The choices you make when it comes to flooring materials are much more important than you would think. The reason for this is that your home’s floor contributes a lot to the overall appearance and aesthetic appeal, as well as providing the much-needed area for you and your family members to move about without harm. It is, therefore, imperative that you take care to select good flooring materials for all of the rooms and corridors in your home, paying special attention to the requirements of each and every area.Whenever you want to select a floor material, you should always consider about the following factors, regardless of whether you are going with conventional tiled floors or timber laminate flooring solutions:
Amount of Traffic – Not all areas and rooms in your home get the same amount of traffic. Some places, like the living room or kitchen, tend to be more frequented, while others (like everybody’s bedrooms) are only visited by certain people occasionally during the day. Areas with more foot traffic will generally require you to select a flooring material that is more durable. On the other hand, carpets are better if foot traffic is minimal, as they also provide more comfort compared to hard wooden or tiled floors.
Location – The entrance of your home will be subjected to all sorts of abuse, including being affected by snow, mud, dust and just about anything that will be on your shoes after a long walk outside. You should, therefore, take this into consideration by selecting a floor that resists humidity and moisture, as well being durable enough to withstand the constant rubbing and grinding of shoes soles.
Slipperiness when Wet – Areas like the bathroom, kitchen and places close to your washing machine will often get wet. Some types of floors will be extremely slippery when wet, which can cause somebody to accidentally tumble and fall. To avoid such accidents, you may want to select flooring materials accordingly. Rubber is normally the best when it comes to wet area applications.
Cost – Not all flooring options cost the same. There are a few that cost very little (such as almost any type of porcelain and ceramic tiled flooring), others that cost a little more engineered flooring and ones that command very high prices (any kind of real exotic wooden floors). Depending on your budget, you may want to limit the amount of expensive flooring materials to a minimum, or just forego them altogether for something cheaper.
Level of Maintenance – The amount of maintenance required can vary a lot depending on your chosen material. Some require little to no maintenance. Tiled floors and most types of laminate flooring solutions fall under this category. Others, like real hardwood floors, will need to be taken care of properly if you want them to last for a long time.