Deciding on your new flooring is an important choice. Often starting from the floor and working your way up can help you to style a room to suit your home and lifestyle. We understand that the range of choices can be overwhelming and there are factors to consider when selecting something that will suit your home for years to come. Here are five tips to select flooring for your home.
Location
Selecting flooring that will suit the area in which it is being installed is important from both a style and lifestyle perspective. Are you installing in an area like a bathroom, kitchen or laundry that is used often or in a bedroom that you would prefer a cosy, warm flooring choice to help insulate on a cold morning? There is a wide range of styles to suit your home design, so functionality is a key consideration.
High-Traffic Areas
Consider your lifestyle when selecting your flooring. Do you have children, pets or are installing flooring in shared spaces? Additionally, areas near the front and rear doors of the home will often benefit from more durable flooring. Selecting a hard floor such as laminate or vinyl will be more resistant to wear than carpet for example.
Installation
Maybe you are renovating your property and are looking for a budget-friendly flooring option. To save money, you could consider installing your flooring yourself. Laminate, hybrid and vinyl flooring are often easier to install than carpet or timber, as they can come as click-together planks for a straightforward install.
Your Budget
When determining your flooring budget, it is important to select flooring that is of a high quality to last for years to come. This can include budgeting for underlay, the right flooring for your lifestyle and for the overall aesthetic of your home. For example, Laminate, hybrid and vinyl come in a variety of styles, colours, and patterns so you can choose laminate flooring that looks like timber or stone, but at half the cost. Carpet can create a soft, plush style whereas timber is often more expensive but can introduce a different element of texture into your space. This can often rule in or rule out products before you begin shopping.
Floor Maintenance
We recommend considering the ongoing maintenance of your flooring choice, to ensure that your flooring lasts the test of time. Laminate, hybrid and vinyl flooring require very little upkeep and can be cleaned with a broom, vacuum or damp mop. Timber flooring can scratch easily from shoes, pets or children and need to be cleaned quickly in the case of a spill. Carpet needs to be vacuumed regularly to remove dirt and grit, and steam cleaning can also extend the life of the product.
