Tips to Decide on Flooring for Your Home

Various factors come into play when it is time to decide on flooring for your home. Money is an enormous deciding factor for most homeowners. Besides your budget, you will need to determine which type of material is best for each room, and any health risks some types of flooring may pose. Here are a few tips to consider.

1. Establish a budget. How many square feet do you need to cover? Whether you need flooring for one room or an entire house, you will need to have a dollar amount in mind. If your budget is low, remember that laminate is typically cheaper than hardwood, and vinyl costs less than tile.

2. Think about accessibility. Carpet provides a soft surface for those who are prone to falling. Plush carpeting, however, does not work very well for wheelchair users. Plus, wheelchairs track in mud on rainy days, so the flooring in your entry should be cleanable. Elderly people may not do well with slick, shiny surfaces; smaller tile with grout will help provide needed traction.

3. Determine the room's most common activities. What is the room used for? How much traffic is it going to see? Entryways will see a lot of mud, so the floors should be cleanable. Kitchens may see spills, so it should also be easily cleaned. Bathroom floors should not be too slippery, and you may need a rug to soak up splashed water. And low-traffic rooms, such as the living areas and bedrooms, might do well with carpeting or rugs to help add warmth.

4. Avoid environmental and health issues. If you are concerned about the environment, or if someone in your family has allergies, you may want to explore green flooring options. Carpet and vinyl, two of the most common flooring materials, pose risks to both the environment and your home. Neither carpet nor vinyl is biodegradable. Nylon carpet and vinyl flooring are both petroleum-based, which means they are made of non-renewable, non-biodegradable resources, and they contain dangerous chemicals. Carpet may also harbor allergens that make people sick.

5. Consider your home's style. You may want to choose flooring according to the style of your home. Spanish homes have a lot of tile - some have tile throughout the entire house, bedrooms and all. And some homes have wood flooring throughout, with a lot of throw rugs to warm up individual rooms. Determine your home's style, or the era in which it was built, then research the type of flooring that best fits.

References
Building an Accessible Home
How to Choose Green Flooring