You need to know not only possible materials but how to differentiate between them.
Selection of flooring is one of the most important decisions you’ll take in your home design/remodel project.
The flooring can keep your rooms clean, prevent water damage, and give your home a premium look – all of which boost the valuation of your home.
Clearly, selecting the correct option from all the different flooring types for your home is critical.
But, how do you take that decision?
What factors or properties of different flooring choices do you consider?
Here are some of the most important things to consider when choosing flooring for your home.
Durability
The more durable your floor, the more it can resist weathering, loads and decaying.
As installing new flooring can be a significant investment of both time and money you want to select floors that will last for years.
Matching the durability of the floor with the other building components of the space will allow you to enjoy the space for longer.
Tile, marble, vinyl, stone and concrete are some of the most durable flooring alternatives.
Location
Which room/rooms is the flooring meant for?
Every kind of flooring will not fit every room or space in your home.
For example, marble is a durable flooring choice, but it can prove disastrous for your child’s bedroom as the child could fall on the floor and hurt themselves.
Softer alternatives like carpet flooring are much better choices for a child’s bedroom.
Bamboo flooring is affordable and looks good but it would not be a good idea for the bathroom as it can be susceptible to water damage.
Consider the features and functions of the location before choosing your flooring.
Initial installation
Is the initial installation difficult? Will it require specialized floorlayers?
Will the installation be affordable for you?
Will you have to wait weeks for cutting and fitting?
Some companies offer additional services like furniture relocation and preparation, that make the installation process easier.
Examine all these when making your choice.
Maintenance requirements
I don’t think it needs to be mentioned separately that flooring needs to be maintained. How easy that is, is a big factor in choice of flooring.
For example tile needs a thorough scrubbing every few months to clear away the grout that collects in the gaps while carpets will have to be cleaned weekly if not more, to clean dirt.
Many homeowners may want to do the regular maintenance DIY. Is the flooring DIY-friendly, so you can call a flooring expert only for occasional checkup and maintenance?
Fire resistance
Especially in flats and apartments (especially in the upper floors), flooring should be fire-resistant.
Concrete and marble are fire-resistant while cork, linoleum and wood are not so fire-resistant.
If you go for less fire-resistant flooring options, you should remember to add a fire-resistant layer.
Appeal with time
You might think, yes hardwood flooring has character and decide to go with it.
But how would it look after a few years?
Would it have the same appeal?
If you decide to sell your home, would it appeal to potential buyers the same way it appealed to you?
As an interior designer in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we know that a lot of people eventually tire of living in the same space for years and decide to sell. Would your flooring choices help in that sale?
Slipperiness
The floor surface should not become slippery when it is wet. Typically, flooring becomes slippery when the material is over-polished.
You can think of using an anti-slipping solution if you think some floors are becoming slippery. This is especially important for your bathroom.
Your budget
Of course this is an important factor.
How much are you willing to spend on the flooring?
For example, bamboo flooring is affordable while marble flooring can be expensive.
However, please remember that you will have to live with the flooring for years, so try to include projected future costs – like that of maintenance and refurbishment – in your budget calculations.
Appearance and feel
How the flooring looks and what it feels like under your feet (that is, how comfortable you would feel walking on it) mentioned as the LAST factor to consider when selecting your flooring.
Surprised?
Here’s the deal: Due to modern research and development (R&D), flooring manufacturers are able to reproduce the look of one kind of flooring on another.
For example, they can reproduce the look of wood or bamboo on laminate flooring.
What to consider when choosing your flooring – key takeaways
As you can see, there are numerous factors to consider when choosing your flooring.
Some of them are quite obvious, like budget and durability.
Some are less obvious, like fire resistance and slipperiness.
However, overall the objective is to ensure you get flooring that lasts a long time, is not difficult to maintain, and boosts your home valuation so you can get a good price if you sell.
With these factors covered, which flooring option are you going for?
