When you are deciding on where to put different types of flooring in your home let’s set the stage on some basics for you.There are many types of flooring options to choose from including carpet, tile, stone, wood, laminate and vinyl. When making the decision on which type of flooring you want in your home there are quite a few things to consider. First and foremost, what type of lifestyle do you have? For example, do you have an active home with kids running around and a dog that sheds everywhere? Carpet may not be the best option for your main living areas with having that active lifestyle. You also want to consider which option is easiest to clean. Less cleaning and maintenance means more time spent with who and or doing what you love. If you still have an active lifestyle but have young babies you may worry about hard surfaces, carpet may be a great option for your living room. Also you can have rugs in those areas so just make sure that you are making a long term decision as opposed to a short term decision, babies grow up. Below we will discuss the different types of flooring options available and some things to consider for each type of flooring.
Retro Pro Kitchen & Baths Flooring Options:
Carpet
Carpet is soft, warm and inviting, and can dress up almost any area. It is perfect for living rooms, bedrooms and family rooms. Hallways and stairs are also good areas for carpet although they much more traffic and may not last as long as in other areas. However,we do not recommend putting carpet in kitchens and bathrooms. Carpet can absorb and hold onto moisture which can grow all different types of mold and bacteria. And when cooking we sometimes spill which can leave food for mold and bacteria to develop and grow. And around toilets, well, you get the picture. So choose your carpet placement carefully, and try to choose nylon vs. polyester for a much more durable and stain resistant carpet.
Porcelain and Ceramic Tile
Tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material that can be used in many different locations in the home. In this blog we will just be talking about tile on floors. Tiles are most often made of ceramic and porcelain. On the surface they can look very similar and have beautiful patterns. But ceramic is softer than porcelain and is fired at a much lower temperature. For high traffic areas porcelain is a much better option as it is more durable and has a much higher wear rating than ceramic. When choosing your floor tile you want to make sure that you are choosing the right strength of tile. For instance you do not want a thin piece of ceramic tile to be on stairs or bare sub-floor where it may flex and crack. Tile comes in all beautiful shapes and sizes, and it is important to choose the right type for the area. A current favorite is large plank wood look porcelain tile. It is thicker, stronger and more durable than ceramic, so it can be used in nearly all environments. And it’s beautiful and realistic wood look can add a long lasting appeal to any home.
Stone Flooring
Stone can be a beautiful addition to any home. Every piece of natural stone is unique and can give a more natural look than a ceramic or porcelain tile where the pattern repeats every few tiles. Natural stone comes in many colors and shades including blacks, greys, and greens (slate), whites (marble), neutral warm tones (travertine and limestone), or a whole range of colors and patterns in granite tiles. New sealers have made natural stone a much more attractive option because of the reduced maintenance. Retro Pro now uses a 15 year penetrating sealer as opposed to the 1 year sealer typically used. Bathrooms are a great place for honed stone like travertine or limestone where they have a matte finish and are naturally slip resistant and hide water spots. However, polished stone like marble and granite can be very slick so be careful when using these on the floor where water is present.
Wood Flooring
Wood is a beautiful natural way to enhance the look of your home. There are many different stains, textures, and patterns to choose from. New finishing processes have dramatically improved the wear of wood flooring with warranties up to 50 years. But there are many cheap and low quality products out there so be very careful if you think you found a bargain, even if it says it has a long warranty. Major manufacturers typically have high quality products and stand behind their warranty so shopping for the best price among these products is a good idea. Some things to look for are thickness (½” or more is best), thickness of top finished layer (thicker is better), number of plywood layers below finished layer (7 or 9 ply is better),
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a beautiful wood looking material that is less expensive than real wood and is cheaper to install. It is a floating flooring, which means it is not attached to the floor below it. It typically has a sound dampening pad under it that also doubles as a moisture barrier if you are on top of concrete. Laminate flooring is very susceptible to water damage so keeping moisture away from it is very important, though some laminates are more moisture resistant than others. Other than those limitations it is a very good product that can give many years of long lasting wear and beauty.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl was originally designed as an inexpensive and moderately durable floor covering mainly used in kitchen and bathrooms because it had a waterproof top coating and few seams. It could be glued down or floating depending on the application and material used. Now vinyl is also available in a very durable plank form that are available in both glue down and floating options. Plank vinyl like Extreme Cork similar to laminate in that it is floating and click together, but it is more durable and is waterproof.
Here at Retro Pro Kitchen and Bath we are experts at flooring installation. Contact us to receive an estimate! We are here to serve your needs and would love to answer any additional questions that you may have! Flooring is staple in your home renovation and we want to make sure you are happy with the floors in your home!
