Many Americans deal with installing new floors each year. The ideal flooring for your needs may depend on several factors including:
- The room the floors will be installed in
- Your budget
- Foot traffic in the room and the wear and tear it will experience
- Sunlight in the room
Trends in Flooring
Core products are becoming one of the most popular flooring options. This is because they are durable, easy to maintain, affordable, and look like tile or wood. They are very popular in kitchen and bathrooms.
Luxury vinyl plank (LVP) is also very popular now. LVP is an affordable waterproof floor option that with realistic wood looks that installs easily. It also offers great resistance against and wear and scuffs.
Here are some things to consider when deciding which floor is best for your home and specific rooms:
Pros and Cons of Different Types of Flooring
Consider the various floors available, what benefits they offer, and what’s most important to you.
Comparisons of Different Types of Floors:
Core/ LVP
Pros: Easy installation, wears well and has a great look, very clean, waterproof, can be installed on virtually any surface
Cons: Constant sunlight can cause the floor color to fade; also some customers complain the lighter colors can be hard to keep clean with pets.
Common rooms used: Family area, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom
Estimated cost (per ft2)*: approximately $1.50 – $5.00
Wood
Pros: Classic look, good for resale value, site finishing allows you to pick a color and finish
Cons: Usually more expensive
Common rooms used: Family area, other main floor rooms, bedroom
Estimated cost (per ft2)*: approximately $3.00 – $8.00
Tile
Pros: Waterproof, comes in a variety of styles, colors, and patterns
Cons: Can be more expensive and/or complex to install
Common rooms used: Kitchen, bathroom
Estimated cost (per ft2)*: approximately $6.00 – $10.00
Carpet
Pros: Cost effective option, comes in a wide variety of colors and styles, new carpet is a great way to spruce up a house for less before putting it on the market
Cons: Can show wear more easily than other floors
Common rooms used: Family area, bedroom
Estimated cost (per ft2)*: approximately $1.00 – $8.00
Core Flooring
Core flooring, also known as rigid core flooring, is made up distinct layers, with each working together to create a floor that is waterproof and designed to stand up to the tough demands everyday use.
Restor-It carries some core flooring by Neptune and US Floors, as well as other brands.
Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo floors offer a uniform, clean, sleek, contemporary look. Bamboo is a clean contemporary look which comes in lots of applications. You can glue it, float it, and lock and click it. It comes in solid, engineered, and laminates.
While it’s visually appealing, some of the downsides of bamboo floors include that it scratches and dings more easily that other flooring types. It also absorbs some water and is harder to maintain and replace.
Bamboo is also not very durable and cannot be refinished. Once you wear through the wear layer, it is pretty much finished. While bamboo is a renewable resource since you have to change your floor when it wears through the wear layer it still takes more materials to sustain it over time.
DIY Vs. Hiring an Expert?
While going a do-it-yourself (DIY) route may sound like a budget-friendly way to install floors, especially tile, there are several factors that can impact the project. So, working with an expert can actually save you time and money (since redoing anything will rack up costs).
Temperature is important when installing flooring and needs to be checked. Lighting in the room can affect the color. Do your homework or find a flooring expert like Restor-It who can educate and work within your budget so you can make the best decision.
Our team often gets called in after a tile installation because there are a lot of details that come with a tile project. We see homeowners dealing with bad transitions from floor to shower, a wrong layout, grout that wasn’t mixed properly, and shower pans that were installed incorrectly.
Choosing the Right Floor for Your Room
Consumer Reports tested various types so you can check out details in their flooring buying guide. You can also speak with a specialist at Restor-It about your floor needs and they can do an in-home consultation to provide a detailed estimate to quickly handle your flooring installation project.
It’s a good idea to check out a variety of samples — at least three — when looking at flooring products to use.
For any room in your house that needs new floors, if you want to look at some options in person, visit the Restor-It showroom today.
From new floors to emergency fire and water damage, Restor-It has you covered.
*Note that all pricing shown is for materials only (prep, installation, and padding is additional).
