Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Is it Time for New Flooring?

Perhaps you are a homeowner who is preparing renovations for your home and considering different Flooring options. Of course, there are different options available to you, each with positive and negative attributes to weigh in on. Carpet is still a common choice for those desiring warmth along with a low price tag, though wood floors and laminate flooring offer a hard wearing option that can also be attractive. Tiled floors are also an option that can be selected from a variety of different natural materials and personalized to meet design specifications. Since you will want your floors to remain durable and last as long as possible, it only makes economical sense to design your floors exactly as you’d like when you have the opportunity to make that preferred style change.

Carpet Wood Tile Flooring

Carpet
Carpet, while still ubiquitous, has not been as popular in recent years because customers have demanded a cheaper and cheaper product, which has driven quality down in response. Ironically, more homes are beginning to install the option of luxury deep-pile carpet, which is a more expensive option. Different carpeting materials available include acrylic, cotton, polyester, nylon, and wool, each with independent strengths and weaknesses. Some advantages are that carpet is inflammable and easy to clean. If you are a homeowner who is looking for a number of different options to choose from, carpet is available in a wide array of textures and colors. For the environmentally conscience, it should be mentioned that carpet is not a good green choice when it comes time to dispose of it.

Wood
Wooden floors have the distinct advantage of durability and longevity as opposed to other forms of flooring. Wood is easy to clean but must be protected from harm to prevent scratching and marring. Some standard maintenance will be required periodically with newer wood floors to maintain their natural appearance, but this is not much to ask as opposed to refinishing and waxing older wood floors. In the long term, wooden floors are a better buy than carpet because they don’t require the same costs to upkeep. Another advantage is that wood floors go well with just about any color scheme in a home. You also need not worry about wood floors becoming dated, as they will always be seen as classic and stylish as other fads come and go and can be easily updated with an occasional area or throw rug that will also prevent the risk of slipping.

Tile
Tile flooring has the advantage of being produced in a broad range of styles and textures. Tile is very durable, but can chip or crack if stressed. It should be noted that this style is not recommended for every room in a house. Rooms with sufficient water usage, such as the kitchen or bathroom, may be best featuring another type of flooring, such as linoleum. Linoleum used to be preferred over tile options as stone tends to be cold on feet, but modern under-floor heating systems help with this problem as well as area rugs. Laminate flooring does have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive and much improved; however, as many homeowners know, it is not built to last the way other types of flooring are.

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