Imagine waking to the sound of waves hitting the coast or spending evenings gazing into the sunset. For many, living in a waterfront property is a dream come true. Whether it’s a cottage close to a lake or a coastal beach house, you can expect peace, serenity, and the impeccable feeling of close contact with nature.
However, the road to a perfect waterfront house is not easy. The range of waterfront houses offered is broad and might be intimidating. There are hundreds of real estate companies out there, though if you aren’t sure how to make the first step, you could visit the website of Hilton Head Island SC Real Estate & Homes For Sale. With the specialists’ help, we are sure that you’ll find your dream near-waterfront house.
There are several great flooring options for a beach or a lake house. However, to make it as easy as possible, we distinguished the absolute top three bound to suit you best. Ready to get to know what are the best flooring options for a waterfront house? Let’s wear a good pair of flip flops and step right into it.
Why Your Choice of Flooring Is So Important
Unlike city house owners, if you own a house near the water, you can’t merely focus on the price or style that would fit your home. You always have to consider external factors such as water, sand, and climate.
You know the drill. If you live close to the beach, your flooring has to take a lot of wear and tear. The sand? Everywhere. The water? In all the places. The mud? Oh, heck yeah. The flooring is bound to quickly get dirty even if you live by yourself, not to mention what the situation is if there are kids or animals.
Of course, you can dedicate yourself to spending long hours of your life cleaning your floor. But if you choose the right flooring for your house beforehand, you will save your time, money, and suffering. And you’ll be free to spend this time relaxing or surfing instead.
Engineered Hardwood
Don’t listen to the haters. You can, and you will have wooden flooring in your house. Do you want to know the secret to wood floors that will handle all the conditions? Say hello to engineered hardwood, which has a beautiful wood look and, at the same time, offers protection from water.
What differentiates engineered hardwood from typical solid hardwood flooring is its layers. Engineered wood is made up of several layers of wood. The bottom layers are glued together, which creates more water-resistant flooring than a solid hardwood one.
Thanks to that, your engineered hardwood will stay untouched even if the temperature drastically changes. That means no cracks and no renovations every couple of years. Engineered hardwood can be easily installed in all the places where your hardwood flooring cannot suffice, such as the house’s first floor.
Aside from its functionality, engineered wood is beautiful. If you want your house to look stylish and classy, this flooring will be the best decoration. The top layer can be almost any wood you dream of, so you will be able to customize your floor’s looks as much as possible to fit the style of your home perfectly.
However, to serve you for years, this type of flooring requires some extra love. Keep in mind that engineered wood requires a similar kind of maintenance that hardwood flooring does. For instance, it shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight. You should also clean it carefully, using the products designed specifically for engineered wood flooring, and always remember to quickly get rid of any spills.
Tiles
Tile is very often used for waterfront house flooring because it’s super easy to clean. Let’s face it: if you live by the water, you probably want your flooring to look the best with as little work as possible.
Tiles are great if low maintenance is your number one priority because they are generally easy and quick to clean. It’s one of the best flooring options since it’s strong, durable, and easy to maintain. The installation might be challenging but it will require little to no effort once it’s done.
Moreover, ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles don’t warm up quickly, so they will keep cold temperature whatever the weather might be. If you’re looking for something water-resistant, tiles will serve you well since they don’t soak up the water.
When it comes to choosing a style, there’s a wide variety to choose from. Are you going for a modern look? No problem. Want something more classy? You will find something for yourself as well. Thanks to tiles, you can give your flooring a unique look, whether it’s retro, elegant, or whatever you envision for your home.
Instead of a simple ceramic tile, you can also consider porcelain tile. It’s more expensive, but also even more water-resistant. Moreover, this type of flooring will be extra hard and, thus, extra durable.
Luxury Vinyl
Although vinyl might be a melody of the past, trust us: this one has nothing to do with your grandmother’s house. Over the years, it has evolved to be one of the most popular flooring options for near-waterfront homes. Why?
Luxury vinyl is the most water-resistant option out there. This flooring type is entirely waterproof and extremely durable, so it works best in areas especially prone to get wet. If you’re looking for direct waterfront flooring, luxury vinyl is a way to go.
It’s also the best option if you would love to have hardwood floors but prefer your flooring to be a bit softer and a bit more affordable. You will save a lot of money on purchasing it and on the installation: if you want, you can even install it yourself. It’s easy to clean and comes in sheets, tiles, and planks.
Luxury vinyl looks great and feels great but keep in mind that it won’t last as long as hardwood flooring would. It’s not necessarily eco-friendly and might be hard to recycle.
Thoroughly Consider Your Options
Remember that just as easy as living close to the water might seem, it also brings several rather mundane problems, especially when it comes to house maintenance. One of the most significant issues that close-to-water house owners face is choosing the best near-waterfront flooring.
You don’t want to rush with this decision – you want to have enough time for sunbathing, and that might be much more difficult if you have to spend your entire evenings cleaning the floor in your house. Even though the decision may not be easy, we are sure that with our guide you will find the perfect flooring for yourself. Good luck!
