Which flooring is right for you?

When looking to lay new flooring in your home, you need to consider the best flooring option for each room.

Every room in your house will have different levels of use. Dirty shoe marks in the entrance hall, muddy paws scampered through the hallway, and even chair leg scrapes in the dining room can all happen on a daily basis.

Not only are there hundreds of options to choose from, but there are also a number of important factors to consider with regard to each – practicality, durability and cost to name but a few.

Before you start planning which flooring to purchase, we would always advise first considering how you use the room in question. The level of footfall is very important in determining what flooring to use.

To help, we’ve compiled a handy summary of the most popular flooring materials – as well as the pros, the cons and the costs of each – to help you choose the best flooring material for your home.

LVT – Luxury Vinyl Tiles

Luxury vinyl tiles are an innovative new flooring that offers many practical benefits.

This type of flooring is made by combining a series of layers; the stability layer helps the product to stay level, whilst also allowing enough flexibility to cut through with a knife.

One of the main advantages of LVT is its visual appeal.

LVT flooring is particularly good at realistically mimicking the appearance of natural materials, such as wood and stone.

It is available in wide range of designs that would be difficult and expensive to source, if created using natural materials.

Generally, LVT is far more durable than real wood, stone or even ceramic tiles, withstanding the general wear and tear of daily life. Being naturally scuff, scratch, slip and water resistant, makes it the ideal flooring choice for high traffic areas within any house.

Often, LVT has a much higher upfront cost than vinyl, but requires minimal maintenance.

• Room – Ideal for Kitchen, Bathroom, Utility, Hallway. Suitable for most areas.
• Durability – High (scuff, scratch, slip and water resistant)
• Maintenance – Low
• Advantages
  • Durable Affordable when compared to the natural alternatives.
  • Versatile
  • Insulated and warm
  • Low maintenance

Hardwood Flooring

You really can’t beat the beauty and versatility of hardwood flooring. Available in a variety of different woods, this flooring really adds warmth, character and style to any home whether old or new.

Hardwood flooring is made of harvested trees. Pricing can depend on a number of factors including how exotic the trees are. These can include oak, bamboo, ash etc.

Initial costs are admittedly much higher than other flooring options, but with good maintenance and necessary repairs they can last a lifetime.

However, wooden flooring can be easily repaired by sanding out imperfections and refinishing. This durability gives it the edge over other types of flooring and can make them ideally suited to living rooms, hallways and bedrooms.

Not only is it easy to clean and maintain, but it can also be styled and stained to suit any taste or style of home.

The downside to solid hardwood is that is highly susceptible to water damage. This means that they aren’t particularly suited to areas that are prone to spillages and moisture, such as the kitchen, utility room or entrance hall.

Also, softer varieties of woods can scratch more easily, making them less practical for households with pets and young children.

• Room – Ideal for Living Room, Bedroom, Hallway
• Durability – High (can last years if treated well)
• Maintenance – Medium
• Advantages
  • Easy to maintain, clean and repair
  • Adds value to a home
  • High quality, stylish look
  • A great long-term investment

Laminate

Laminate flooring is a tough and durable product that is easy to clean, pet proof and easy to install.

This is a particularly good choice for anyone looking for a floor that they can fit and forget, even in the very busiest parts of the home.

Laminate flooring comes in a wide variety of different thicknesses, widths and lengths. It is made from composite wood pressed together at high temperature with a hardwood image placed over the top to give the illusion of real wood.

This style offers a much cheaper alternative to hardwood flooring and can cost up to 50% less to install.

Since laminate is made from presswood, it is much more durable and resistant to scratches, limited moisture and general wear and tear. This makes it ideal for any room with high traffic or families with pets and young children.

However, what laminate makes up for in practicality it loses in style. Often, this type of flooring isn’t the most visually appealing when compared to hardwood.

It also doesn’t repair very easily. Depending on sunlight and age, new tiles may not match the rest of the flooring.

• Room – Ideal for Kitchen, Hallway, Utility Room, Living Room. Suitable for most areas.
• Durability – High (resistant to scratches, moisture and general wear and tear)
• Maintenance– Low
• Advantages
  • Good durability in high footfall areas of the house
  • Moisture resistant
  • Easy to clean
  • Easy to install
  • Much cheaper than hardwood alternatives

How can we help you?

We have gorgeous showrooms located in Woking, Newbury and Winchester. Please feel free to pop in, or enquire now, about any of the products or services. Our teams of experts will help you choose the right flooring for your home.