The Top-6 Factors for Choosing the Best Floor
Understanding the types of flooring can be confusing. Learn how to choose the best flooring for you. Although this is a very personal and subjective question, we’ve compiled a set of criteria to help you choose the right floor in an objective manner. The type of floor varies by person, situation, and even by the room in your home. Most often, people shopping for flooring consider their budget, location in the home, type and amount of required maintenance, the design aesthetic, and the feel under foot. Other considerations in selecting the best flooring include the amount and type of traffic, whether dogs or cats are present, etc.
During our free, in-home measurement and design consultation we will help guide you through the types of flooring best suited for you, your family, home, and situation.
The Type of Flooring is Based on Many Factors
Location
Where is the Floor to be Installed?
Is water or moisture present?
The type of flooring in a bedroom is most likely not the best floor for a bathroom or kitchen. The presence of water and moisture in kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or mudrooms leads us to recommend luxury vinyl plank or tile, engineered hardwood, or laminate flooring. In bedrooms and other main living areas, the choice of flooring comes down to look & feel as well as budget.
On what level in your home will this floor be installed?
While there aren’t many homes with basement floors in Cary or surrounding areas, there are plenty. If your new floor is to be installed in a room below-grade, special considerations may be required during installation. A vapor barrier, underlayment, and padding will be part of the decision-making process as well. Do not overlook places of transition – like staircases and hallways. Hallway runners and stair runners are supremely smart to help reduce slipping, minimize noise, improve warmth under foot, and enhance the look and feel of the space. Stair runners are strongly recommended floors for pets or small children.
What type of sub-floor is in place?
The type of flooring installed is only as good as the sub-floor beneath. Is the main floor of the home positioned over a concrete slab or a crawlspace? If the room is located above the main living space, on a second or third level for instance, you will consider carpeting most often to minimize the sound of walking on a hard-surface overhead. Depending on the sub-floor material, you may be interested in a softer pad or thicker underlayment to reduce the sound of footsteps on the floor.
Maintenance
It’s no secret, some floors require more upkeep and ongoing maintenance than others. While ceramic and other forms of tile require sealing, a gentle mopping might be the only necessary cleaning needed for other hard-surface flooring such as hardwood, laminate, and luxury vinyl plank. Carpeting typically needs to be vacuumed regularly and cleaned at least annually. Although we would all desire the type of floor that is completely maintenance-free, the best flooring is often a mix of aesthetics, comfort, budget, lifestyle, and ease of cleaning.
Design Aesthetic
At this point, we’re still discussing the type of flooring and not diving deep on color; at least, not yet. Advancements in technology and manufacturing have allowed for endless possibilities in matching floor types with design and décor. Variable length and width of wood, laminate, and/or luxury vinyl planks creates a truly custom feel. These types of wood and wood-look flooring may also have textures like hand-scraped, wire-brushed, aged, or distressed. Carpet and rugs can be of a short or deep pyle, made of nylon or wool or other types, etc.
Choose a floor to coordinate with your interior design by browsing real floor samples in your own home with your lighting, furniture, textures, and colors – rather than inside of a concrete and steel warehouse with advice from an plumbing salesperson.
Pet-friendly
If you have a dog or cat, you will want to learn more about the type of flooring best for pets. Some floors are more resistant to water, scratches, dents, stains, and wear and tear. Other floor types are not as resistant to those issues. Just as important, some floors are known to cause pets to slip and to contribute more to hip dysplasia, for instance, than others. If you’d like additional reading material on the topic, please take a look at the American Kennel Club (AKC)‘s website.
Timing
Have you recently moved and need new floors for your home? Are you planning to sell in the near-term? How long do you plan to live in your home and with this flooring decision? On average, homeowners consider replacing their flooring once every 10 years or so; barring significant damage, of course. If you’re planning to be in your home for the foreseeable future, you would be wise to invest in a durable, long-lasting floor and to upgrade your padding and stain guard. In contrast, if you’re selling in the near term, you may consider a less expensive option to maximize appeal and profit.
We’re often asked if we can install by a certain date; and, the answer to that is simple. Give us a call and help us understand your objectives. Then, we can determine if our standard processes and timing will work or if we need to accelerate the schedule to help you meet your goals. As you can see, timing plays a big part in determining the best flooring for you, at the right time!
Budget
Budget may or may not be your #1 criteria to choose the best flooring. Regardless, it’s always part of the equation. When you work with the team here at Cary Floor Coverings Int’l, we’ll help guide you based on your input. Based on our 30 years of experience, we know how to deliver the right look for the right situation and the right budget! We are committed to installing the best floor at the right price!
