FLOORING GUIDE: HOW TO CHOOSE A FLOOR FOR EVERY ROOM

Floors are crucial for the wellbeing of your home. Apart from comfort, they also influence energy efficiency, practicality, and safety. In addition, some flooring materials are prone to water damage and mold growth, so choosing the right floor is also good for your health.

In this short guide, we will tell you everything you need to know about picking the right flooring material. And not just for bathrooms and kitchens, but for the entire house too! Here is what you should know:

BATHROOM & KITCHEN

One of the hardest things is picking a floor for your kitchen and bathroom. Surrounded by piping systems, these areas are perfect for leaks and floods. Moreover, if they aren’t properly ventilated, water vapor from cooking and showers will quickly ruin your wooden floors, cabinets, and windows.

Truth is, whether patterned or plain, tile will always remain the perfect option for bathroom flooring. High humidity levels and toilet leaks make hardwood floors (prone to rot and water damage) unfit for bathrooms! Instead, opt for the tile, stone, and vinyl – materials which are highly durable and can get through any situation.

The kitchen doesn’t have that much interaction with water so installing hardwood floors is perfectly fine, but when picking kitchen floors, you must also think of comfort.

When we cook, we spend a lot of time standing in one spot and that’s why your kitchen floors should be comfortable and warm to walk on. Cork is the perfect option because apart from being durable, it is also very cheap and easy to fix (unlike other materials like laminate and linoleum).

BASEMENT & ATTIC

If picking floors for kitchens and bathrooms sounds hard, then what is there to say about basements and attics? These rooms are directly connected to outside weather and even a small crack in the roof or on your foundation can cause severe water damage.

That being said, definitely avoid hardwood! Don’t be disappointed though. If you are in love with the look of wooden floors, you can always opt for luxury vinyl planks. This magical new flooring has the durability and water-resistance of vinyl, but can be made to look exactly like wood. That’s why it is the ideal option for areas prone to water damage.

Remember that before you start installing your floors in the attic and basement, you must make sure that all cracks are properly sealed and fixed. To stay at ease, conduct roof and basement inspections at least once every two years. This will save you a lot of trouble in harsh winters and rainy autumns.

LIVING ROOM & BEDROOMS

After you cover all the difficult areas, it’s time to have some fun! Living rooms and bedrooms are the most flexible rooms when it comes to flooring materials. After all, the worst thing that can happen is the occasional wine stain.

Even though it’s an open field, experts recommend avoiding cold materials like concrete and stone, especially if you have small kids. But, if you like the aesthetics of these materials, you can always add a few comfy rugs or install an underfloor heating system.

Another floor to avoid is carpeting. Stains, dust, allergens… all of these can easily make a brand new carpet look like it’s 20 years old. And because it needs to be frequently cleaned, you will spend a ton of energy and money on maintaining it.

Putting stone flooring and carpets aside, here are some popular and efficient options for flooring in your bedrooms and living room:

• Hardwood
• Engineered wood
• Laminate
• Cork
• Vinyl
• Recycled rubber