Interior Flooring 101: Knowing the Type of Flooring to Suit Your Home

One part of the house which is often taken for granted is the floor. Floors are basically the surface where people in the house walk on and around. It’s the part of the house that greatly suffers from scratches, abrasions and spills. Thus it is important that the floor is resilient, durable and long lasting, otherwise it may cause problems which can lead to accidents and defects in the overall structure of the house.

But what exactly are the different types of flooring you can use on your home? Below are among the common favorite types of flooring together with their advantages and disadvantages to users:

1. CARPETS – Carpets are among the most popular traditional flooring choices for most homes and offices. Carpets are often recommended because they provide a lot of character to the whole house and its homeowners. Carpets come in various styles and colors which can match whatever color scheme you choose. They also are good insulators in times of cold weather, and they also help keep the coolness of the air conditioner even if a door or window is open.

Carpets however are difficult to maintain. You will have to vacuum regularly and shampoo the carpet whenever it gets dirty. You should also be careful not to stain the carpet otherwise it may have to be replaced by a new one. Being a high maintenance flooring type, carpets are ideal only in bedrooms, home offices and living rooms, but not areas where people gather and eat such as the dining room and kitchen.

2. HARDWOOD FLOORS – Hardwood floors are another choice for flooring. They can be installed in almost all parts of the house. They are long lasting, resilient and easy to clean, and they give almost any room a touch of class and style.

Hardwood floors however are expensive, and are sometimes too high for the average budget. They also need treatment against pests such as termites otherwise they will rot and lose strength. Hardwood thus is great only for second floors, bedrooms, offices, dining and living rooms.

3. RUGS – Rugs are a great accent to almost any kind of flooring. It can be rolled on hardwood, tile or carpet and remain beautiful. Rugs provide warmth and comfort especially when on sits on the floor. They can also give the room a sense of character because of their design. Rugs are also ideal for stain covers found on the floor.

4. LAMINATE FLOORS – Laminate floors meanwhile used to cover rough surfaced cement floors and are very popular among average homes. They are cheap and are very easy to lay down on the floor. Because of their resilience, laminate floors do are ideal even for kitchens, but not in bathrooms.

5. TILES – Finally, there are the tiles. Tiles work best in bathrooms because they are easy to clean, and they cannot be damaged by water and as well easy to clean up. Tiles however tend to get slippery especially when soap suds are on the floor. Tiles thus have to be kept dry at all times to avoid accidents.