Years ago flooring choices we relatively limited especially when compared to the range of choices available today. Have you walked into a Lowe's or Home Depot lately and just had a look at the flooring choices they have available? So, with all of the choices available, how do you decide on what type of flooring to use in your home?
To help you decide, you should break it down into three areas of consideration which are the type of room, traffic the room gets, and how much money you have available or how much you want to spend on the project. The type of room, in conjunction with the amount of traffic will determine to a large extent what type of flooring you will go with. You do not want to go with wood floors in the kitchen and bathroom in most cases due to the likelihood of water or other liquids being spilled on it.
Hardwood floors are extremely popular these days due to the look of luxury and character that the addition of this type of flooring gives a room. These types of floors can now be installed over nearly any preexisting sub floor and with the increased demand for hardwood floors has come better quality and variety of choices. You can choose from plank, strip, or long strip depending on your preference and also whether or not you want the wood finished or unfinished.
Another very popular choice if you like the look of wood but you are afraid it will not hold up in high traffic or because you do not want to spend the money that real hardwood floors cost, is laminate flooring. Originating in Europe, these floors are easy to clean and highly durable and stain resistant. Even though the majority of laminate floor systems still come from overseas there are some domestic manufacturers beginning to offer the product. The high quality of laminate flooring sometimes has people mistaking it for real wood.
My personal favorite is ceramic tile which is very durable and long lasting as well as being resistant to scratches, fire, and water. It also does not hold in odor and bacteria, like carpet does, which is excellent especially if you have pets. The only downside to me is that it is very slippery so it may not be practical if you have small children or if you are elderly. Overall however, tile is a very good choice and makes for very easy cleaning and maintenance.
Of course your other choice is carpet which is easy of the feet and offers a warmer surface, particularly in the winter time when you may not want to put your feet on a tile floor. My suggestion is to use carpet in bedroom areas that are so highly trafficked and use laminate or tile in the living areas.