Floors For Thought: 4 Key Questions To Ask Yourself When Choosing Flooring

If there is one aspect of home improvement that requires a little more thought than any other, it’s the flooring. The reason for this is simple: your flooring is the hardest working aspect of your house. Not only does your floor have to deal with constant pressure from heavy furniture being placed on top of it, but it also has to cope with the strain of being walked on, played on, vacuumed, washed, and everything else that goes into the daily life of a floor.  So when you’re next choosing flooring, you’re going to want to give a lot of thought to the choices. Below are four questions to ask yourself; run through these, answer honestly, and you will be assured of finding the perfect flooring to suit your home.

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[ctt template=”4″ link=”fefa6″ via=”yes” ]The next time your are choosing flooring, you’re going to want to give a lot of thought to the choices. Below are four questions to ask yourself; run through these, answer honestly, and you will be assured of finding the perfect flooring to suit your home.[/ctt]

Question #1: How often is this floor going to be walked on?

If the answer is “a lot”, then you need to opt for flooring that is durable above all else. Durable tends to mean more expensive, but this is definitely a cost you should be willing to absorb in your budget— if you try to use cheap, poorly made flooring in high-traffic areas, then you’re only going to have to replace the floor after a few years.

Question #2: How much tolerance do I have for cleaning?

As a general rule, the shinier a floor is, the tougher it’s going to be to maintain. Opting for matte finishes is the better bet in high traffic areas particularly. With shiny floors, you’ll spend your life trying to polish off footprints and remove every speck of dust, which is unlikely to be on your top ten list of things you want to do with your time. Opting for matte finishes is thus your best bet in busy areas.

Question #3: Do I need the floor to be waterproof?

The most obvious contenders for requiring the flooring to be waterproof are the kitchen and the bathroom, both of which need to be able to handle spillages on a consistent basis. Waterproof and spill-proof floors are by far your best option in these areas, which will dictate the materials that you choose. Carpet is a nightmare for bathrooms and kitchens, laminate is tricky, hardwood is a bad idea; these vinyl plank flooring reviews emphasize the ability to deal with water spills, so this might be your best choice for these areas. If waterproofing isn’t a particular concern, then you can choose whichever option suits your taste and budget.

Question #4: Do I need a professional to install this floor?

If you’re looking to save costs, then installing flooring yourself can save a substantial amount of money in labor costs. Some forms of flooring lend themselves better to self-installation than others; for example, hardwood tends to require professional installation, but vinyl or laminate planks can be installed by any enthusiastic amateur. If you’re curious to whether you could manage a self-installation, there’s a great overview of the laminate installation procedure in this video:

In conclusion

When you have figured out the answers to all of the above, you can be certain that your flooring choice will be exactly what your home needs. Enjoy!

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