Floors are essential to every homeowner’s visualization of their ideal home. Because of this, everyone puts a lot of thought before deciding on their preferred flooring material. With the plentiful options available to consumers nowadays, making the right choice is often a troublesome process. This guide is here to give you a clearer picture of all the flooring options possible, hopefully making the task of choosing a floor for your home much easier.
The first step is determining whether a repair is sufficient, or a complete overhaul and installation of new flooring must be done. There are different factors to consider here.
If you opt for a repair, especially major ones, then you must first determine whether the lifespan of the existing flooring is still significant. If a repair for your flooring would cost thousands of dollars, and there’s just about three years left in the lifespan of your floors, then it might be better to just opt for a replacement.
If you opt for installation of a new flooring, then you must put a premium on the safety of your existing flooring. If there’s a danger that your existing flooring will collapse, or a systemic mold infestation presents a significant health hazard to you and your family, you shouldn’t think twice about getting new floors.
The local floor installing contractor near you will likely give you a lot more of options, but if you do decide to get new floors, here are some of the options you can choose from.
When you’re ready, fill out the form at the top of the page to easily get quotes from competing contractors to make sure you don’t end up overpaying.
Flooring Options
Acacia
Taken from trees indigenous to parts of Africa and Australia, the acacia or Asian walnut flooring is known for its unique and distinctive patterns. Highly resistant to external elements like water, this flooring option nonetheless gives a luxurious vibe to your home, if used in the right location. While this option is more expensive than vinyl flooring or carpets, the acacia flooring is a great buy if you consider its quality and lifespan. If you’re a green warrior, it you can rest easy knowing that acacia grows quickly, and carbon emissions from its production are lower than most other flooring material.
Bamboo
This flooring option is oftentimes considered as environment friendly because bamboo just takes no more than five years from initial planting to harvest. Nonetheless, it doesn’t say anything about the flooring’s lifespan, which can last at least twenty years; maybe even thirty if you avoid any scratching. Like the acacia, the bamboo flooring is also known for its unique patterns.
Brick and pavers
Often described as a timeless flooring option which heightens the ambiance of your home, brick and pavers are also known for its adaptability to different locations around your house. Additionally, this material is known for its durable surface which all but guarantees its lifespan and is often used as an outdoor flooring option.
Carpet
Offered by most flooring contractors, you can also easily choose from an array of materials for your carpet – ranging from acrylics to polyester and wools. Known for its flexibility, you can order your carpet in different patterns and colors. Depending on the material used, carpets are also impenetrable to molding and moisture.
Cedar
The preferred flooring option for log cabins, cedar flooring is unique because it radiates a subtle fragrance that many people find appealing. While it is easy to install and environment-friendly, cedar may be susceptible to pest infestations and scratches. As such, most contractors may recommend that you use cedar in areas like bedrooms or personal offices, where there are fewer people coming in and out than usual. Cedar siding is also a common use of the wood, although it needs periodic staining or painting to keep elements at bay.
Ceramic tile
Known for its adaptability to different styles and environments, the ceramic tile flooring is one of the most popular tile floorings used in homes, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. However, its class ranges from high durability to low durability, depending on its main material and how it was made. As such, make sure to verify with your contractor regarding the PEI Rating of the flooring before it’s installed in your home.
Concrete
Concrete flooring might seem too simple or bare, but it does have its share of advantages. For one, concrete flooring is known to withstand moisture, so water presents no hazard, making it suitable for kitchens, basements, and lavatories. There have also been recent innovations to make it much more pleasant to the eye by adding stains and colors, allowing decorators and homeowners much more flexibility in choosing where to use concrete flooring with many different concrete finishing options available.
Cork
Cork flooring is renowned not only for its quality, but also for being environment-friendly. Making cork does not entail harvesting an entire tree, but only taking a part of it – leaving the cork tree without any damage. Its structure makes it perfect if you want additional insulation in your home, and it contains an anti-bacterial elements that combat mildew and molds. However, the design of cork floorings may not be to everyone’s tastes and it must be tightly sealed to ensure that no water will build up beneath it.
Engineered hardwood
Known for its long lifespan and astounding durability, engineered wood can be a great floor material for areas susceptible to floor damage like porches and hallways, or areas which are vulnerable to moisture like basements. However, real hardwood still has a greater lifespan than engineered hardwood.
Epoxy
Epoxy floors are usually just concrete floors, but with the added protection of an epoxy coating. This coating gives the floor excellent protection from harmful elements, which gives it a life span of at least a decade. It can also be suitable for commercial and industrial properties because of its ability to endure heavy equipment and the like.
Faux Wood
As the name suggests, faux wood looks like wood, but is actually made from less expensive materials such as plastics or porcelain. It’s also available in different styles, patterns, and even textures. Despite not being real wood, it can still last for many years, especially with proper care and maintenance.
Floating flooring
Floating floors are made by attaching single board planks with one another, which are then fastened or glued together afterwards.
Glass
Glass flooring can usually be seen in upscale condominiums or apartments, especially those inspired by more modern elements of architecture. It is also generally resistant to stains. There are different kinds of glass flooring, in terms of style (where you want to use it) and the in terms of capacity (expected amount of weight it will have to endure)
Granite
Granite, which has a long history of use dating back centuries ago, is a favorite material of engineers, architects and designers. It’s known for its ability to withstand large amounts of pressure, making it suitable not only for homes, but even commercial establishments. In addition, it still has a distinctive touch that will surely make your place look elegant.
Hardwood
While this flooring material may be difficult to install, it boasts of an extremely long lifespan because any damage to it can simply be retouched without having to modify the flooring. Hardwood floors give homes a luxurious atmosphere, rightly so, because this material can also cost more than your average flooring.
Linoleum
This flooring material is similar to vinyl, except for the fact that it comes from an all-natural source and is biodegradable, making it a relatively environment-friendly choice. It also doesn’t require any maintenance, an impressive feat considering that it can last up to forty years. However, it may darken when exposed to sunlight, and is also not appropriate in areas which are vulnerable to water damage like bathrooms and basements.
Mahogany
Characterized by its red brownish hues, mahogany can give any room a vibe of magnificence. Also, since it darkens overtime, mahogany can also give your room a feeling of warmth and comfort. Coupled with its durability, this makes mahogany a perfect flooring material for your new home.
Marble
Marble flooring is renowned for its elegance and longevity, as seen in centuries-old buildings that have an illustrious aura, still decked by their original marble flooring. Available in different colors and sizes, marble also gives homeowners are wide choice of patterns and textures, depending on the place where the material originated. Marble can also become cold, making it ideal for homes in tropical or temperate regions.
Oak
All kinds of oak flooring, whether solid or engineered, are known for its rigidness and strength. More than that, oak flooring is also quite inexpensive compared to other wood variants. It’ll suit most rooms in your home perfectly.
Pebble
Pebbled flooring, depending on the decorative motif of your home, can used in almost all parts of your home – from bathroom to bedroom, kitchen to the family room. A material which can make any room look stylish, pebbled flooring also shows its versatility in its ability to be used on walls, counters, and fireplaces.
Pine
Pine is an exquisite flooring, fit for any home. Relatively inexpensive and easy to install, pine floorings’ downside is that it’s quite soft, and easily scratched.
Plywood
Plywood is created by combining different kinds of wood, and then structuring it into different sizes of panels. This kind of flooring looks as good as hardwood flooring, but you can get it at a cheaper price. Its quality might not be at par with hardwood floors, but you’ll definitely get the bang for your buck.
Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood is just basically wood recycled from old or converted houses. Because of this, its cost may probably be lower than other kinds of wood flooring. Ask you contractor if they have any selections on this option.
Resin
Resin is obtained through a mixture of synthetic components that creates an extremely durable flooring material. This resin suitable for garages and driveways, and even some portions of your yard.
Rubber flooring
Famous for its impact absorption and being impermeability to dirt and water, rubber can nonetheless also look sleek and comfortable. Variants of rubber flooring are similar to that of linoleum flooring; its shades are unlikely to fade. Easy to install, inexpensive, and can be customized to your tastes, rubber flooring is your go-to material for your personal gym or garage.
Teak
This popular flooring choice will give an illusion of motion in parts of the house where it is used. It is more suitable for properties whose decorative style are highly dependent on brown-red colors.
Tigerwood
Similar to other kinds of wood flooring, tigerwood gives your home an ambiance of sophistication and classiness. Recognized by its striated grain patterns, tigerwood can be suitable for both common areas in your house like the family room, or even your bedrooms.
Vinyl
Known for its easy maintenance, vinyl flooring is the usual go-to of homeowners for their flooring needs in kitchens and bathrooms – areas which are vulnerable to humidity. Vinyl is available in different colors and patterns, and is also known for its being flexible and extremely inexpensive. However, its soft surface also makes it prone to irreparable damage.
Walnut
Durable and an eye-catcher, walnut floorings fit in almost any decorative motif and location of your home. Available in different shades, this flooring option can also increase the total price assessment of your home in the long run.
Wood
Made especially from timber, this kind of flooring is well-known for giving your home a touch of comfort and elegance. This category includes different materials which you can choose, depending on your need and budget. Consult your installer to get the most comprehensive selections.
Services Provided by Flooring Installers
Good flooring installation contractors don’t simply install your floors and leave. While installing the floors are indeed their main responsibility, they do a lot more detailed tasks to ensure that their customers will be satisfied with the main product. Here are some of the typical services they provide:
Floor Installation Services
Tile installation – Tiles are the choice of flooring for many areas in the house, like the lavatory, hallways, laundry room, and kitchen. Most floor installers have a team ready to do all the tiling work in just one visit.
Wooden Floor installation – This service covers the installation of all kinds of wooden floor, from original hardwood, engineered hardwood, or even plywood.
Basement floor installation and repair – Basement floor installation is often treated as a different category because of the numerous factors installers have to consider when putting new floors in basements like the amount of moisture, possible water damage, and others. Basements may not be a room that you bring visitors to, but any damage to it can also bring numerous more consequences to your house generally.
Industrial floor installation – This service is usually provided to industrial and commercial space owners. Flooring for these areas typically require more planning, foresight, and effort because of the sheer amount of pressure that they will eventually face when the areas are put into use. Your flooring installer would have to consider not only the toughness of the flooring, but also ensure that its functionality isn’t compromised.
Baseboard installation – Baseboards, which are placed on the wall near the flooring, are used to protect the wall from any damage caused by furniture. Most floor installers also offer this service.
Radiant floor heating installation – You should consider having this device installed in your home if you live in an area particularly hit by colder-than-usual winters. Radiant floor heating makes sure that you will always step on warm floors, whether it be first thing in the morning, or before you go to bed to sleep. Also, this device can save you money on your electricity bill.
Floor Maintenance Services
Floor sanding – Having hardwood flooring in your home means that you’ll need to avail of sanding services periodically to maintain its distinctive shine. While you can also sand the floors in your home by yourself, many flooring installers also offer this services to save you time and effort.
Floor leveling – Uneven flooring isn’t only an eyesore; it can also cause accidents, especially if you have children and seniors living with you at home. Leveling floors is a very precise task, and people without training will probably have to repeat the work several times. This is why it would be wise to hire the floor installer to do the job for you to make sure your subfloor and foundation are up for the task.
General floor repair – General floor repair applies to typical damages sustained by floors. This includes loose floors, stains, scratches, and small holes, as well as finishing hardwood floors. These imperfections can be easily fixed on your floor installer’s visit.
Water damage repair – Water damage affects most kinds of flooring. Depending on the extent and severity of the problem, the floor can be simply repaired instead of having to buy new floors immediately. Call your floor installer so he can survey the damage and give you an estimate for the water damage repair.
Consultancy Services
Before acting on anything, you can consult your floor installer to figure out the best course of action on your idea or predicament. This applies to both floor installation services and floor maintenance services. Whether it has something to do with choosing the best kind of flooring for your new studio, or about assessing the extent of water damage in your basement, the consulting services of your floor installer will definitely help you a lot before deciding on your floor needs. Typically, these preliminary services are free, especially if you would obtain their services after for the actual work. Still, better verify with your floor installer once you’ve set up an appointment.
Commercial and Residential Companies
Most floor installers can provide services to residential and commercial clients. Moreover, most of them have customized offerings and services to cater to the needs, preferences, and general objectives of their customers. Remember that these companies consider your needs and preferences as the basis of all the advice they will give you. Having said that, it would be great if you lay out your plans for your business to them immediately so confusion need not arise.
If you’re considering getting floors for your business or commercial space, floor installers will likely focus on the functionality of your floors based on the nature of your business. For example, if you’re running a car wash, your floor installer might point you to granite flooring, give you its background and advantages, before finally providing you with a quote. In the case of an office, then having flooring that adds to the professional look of your space will be a prime consideration.
If you’re considering getting floors for your home, your preference will factor in a lot in how your installer deals with the project. Some companies even give their customers samples of selected flooring materials so that the customers can easily compare it with their home. As with commercial companies, expect your floor installer to have the expertise to deal with different scenarios and designs. It wouldn’t hurt if you could already lay out your entire plan so that your installer can devise a plan that would fit in perfectly – in terms of both functionality and design. Before the end of your session, ask if they can provide free home consultations so that the company can better understand what to do, and so you can also give specific instructions.
All of these companies should always guarantee that they give nothing but their impartial opinion regarding your floor needs. Nonetheless, that’s not always the case. It would be better to make a thorough research about all the floor installers around your area and check for their past work and reviews. If you know somebody who just recently had new floors installed, then getting a recommendation from them would be great. Just remember that it’s always better to be prepared and informed before agreeing on a contract.
Get Free Flooring Estimates and Quotes Contractors Near You
Most important of all, professional estimates and quotes will not only help you understand the cost of your flooring project, but also help you in making revisions to your plan before the work even starts. Getting these quotes is an extremely easy process. All companies would be glad to give you their financial assessment of your plans, since this is a crucial step towards landing your project. The easiest way to go about that process is simply to fill out the form at the top of this page with the relevant information for your project, and we’ll match you with the most relevant flooring contractors near you.
In order to land the most qualified contractors, you should consider getting quotes and estimates from at least 4 contractors. This allows you to choose which contractor gives you the most value for money and provides the project with the highest quality materials. If a contractor asks a fee for any estimate, then that contractor is probably unreliable and it would be best to look at other practitioners.
Again, there are a lot of things to consider before hiring a floor installer. While their estimate plays a huge role, it isn’t the only factor to be considered. One other factor that must be given a lot of weight is their history of working on projects. Are they new in the business? Or have they already established a name for themselves and have become sort of like a staple in your neighborhood? As a consumer, you’ll have to decide which factor you feel is more important.
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