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7 Critical Questions To Ask Yourself Before Choosing Flooring For Your Home

7 QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE CHOOSING FLOORING FOR YOUR HOME

Whether you’re building a new house or remodeling your home, choosing your flooring can be overwhelming. With numerous options available out there, you don’t want to make a mistake here cause, let’s face it — it’s pretty much permanent.

When choosing flooring for your home, everything from your lifestyle, location, budget to aesthetics should be a part of your consideration. However, these factors do not play an equal role for everyone. For some, aesthetics is everything, while others look for the perfect low-maintenance flooring that suits their lifestyle. Whichever category you may fall in, giving each aspect a little bit of thought will always put you in a safe spot.

Here are 7 crucial questions that helped me choose the perfect flooring and will help you too!

What is the Moisture Level of the Space?

What is the Moisture Level of the Space?

The moisture of an individual area is one of the most significant factors you must consider before choosing flooring for your home. For example, the moisture level can get pretty high in bathrooms, the laundry room, or the basement. Often, the wrong choice for flooring will not only last for a shorter period of time, but a far scarier consequence can also fall on you — mold and mildew.

You can measure your indoor moisture level easily using a hygrometer or use the ice cube method. Suppose your score comes on the higher end of the scale. In that case, moisture resisting materials such as laminate, engineered wood, bamboo, ceramic or porcelain tile, and vinyl tile are the best available option for you. Steer clear of hardwood, cork, linoleum, which are highly susceptible to moisture.

Pro Tip: In any humid part of the house, use a dehumidifier from time to time to avoid the build-up of mold and mildew. It will also make your flooring last longer.  

What is Your Flooring Budget?

What is Your Flooring Budget?

Perhaps budget is the most critical factor in your flooring choice. If a material doesn’t fit your budget, it doesn’t fit your budget: period. However, with endless material choices, you will find multiple flooring options that perfectly match your budget.

Here is an estimated price list of the most common flooring options and areas they are best suited for:

Flooring MaterialCost Per Square FootBest Choice For
Hardwood$3-$18Main Living Areas, Hallways, Kitchen
Laminate$1-$7Living Areas, Kitchen, Playrooms
Engineered Wood$6-$20Living Areas, Hallways, Kitchens
Carpet$1-$3Living Room, Bedroom, Kitchen, Stairs
Ceramic Tile$2.5-$20Kitchen, Bathrooms, Sunrooms
Porcelain Tile$3-$10Kitchen, Bathrooms, Sunrooms
Polished Concrete$3-$15Living Room, Playrooms, Outdoor Spaces
Vinyl$3-$10Kitchen, Bathrooms, Basement, Hobby Rooms
Bamboo Flooring$3-$8Main Living Areas, Kitchen, Family Rooms
Cork$2-$6Living Areas, Kitchens, Bedrooms, Playrooms
Linoleum$2-$5Playrooms, Family Rooms, Kitchens
Rubber$2-$12Bathrooms, Kitchens, Playrooms, Basements, Garages

Who is in Your Family?

Who is in Your Family?

If you only have adults living in your home, feel free to skip ahead to the next step.

People who will live in the house should be an essential part of your consideration for flooring options. And remember, your family includes your furry friends too. If you have growing children or cats and dogs living with you, you might want to consider durable and water-resisting options.

Here are 7 best children and pet-friendly flooring options for families:

  • Laminate
  • Tile
  • Hardwood
  • Carpet
  • Rubber
  • Concrete
  • Cork

Do You Need an Easy to Maintain Flooring?

It is crucial to make sure that whatever flooring option that you choose is well-suited to your lifestyle. Because let’s face it, in an already busy lifestyle, no one wants to burden it more with a high-maintenance floor.

So, if maintenance over aesthetics is the case for you, any type of resilient flooring is best. For example, sheets, tile, or plank are easy to clean and will not require long-term maintenance. Laminate comes as a second-best option as it will need special care to clean it without any long-term maintenance. However, if you switch to spray mop or damp mopping systems, you might also get away with laminate.

What Look Are You Going For?

What Look Are You Going For?

Deciding on the look is a step where you might want to take your time as it will reflect your personality and build an aesthetic that will reflect the decorations of the house. Experts always suggest thinking in the long run rather than going after a trend that will probably last less than a decade.

Think about it — do you prefer the clean and crisp look of wood or tiles or want to add warmth with a neutral carpet. Many people like different looks and textures in different parts of the house. For example, stone-washed or concrete flooring brings an edgy modern look in a large, formal lounge while you can keep the family living cozy with a hardwood floor.

You should also be thinking about the flooring color. Bring nature indoors with soothing neutrals, browns, greys, and tones of white. You can also mark your personal aesthetics with color and pattern. However, we suggest laying low on the color as it will give you more freedom with furnishing. Also, staying within a particular color scheme is helpful to build a seamless ambiance throughout the house.  

What Kind of Subfloor Do You Have?

What Kind of Subfloor Do You Have?

When picking the flooring for a house, most people will only consider the aesthetic or cost of floors. However, what lies beneath the floor should be an essential factor in your floor choice, even if it’s not visible to the eye. Your subfloor will dictate which flooring option is the best for you.

Subflooring is a structural layer that creates a layer between the subfloor and the finish flooring.

Even though it is not a matter of concern if you’re building the house from scratch, it is a significant factor for renovations and remodeling. You might need to bring in an expert to check out the current subfloor type and determine which flooring type would be best suited for it. Taking this extra step will save you time and energy in case you choose the wrong flooring type. The most common types of subfloors are —

  • Wood Plank Subflooring
  • Plywood Subflooring
  • Concrete Subflooring
  • OSB Subflooring

What About Sun Exposure?

What About Sun Exposure?

If you’re a morning person, the odds of your house having a sunroom lies on the high side of the spectrum — even more so if you live somewhere like California or Florida. While you enjoy the morning sun with your first cup of coffee, you need to keep in mind that UV is one of the most damaging factors when it comes to flooring. Moreover, the sunroom flooring needs to withstand moisture, heat, and cold yearlong. For this area, you will want to consider a durable and resilient flooring material that can fight every weather condition for years.

Here is our list of the 6 best flooring options for a sunroom:

  1. Laminate
  2. Engineered Hardwood
  3. Carpet Tile
  4. Tile
  5. Vinyl Plank Flooring
  6. Bamboo

Flooring is one of the most significant and time-consuming investments for building or remodeling a house. So, take your time to plan and prepare before you get to work. Asking yourself the right questions will narrow down your choices and make decision-making easier and faster.

Do you have any questions about choosing flooring options for your home? Comment below and let us know!

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