Guide To The Best Flooring Options
The floor of a room, whether it is the kitchen, living room, bathroom or bedroom, or even the garage, is an important part of any home.
The look and feel of a home as well as its value depend a lot on the type of flooring it has.
Different flooring options are available today but it may be hard to choose which one will work best for you. Today’s most common options include
- Laminate Flooring
- Vinyl Flooring
- Commercial Flooring
- Wood Flooring
- Tile Flooring
- Carpet Flooring
- Rubber Flooring
The type of flooring you choose depends on several factors like your budget, your living style, and your specific and unique needs.
Below are some expert tips and ideas of different types and options for flooring.
Laminate Flooring
Laminated flooring materials are hybrid materials laminated together for flooring purposes. Laminate flooring is generally transparent and moisture-resistant and scratch-free. So, this type of flooring is good for your home if you have pets like dogs and cats.
Laminated flooring materials consist of the following layers starting bottom to top:
- Underlayment that helps installation.
- Melamine resin offers stability and moisture resistance.
- Fiberboard core that offers stability and durability.
- Decorative layer that can stimulate almost all flooring materials including hardwood marble and stone.
- Protective and transparent layer that provides resistance from scratch.
Is Laminated Flooring Durable?
Yes, laminated flooring is extremely durable. It is scratch-free and offers resistance to moisture. In fact, laminated flooring is more long-lasting than any vinyl, carpet, or hardwood flooring.
Is Laminated Flooring Economical?
Considering the durability and other features, laminated flooring is comparatively cheaper and economical than other flooring options.
Is Laminate Flooring Easy to Clean and Maintain?
Yes, because laminated flooring material is scratch-free and moisture-resistant, it is quite easy to clean and maintain. There is no need to wax or varnish.
Is Laminated Flooring Eco Friendly?
Yes, laminated flooring is very much eco-friendly. They are made from natural resources like wood chip fiberboard are recyclable.
How To Install Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is quite easy to install as compared to any other flooring option. There is no need to use any fastener or glue to the subfloor. A simple installation method called “lock and click” and “floats” is used to install the material. Most suppliers do the installation.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl is made from polyvinyl chloride and plasticizer. The material is flexible, non-porous, shiny, tough, and washable. Vinyl flooring sheets and tiles are available as flooring options. It can be applied on almost any floor surface including concrete, wood, linoleum, resilient floors, etc. Vinyl flooring is also called resilient flooring.
What Types of Vinyl Flooring Options are Available?
Vinyl flooring is available as vinyl sheets, tiles, planks, and vinyl wood flooring. Vinyl flooring sheets are available in 6, 9, and 12-foot-wide rolls. Vinyl flooring tiles are available in standard 12 inches square but they can vary.
Is Vinyl Flooring Durable?
Yes, vinyl flooring is durable enough. Most manufacturers will offer a good warranty and even a lifetime warranty because of the long life and durability of the product. Commercial vinyl flooring is hard-wearing and lasts longer.
Is Vinyl Flooring Economical?
Yes, vinyl flooring is very cheap and economical. In fact, it is one of the cheapest flooring options. Vinyl flooring is much cheaper than hardwood, tile, and stone.
Is Vinyl Flooring Eco Friendly?
Yes, modern vinyl flooring is safe, non-toxic, and eco-friendly. Vinyl flooring material is also recyclable.
How To Install Vinyl Flooring?
Vinyl flooring can be installed by 3 different methods depending on the type of material – The full spread method, the Perimeter adhered method, and the Floating flooring method. However, you must remember that the installation of vinyl flooring is not easy. It is not a DIY project and must be done by professionals.
Commercial Flooring
Commercial flooring is for buildings and construction meant for commercial purposes. E.g. – manufacturing units, stores, offices, schools, and colleges, etc. Commercial buildings are prone to large traffic and movement. Hence the floor has to be very rough and tough and durable.
What Types of Commercial Flooring Options are Available?
Different flooring options for commercial buildings are available. The most common of them are – Concrete flooring, Resilient or Vinyl flooring, Hardwood flooring, Carpet tiles, and Epoxy flooring.
Is Commercial Flooring Durable?
The durability of commercial flooring depends on type and traffic. Generally, these floors and made for durability. Concrete, Vinyl, and Epoxy flooring are most common and very durable.
Is Commercial Flooring Economical?
The budget of commercial flooring depends on the type of material. While concrete and vinyl flooring are cheaper, hardwood, epoxy, and carpet tiles can be expensive.
Is Commercial Flooring Eco Friendly?
Yes, material like concrete, vinyl, wood, carpet tiles, epoxy is all made out of safe and non-toxic material. Most of them are even recyclable. Because of government rules and regulations, commercial institutions are bound to use Eco-friendly materials.
How To Install Commercial Flooring?
Installation of commercial flooring depends on the type of floor to be installed. Most of them are not DIY projects and some professional has to be hired.
Wood Flooring
Wood flooring is any material or product made from wood or timber for flooring purposes.
What Types of Wood Flooring Options are Available?
Wood flooring is generally of two types:
- Solid Hardwood Flooring – These are planks made from solid wood and milled from a single piece of timber. Solid hardwood flooring materials are available in a wide range of styles and dimensions. There is no standard size and they can be custom-made.
- Engineered Wood Flooring – As the name suggests, engineered wood flooring is a material engineered for flooring purposes. It is made from two or more layers of the wood plank. It is the most common type of wood floor used worldwide.
* Bamboo Flooring is also considered wood flooring.
Is Wood Flooring Durable?
Wood flooring is sensitive to moisture and is subject to expansion and contraction. Hence, it is not very durable as compared to other flooring options. The durability of the floor also depends on the type of wood used. The most common and durable wood used for flooring is – Brazilian Cherry, Hickory, Oak, Maple, and Mahogany. Engineered wood flooring is more durable than solid hardwood floors because they are engineered and designed for durability.
Is Wood Flooring Economical?
Compared to other flooring options, wood flooring is not cheap. These floors also need proper care and maintenance.
Is Wood Flooring Eco Friendly?
Yes, wood flooring is Eco-friendly. But if you are conscious about forests and trees, try to avoid wood flooring.
How To Install Wood Flooring?
Woof flooring installation is not a DIY easy task. Wood is subject to expansion and contraction, hence proper care has to be taken while installation. It needs all kinds of tools. It is better to get the job done by an expert professional.
Tile Flooring
What is Tile Flooring?
Flooring material is made out of ceramic, stone, rubber, plastic, or glass. Ceramic tiles are painted and glazed for flooring purposes. These tiles are laid on the floor in various patterns for a beautiful floor.
What Types of Tile Flooring Options are Available?
Tiles for flooring are available in different materials, designs, and sizes. Materials used to make flooring tiles include porcelain, ceramic, stone, rubber, plastic, glass travertine, marble, slate, cork, etc. These tiles are available in different designs and sizes.
Is Tile Flooring Durable?
The durability of tile flooring depends on the material of the tiles. Material like rubber, plastic, marble, slate, and travertine are very durable and long-lasting. Remember that tile resists scratching and is fire-resistant.
Is Tile Flooring Economical?
Again this depends on the material of the tiles. Tiles made from vinyl are cheap and affordable while marble can be expensive. But there are so many varieties of tile flooring material available that anyone can find the tile for flooring that suits his budget.
Is Tile Flooring Eco Friendly?
Yes, tile flooring is Eco-friendly. They are made from safe and non-toxic material. Many manufacturers are now making flooring tiles from waste material that could otherwise fill landfills. Many floor tile materials are also recyclable.
How To Install Tile Flooring?
Installation of flooring tiles depends on the material of the tile. While installation of tiles made from vinyl is easy to install, other tiles may need some professional to install.
Eco-Friendly Flooring Options
Below I discuss some of the best available Eco-friendly flooring options.
- Naturally Available Stones like Granite, Marble, and Slate: These flooring materials are safe for both human beings and the environment. These materials also don’t need any harmful chemicals for installation. They last long that preventing frequent repair or re-installation that reduces waste.
- Ceramic Tiles: These tiles are made from clay but many of them are also made from recycled material such as glass. Ceramic tiles and tough and durable and don’t need frequent repair or too much maintenance. This reduces the production of waste material.
- Wood Floors: Wooden floors are environmentally friendly and preserve ecosystems. Just take keep in mind to use wood only from certified forests and not just from any forest.
- Engineered Wooden Flooring: These flooring materials are made from hardwood from certified forests and are very durable. These flooring materials are made of several layers and the decorative layer can be varnished and re-varnished again and again. This reduces the production of waste material.
- Bamboo Flooring: Bamboo flooring made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified forests are very eco-friendly. These plants are renewable and can get mature in about 10 years or even less. Just make sure to select a low VOC product.
- Linoleum Flooring: These are made from recyclable and biodegradable material and are very safe for the environment. Linoleum flooring materials are strong, durable, and water-proof. They are also very easy to install. They also restrict the growth of bacteria and decrease allergic reactions.
- Cork Flooring: These materials are manufactured from the bark of cork-oak trees and by-products of cork stoppers. Oak trees can be harvested in about 10 years. Make sure to use adhesives with low Volatile Organic Compounds.
* Try to avoid vinyl flooring and carpet flooring are they are not Eco-friendly. Most people use vinyl and carpet flooring because they are cheap. But these are not very environmentally friendly floors.
