When you purchase a new home, one of the major considerations is the flooring. This is because it will not only determine the “aesthetic” quality of your house but will also become the foundation for the rest of the furnishing. Flooring will be one of the longest lasting items in your home. For this reason you should choose something you will be happy with well in to the future. You may want to change your wall decor or furniture more frequently. You will want your floor to match and enhance future decorations. Your flooring considerations for a new home should take these things in to account.
To those who have just purchased a new home, here are some flooring options for your new abode. Make sure that you choose what is suitable for your type of house, your budget, the opinion of the people who will be living with you, and the style that you want to avoid spending extra money on replacements.
Flooring Considerations – Choice Of Material
1. Laminate flooring
One of the most preferred types of flooring today is laminate flooring. The major reason behind this is that laminate flooring provides a wonderful and practical flooring alternative because it can give you the elegant finish of hardwood flooring without spending so much time, money, and effort in cleaning and maintaining it.
A thorough and better understanding of how laminate floorings are installed will indeed give you enough time to budget and manage everything that concerns it. If you were the type of homeowner who is into “DIY” or “do-it-yourself,” installing laminate flooring would be a breeze. This is because installing laminate flooring may not require professional skills and services.
In fact, you can install it by yourself if you have the proper tools and the patience to follow the instructions given either in the package provided by the manufacturer or from other resource materials.
Take in to consideration where you are going to lay it. If you are putting it in a kitchen or bathroom where it will get wet regularly then you will need a laminate especially made for that scenario.
2. Vinyl flooring
Most homeowners and even those who rent office spaces would agree that vinyl flooring, indeed, is one of the easiest and more practical means of converting floors into own taste and preference. If you are interested in converting to vinyl flooring, you should familiarize yourself very well with all its specifications.
Basically, the market today offers vinyl floors that come in tile and sheet forms. These types are ideal whether you’ll be using it for the home or for an office space. These types are divided into sub-categories in each respective kind. “Vinyl tile” is either solid vinyl or vinyl composite while the “vinyl sheet” can be layered composite, homogeneous, and inlaid. Each respective product has different content and goes through various manufacturing processes. Some of the vinyl used for flooring has almost 60 percent of “PVC” or Polyvinyl Chloride, others have lesser amounts.
Vinyl flooring is a more practical choice than laminate for areas that frequently get wet.
3. Tiles
Another suitable choice for a bathroom or kitchen is ceramic tiling. These are similar to the tiles you would put on a wall but slightly thicker so they are more hard wearing. One of the disadvantages of tiles is that they can be cold underfoot in the winter unless you have underfloor heating. The other consideration is that they can be slippery when wet. If you go this route you may want a non slip mat for when you get out of the shower.
4. Wood flooring
There is no doubt that wood flooring is one of the popular options of those people who have just bought a house or those who are planning to purchase a new home. Aside from its classic beauty, there are so many wood-flooring options available out there. You can select the best wood that will be used for your flooring that can truly reflect your own personality. Again wood may not be the most practical choice for a “wet” room.
The particular wood you choose will depend on personal preference and the aesthetic look you like. The most popular choices include
“Red Oak” for its distinctive grain, resilience, and natural beauty evident in earth-toned colors,
“Bamboo” because of its uniqueness and stability,
“Patagonian rosewood” popularly called Brazilian tigerwood which is considered as the hardest of all the woods being used for flooring,
“Jatoba” also known as Brazilian Cherry which is considered as a solid and weighty wood that has interesting hues ranging browns to oranges,
“Lapacho” popularly known as Brazilian Walnut for its sophisticated look highlighted by its distinctive hues ranging from brown to green, and the
“Grapia” also called Ivorywood because of its unique types and color variations including maple, green, and orange hues that gives you more choices.
5. Carpet
Until fairly recently the most common choice of flooring for bedrooms and living rooms or lounges would be carpet. This is still a popular choice for many people. Carpet comes in different materials either man made or natural like wool or sisal. Carpet can feel good on bare feet and also gives good sound insulation. One of the downsides for some people is that it can harbour dust. This may be a problem for those with allergies. Regular vacuuming will help with this and keep the pile looking good. Carpet is obviously not a good choice for kitchens and bathrooms.
Flooring Considerations For A New Home: What You Want vs What You Need
To sum up the most important flooring considerations when you purchase a new home are basically twofold. Firstly it is taking in to consideration where it is going in the home. Choose the right flooring material for the right place. Secondly it is choosing a look and feel that will give you pleasure and match the rest of your decor.
