 years to reach maturity. We recommend you to buy pre-finished bamboo flooring for your home as the manufacturers apply high-grade finishes on this flooring in controlled environments.
Cost: The cost of solid bamboo flooring can range from $3 to $7 per square foot.
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Cork
Cork flooring is an alternative of green flooring. Another major benefit of cork flooring is that its honeycomb-like cellular structure gives cushiony feeling to the flooring. Cork is a renewable resource and is made from harvesting the bark of the oak tree.
It is brilliant at dampening sound so is used in a library from the late 19th century. The cork flooring is available in pre-finishing tiles. These tiles have a non-slipping and natural surface, that’s why the cork flooring is mostly used in areas like kitchen and bathrooms.
Cost: The cork flooring cost range from $2 to $8 per square foot.
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Linoleum
Linoleum is the most beautiful and durable flooring option. It is composed of linseed oil and is hence waterproof and eco-friendly. Since linoleum flooring is made from all the natural materials, so there are no health issues concerned with the production of linoleum flooring.
With health benefits, it also reduces the chances of electric shock. It is easy to clean and scratch-resistant. It is a comfortable underfoot and is available in variant colors. It is the perfect flooring option for a retro look to your house.
Cost: The average cost of linoleum flooring is $2 to $ 2.50 per square foot.
- Vinyl
If you want a look of wood flooring without installation hassles, then vinyl flooring is the perfect option for you. It is best suited for the rooms that are more prone to moisture issues like basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. Hence, this flooring option is best for wood floor cleaning.
One most important rule to remember when selecting vinyl flooring is the thicker the flooring is the more traffic it can bear. Texturing of this flooring feels amazing like a grain of wood or face of the stone.
Cost: At the lower end, vinyl flooring can cost up to $1 per square foot while on the high end it may cost up to $5 per square foot.
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Concrete
The concrete flooring is considered as the best option for mid-budget homeowners.The staining and stamping methods of concrete flooring have made it the most opted flooring option today. There are endless design possibilities of concrete flooring, and that’s the real beauty of it.
It is making a comeback in high-end remodels due to its lasting beauty feature. It is a perfect flooring option for radiant heat.
Cost: The average cost of concrete flooring is $3 to $6 per square foot.
- Carpet
Carpet flooring comes in a wide variety of colors and styles and it is easy to install. Since it is warm and soft, it is the most preferred flooring option by homeowners for living rooms and bedrooms.
Carpet flooring should not be used in bathrooms or kitchen areas where there is a possibility of frequent moisture and stains. While choosing the carpet flooring for your house, pick the appropriate color and material.
Carpet flooring can be professionally cleaned so, it is a good option for rental properties. Wool, sisal, jute, and cotton are materials that can be used to make carpet flooring.
Cost:The average of carpet flooring is $15.41 per square foot.
- Leather
The leather which is used for flooring purpose is derived from the center part of the cowhide and is usually thicker than the leather used in designing belts, handbags, and wallets.
It is ideal to use in little foot traffic areas like bedroom due it soft and warm property. It is not great flooring to use for bathrooms or other moist areas of the house.
It is a very durable flooring option and can be used for years without repair. This flooring option comes in a variety of sizes and colors. It is laser engraved with the help of the manufacturer.
Cost:The cost of leather flooring can be estimated between $15 and $50 per square foot.
- Wood-look Ceramic Planks
This flooring option is generally used in the doctor’s clinic and lawyer’s office. So, there are chances that you probably walked on this flooring many times.
It looks more real than luxury vinyl flooring. It is perfect for bathrooms and other wet areas of the house.
It does not require professional installers for installing. It is a very much DIY job. You don’t need to break your bank account if you opt for this flooring option.
Cost: It costs around $10 per square foot.
- Foam floors
Sometimes you need a little extra touch of softness in your flooring. It may be for your kids, your grandparents or when there is a need for long-standing hours. If you are looking for the soft flooring option for your hone, then, foam flooring can be the perfect choice for this situation.
Foam floors are most popular for a variety of foam flooring and mat flooring options. It is suitable for both – temporary and permanent flooring. Foam flooring is a type of interlocking tiles and very comfortable to use and install.
Cost: Foam flooring costs $2-$3 per square foot.
- Stone
Among the various flooring materials, a stone is the most elegant and luxurious flooring material. The stone for this type of flooring is derived from the mountain-rocks that include slate, marble, granite, and sandstone.
When you buy stone flooring for your home, it’s better to look at certain characteristics of the stone flooring.
Stone flooring comes in a variety of types: Limestone flooring, Marble stone flooring, Porcelain flooring, and natural stone flooring.
Cost: The price range for stone flooring is $2-$3 per square foot.
- Rubber
Rubber flooring is probably a good flooring option when you want a floor that absorbs some noise. Rubber flooring is known for its great versatility and durability. It is generally considered for surfaces like in a gym or hospital, but if you opt this flooring design, it can prove to be an interior decorative option for your house that offers distinctive styles.
Rubber for the rubber flooring is made from either the natural tree rubber or from synthetic materials which are recycled from vehicle tires. Rubber flooring offers plenty of options when you choose it to install in your room like interlocking tiles, sheets or square edge tiles.
Cost: It cost around $4-$5 per square foot.
Picking the right flooring option for your home is a daunting task. It combines your personal taste with careful thinking of practical uses.
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