It's where your children play. It's what you and your true love dance on. It's the thing that tells your feet you've arrived home. Flooring plays a pivotal role in your house, and upgrades can increase value, aesthetics and functionality. Good floors also just make your home feel better.
The choices for types of floors can be dizzying. Before you start tearing up carpet, consider what flooring fits the way you live in a particular room. If you or your kids spend a lot of time sitting or playing on the floor, carpet or area rugs might be the way to go. If allergies are an issue, wood floors or tile might be better. Costs for each kind of material vary widely, depending on quality and, of course, square footage. And the labor costs can dwarf the material expense. Continue Reading
Before you make choices about where to cut costs and where to splurge when it comes to your flooring, remember that floors get more wear and tear than any other part of your home. What might save you money up front in lower grade materials and do-it-yourself installation may cost you more in the long run. Think carefully about the use of the room, traffic patterns, kids, pets and anything else that can do damage to your floor.
One cost homeowners often forget is preparing the sub-floor. If you don't have a clean, flat-level surface, you may need a contractor to do prep work before you can put down flooring materials.
Hardwood Flooring
Wood floors can add an elegant and earthy look to your home. They can be installed relatively quickly, and they're tremendously versatile. You can change the color of your wood floors simply by applying a stain. They can be sanded and refurbished many times and kept looking new. On the downside, wood floors can be more expensive than other options. Of course, how much you'll spend depends on the type of wood, with the harder woods generally costing more and lasting longer.
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Made using three to four layers of wood glued together, engineered hardwood is often more durable, more environmentally friendly and can stand up better to changes in humidity as well as unruly children. The material costs are about the same as traditional hardwood, but the installs are faster and cheaper. Here's more about traditional hardwood vs. engineered.
Bamboo Flooring
Not only is bamboo resistant to moisture, its just about as green as you can get, as bamboo grows so quickly. Bamboo is considerably softer than traditional hardwoods, so it will be gentler on your joints. Dancers love it. Another advantage is that the softness of the floor reduces noise. The downside? It can be expensive and brittle, and although its generally durable, its more susceptible to dings and scratches than other wood floors.
Cork Flooring
Like bamboo, cork represents an eco-friendly alternative. And, also like bamboo, its expensive and soft, with all the advantages and disadvantages that represents.
Laminate Flooring
This cost-effective option is simple to install, easy to clean and can stand up to abuse from kids and animals. Laminate floors are made of synthetic layers with an inner core of fiber board or resin. Unfortunately, it doesnt carry the rich look or feel of wood, and damaged laminate can be difficult to repair.
Vinyl and Linoleum Flooring
Vinyl and linoleum represent the cheapest options. And though they can get a bad rap for the low-end varieties, recognize that modern versions are far better than your grandmothers linoleum kitchen floor. They can be rolled or installed in squares, the latter of which is generally easy enough for the DIY set. Although sometimes described interchangeably, vinyl is a petroleum product, while linoleum is made largely of linseed oil, an extract from flax seeds.
Carpeting
New carpet in your home is a great way to freshen the look of a room - or your whole house. Carpet can be relatively inexpensive, but choosing the right carpet and installation method is important. Carpet prices can be compared based on several factors, including the pile of the carpet, room size and cost of installation. The pile of the carpet refers to the thickness or density of fibers used to weave the carpet. Natural products often cost more than those made of synthetic materials because natural fibers cannot be mass-produced as easily. Carpet is commonly priced by the square foot so your room size will also determine cost. The cost of carpet installation will vary, but many companies will offer free installation if you buy your carpet from them.
Tile Flooring
Popular in bathrooms and kitchens, tile flooring is the cleanest-looking and often the most durable option. Tile prices vary according to the materials used and where theyre produced. Among the options: ceramic, stone, marble and porcelain. Material costs can swing from a few bucks to thousands of dollars per tile, varying from big box mass produced to handcrafted and hand painted. Installation is fairly involved, and is often more expensive than the material costs.
Another Factor
Flooring, particularly tile, can be cold on bare feet. Before you put down your new flooring, you might consider an under-floor heating system, using radiant, electric, liquid or air-heating systems.
