Flooring: Beyond Looks

Carly Henkel
Apr 1, 2019
6 min read

There are endless options of flooring for your home in today's world. It can be overwhelming looking at sample after sample or you may not even know where to start. Although, style and look is a very important factor in choosing the right flooring, function & flow should be top priority as well. When choosing flooring consider a few things: What is your budget? Do you have pets? What areas in your home tend to get more dirty than other areas? How much maintenance and cleaning do you care to do? So, with that in mind let's jump into each type of flooring and learn which flooring will meet your needs!

Vinyl

Vinyl has come a very long way the past couple of years. Vinyl seems to have a bad rep when a customer hasn't seen the new products that have come out recently. Vinyl has great prices for all that it has to offer. Vinyl now provides a home owner with many patterns and colors and can give the effect of wood, stone and other natural materials.

Luxury Vinyl Tile/Plank (LVT/LVP)

Cost: $$

Luxury Vinyl Tile or Plank is the better one of the options for Vinyl even though it is a little more expensive than vinyl sheets. This is because the material used is thicker which will provide more comfort to the touch and allow it to be longer lasting with more wear layers. This product is low maintenance and is still very affordable. More high end products are waterproof and can endure a lot of foot traffic. LVT has gone so far as to have products with grout that is incorporated within them. The difference between tile grout and this grout is that it is a lot less maintenance. Easy to clean and you will never have to worry about re-grouting LVT!

If you are looking to renovate your home, here is a cost effective tip: If you have existing flooring that you do not want in your home anymore but the cost to remove it and then install new flooring is too much? LVT/LVP products can go right over your existing floors, eliminating the need for the removal cost of the original flooring. If your existing floor is not level or has dents, cracks, or dips in it I would suggest a thicker LVT/LVP so that those imperfections do not show through. Another thing to consider is the transition levels. To flow from one room to the next all transitions must be level and can not dip down for safety reasons, figure out what material will be used in other rooms.

Vinyl Sheets

Cost: $

Vinyl sheets are the cheaper option and have come a long way but can look cheap when put in a large space. Something to consider is vinyl sheets can be damaged by sharp objects so may not be good for a work area. On the other hand vinyl sheets are low maintenance so placing vinyl sheets in a bathroom, mud room, or laundry can allow one to clean the surface very easily. If you use vinyl sheets during a renovation to go over existing flooring, choose a thicker product to again give you better durability and get rid of imperfections of the floor underneath.

Laminate

Cost: $$$

Laminate is a multi-layer synthetic flooring fused together with a clear protective coat that goes over the top photographic layer. Laminates are a little more costly than Vinyl but a little less than Hardwood floors. This product is great for families with pets because laminate is less likely to scratch than hardwoods.

Laminate is another product that has been greatly improved upon, often tricking some into thinking it is a hardwood. Laminate use to be a slippery product but since has come out with textured and slip resistant options. Laminate is another easy maintenance product that gives you the effect of real wood or stone. The negative side of laminate vs. hardwoods is that it cannot be sanded out like hardwoods can but as stated before, laminates are more durable than hardwoods.

Tip: Have a professional install Laminate floors. Since laminate is basically a picture replicating wood or stone on each board, there are many pieces that will be the same. A professional will layout the pieces in such a manner to give your space the best effect of real wood or stone with veryyy few matching pieces next to each other. (Trust me, it is harder to do that then you think & is very time consuming with out a professional!!!)

Engineered Hardwood

Cost: $$$

Engineered Hardwood is also called composite wood that is made by binding strands, particles, fibers, veneers, or boards of wood together with adhesive or other methods of fixation. I would recommend engineered hardwood floors over solid hardwood floors because Engineered hardwoods have layers giving it more stability and will expand and contract less than solid hardwoods. Engineered hardwoods can also be installed almost anywhere, even over concrete which solid hardwoods cannot. The one negative of engineered hardwoods is that they cannot be sanded down and refinished just like laminate.

Even though Engineered hardwoods are a little more expensive the function of them is wonderful! This product reduces moisture problems and will not warp. The top layer is real wood and will not have pieces that repeat the same pattern. Many are not waterproof but there are some with that option. Waterproof in this matter means it is not resistant to standing water, this will damage the product.

Tip: If you are remodeling an older home and want to match existing hardwoods, I would suggest choosing a solid hardwood to keep the flow and character of the home. Hardwood floors also increase a homes value.

Carpet

Cost: $

Carpet is one of the cheapest options for flooring and is a product that can bring comfort and warmth to your home. Carpet is also great for sound insulation and comes in many colors and even patterns allowing it to be flexible with the style of the home. The downside to carpet is it is harder to clean and light colors can be stained easily. Although carpets can be cleaned it is more maintenance than most flooring.

Tip: If you have pets or are known for getting your carpet dirty, choose a color or pattern that is a medium to dark color or has a mix of light and dark in it to hide the imperfections of dirt. Also, consider the pile of the carpet. This means how tall is the carpet. For example, shag carpets are verrryyy hard to clean because hair, dirt and other small things get caught in the strands of the carpet very easily and can be hard to vacuum up. On the other hand, if you have a carpet with a short pile, cleaning products and vacuums can easily access the dirt and hair, leaving you with a clean carpet.

Tile

Cost: $$$$

Tile is going to be the more expensive option for flooring but has a vast variety of styles, material, colors and patterns and can offer a home a lot. Tile can come in natural stone, concrete, marble, glass, ceramic, porcelain, slate, mosaic and many other forms, this gives you an idea of just how much you have to choose from. Just like hardwoods, having tile in your home can improve your homes value. Tile is waterproof and very durable great for spaces such as laundries, foyers, mudrooms, and bathrooms. Things to think about with tile is that it is cold and hard to the touch and reflects sound making noise louder. Tile does require more maintenance than most flooring.

Tip: If you are designing a custom shower I would suggest using a standard shower base instead of small tile. Shower bases are a lottt easier to clean and the grout can become discolored and be harder to take care of and clean. Shower walls are okay for tile because larger tile is used which means less grout.

Stained Concrete/Acid Etched

Cost: $$$

I have added these last two options on mostly for basements, garages or anywhere else you may have concrete in your home. Basements and garages often get overlooked but these are some fun, creative options to think about if you are ready to upgrade these spaces. Stained Concrete and Acid Etched are very similar but use different techniques and chemicals but get very similar results. The process is similar to how hardwoods are created as in they are stained and sealed.

This option can range from simple and neutral to complex patterns/designs and colorful. The great thing about this option although at mid price range is that no sub floor is needed and is applied right to the concrete and is moisture resilient as well. If your basement floods for some reason you do not have to worry about this product being ruined. This can be a positive to some and a negative to others, but the design is never consistent and can be different every time. This can allow your floor to be one of a kind and a feature in your home that everyone will want to see.

Epoxy

Cost: $$$

Epoxy is another option for basements, garages or other areas that have concrete. Epoxy is installed over concrete and has a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Epoxy is very resilient to oil, bleach, gas, and more. It helps to protect the concrete from cracking underneath and is a long lasting product. Epoxy does require some maintenance though and must eventually be replaced. Although Epoxy is extremely durable if a very heavy item were to drop on it, it has a chance of chipping. When epoxy is not textured, when wet it can become slippery. Epoxy should not be installed by yourself but a professional needs to install this to ensure your safety and for the best results!