Flooring: Your choice couldn't be any more important

Let’s face it; there will come a time in every homeowner’s life where a decision will have to be made as to what type of flooring is needed. More often than not this decision making process occurs when the homeowner is either building a new home or is in the process of remodeling an existing home. One would hope that the decision and planning is made well ahead of the time that the actual flooring and installation is needed.

One key consideration that should be made and kept at the forefront of the decision making process, in regards to your choice of flooring, is traffic patterns. This one key consideration alone will be your leading factor as to your decision on other considerations. Some of the additional considerations that need to be made include durability, visual aesthetics, ease of maintenance and care, ease of installation, and of course price.

Traffic patterns of course are dictated by the amount of time one spends in a given area as well as the congregation of family. With this in mind let us consider for a moment the traffic patterns of some of the key areas of any home. The highest ranking traffic areas are the entry way, the kitchen and of course the family/entertainment area. As such, a good consideration for these areas would be laminate wood flooring, hard wood, or the newest line up in the mix, Bamboo hardwood. All three provide visually pleasing aesthetics and hold up well to traffic. Another option of course is tile or marble. They are also relatively easy on upkeep and maintenance. These types of flooring are highly desirable in the home sale market and should provide you with a good return on your investment. However, the down side is that depending on the material you selected certain maintenance will require a professional and most assuredly any repairs will require a professional.

Next of course you have bathrooms, home offices, and bedrooms. Carpet is more than likely your best option for bedrooms for a number of reasons. Carpet provides comfort and a warm cozy feeling to the rooms. They also provide some insulation and lets face it, no one likes waking up in the morning and placing their feet on an ice cold floor. However, it should be noted that the option of installing heated wood flooring does exist. For your bathrooms a nice tile or laminate should work fine. The more expensive option of course would be granite and marble. Remember, bathrooms are high moisture areas. You want something that can hold up to this environment and preferably prevent mold and mildew growth. Although some of your laminate flooring and wood flooring can be a do it your self project it is highly recommended that if you choose tile or marble that you hire a professional. Mistakes get expensive.

You will also need to make a decision on how much time, money, and energy you are willing to spend on keeping the flooring maintained. Some of your flooring choices may have a maintenance and upkeep as simple as grabbing a mop or vacuum cleaner. Others may require periodic refinishing. This is most often the case with hardwood floors. When deciding you should factor in your maintenance costs into your decision making process.

You will also need to consider every member of the family. Yes, even your pets should be considered. Children and pets both need more durable flooring in their traffic areas. Also, depending on the type of hard wood floor chosen, dog’s nails can scratch the surface and as such could force you into a more frequent refinishing cycle of maintenance. Children drop things and fall all the time as opposed to adults and teens. Should you have carpet where the child plays to help cushion the fall or is it better to get laminate or hard wood to make it easy to pick up the spills? Remember, consider everyone in the family.

Another key component to your decision making process to consider is source and availability. Most manufacturers only run a production line on a given flooring model line for a limited time. If you truly love your floors and you want to preserve the integrity of the flooring then you should consider buying extra material. You never know when the manufacture will stop producing a given product line and this way, if you buy the extra material now, you can ensure that any maintenance or repairs can be done while still maintaining the visual aesthetics and integrity of the flooring.

In all types of flooring, regardless of what you choose, there is a wide range in availability and prices and nearly identical products. Consider taking the time and going online to buy direct from a manufacture, you just might be surprised at the amount of money you can save.

Making a decision to replace aged flooring or the type of flooring you want in your new home should be made as soon as possible. If you have a fixed budget, failing to make the decision ahead of time and waiting until the last minute can cost you thousands and throw you off budget. Remember, taking the time to do it now allows you the time to shop for the best price and make and informed decision based on traffic patterns, aesthetics, and your needs.