Five Tips For Choosing Flooring That Will Last For Years

Choosing a floor that will last for years can be a challenge, but a little planning can make your choices a lot easier. When considering the right flooring for your home and family, think about the following: traffic, cost, decor, insulation, and comfort factor. When a flooring type ticks off all the boxes, you’ll know you’ve found the perfect one!

Think About Traffic

When choosing your flooring, the first thing to think about is how often you, your family, and/or your pets walk through the area you want to redo. If you want to prevent as many scratches and dents as possible, you should choose a material that can withstand a high amount of foot or paw traffic. For these rooms, like hallways, living rooms, and kitchens, make the investment in a durable, high-quality floor.

Consider The Cost 

Now that you’ve thought about the room use, consider what you can afford! You will have to take both the material and the installation costs into account. Some flooring will require more things to properly install, like underlay, fasteners, and special equipment. These details can increase the amount you’ll pay for labor, but they will also make that labor necessary. Sometimes, quality flooring is worth the extra costs!

You can save on expenses by doing choosing an easy material and doing the installation personally, but that all depends on how comfortable you are with the tools and whether that extra time and effort are worth it.

How Will The Floor Fit Your Decor?

A new floor won’t just accent your home; more often than not, it will define it. Because of those pesky labor and material costs, flooring is a major investment, so choose wisely. Before settling on something, have the entire room planned out and pick a versatile color that will go with your tastes. You don’t want to rip it all out in a couple of years!

Flooring And Insulation 

Flooring can impact your home’s energy efficiency, though this is one aspect few homeowners actually consider. Vinyl, ceramic, and stone won’t hold in a lot of heat, so these types don’t have a lot of insulating power. Carpet, on the other hand, does increase insulation efficiency, both because of the plush material and the foam padding that is installed beneath it. However, the aesthetic value of carpeting is… going down.

If insulation is an important factor when choosing a flooring material, engineered hardwood with a foam base is a great option. It might cost a little more, but you could see energy bills go down, and a quality hardwood floor will last a long time. If stone or vinyl is what you want, strategically placed area rugs can improve the insulation value.

What Will Make You The Most Comfortable?

Finally, seriously think about your family’s comfort. A lot of materials, like engineered hardwood, tile, and stone, will last a long time. But are they comfortable when you’re standing on them for a long time? Do they make you feel comfortable? The other four factors all lead up to this: what do you want to look at for years and years?

For example, a material like cork is great for cozy family areas. It has a little give, insulates fairly well, and softens the step of even the heaviest walker. A lot of homeowners choose it for their basements because it’s not the most beautiful of materials, but what you choose should be whatever makes you the most comfortable.