Home improvements may be overwhelming, especially if you do not know much about the materials, installations, adequate prices, and other specifics. However, with a thoughtful approach and research, you can bring to life even the most ambitious and intimidating projects without unexpected expenses and time delays. Additions such as floating floorboards or LED lights can make a world of difference!
If you plan to change the flooring in your house but do not know where to start, this article is for you! Below, we will share four factors to consider when choosing new flooring, ranging from the room’s primary purpose, size, and traffic flow to the amount of light in there, your maintenance expectations, and your budget, among other things. Read on to choose the flooring that will meet your needs!
The Primary Purpose of a Room
Before you decide on the new flooring for a given room, it’s important to determine what you’re going to use that room for and how much traffic it will see. For example, a kitchen will likely see a lot more dirt and wear than a bathroom.
If the room is going to be used by kids or pets, then you will need to consider how tough the flooring surface needs to be. Some flooring types are easier to clean and maintain than others, so it’s important to understand what your needs are. For example, if you own pets, hardwood floors may not be the right choice as they require regular cleaning, which can be demanding if you have many animals.
Also, if the room gets a lot of traffic and dirt, you might want to consider flooring materials with a low-sheen finish, like matte and natural wood, as these are easier to clean. For high-traffic areas, such as hallways, it is a good idea to choose flooring materials with slip resistance.
A Room’s Size
Another factor to consider when choosing flooring is the size of the room. If you are looking into replacing flooring in a large area, then you need to make sure that your budget can accommodate this.
It is important to remember that larger rooms typically require more material. The cost of materials can quickly add up if you have many large areas to cover. For example, a large living room would require more flooring than one small bedroom.
Where You Live and Your Light Needs
If you live in a sunny area with many windows and plenty of light coming into the house, then flooring with a darker finish may be the right choice for your home. Darker finishes help reflect that extra light and keep the room looking bright all day long. On the other hand, if you live in an area where there isn’t a lot of sunlight coming in and the room does not get a lot of sunlight during the day, then you might consider lighter flooring options as they will reflect more light.
Facts About Wood Floors
Although wood floors represent one of the most popular choices for homeowners, many people don’t know much about them. Here are some interesting facts about hardwood floors:
There is no single type of wood flooring – there are various types of wood floors depending on the wood species used. Those species include oak, hickory, maple, ash, beech, cherry, birch, elm, pine, pecan, cedar, ebony, walnut, teak and mahogany. Each type has its own unique colour and grain pattern. This means that each wood floor features a different look depending on where in the world it comes from and how it was processed before being shipped out. While teak flooring has a darker reddish-brown hue, walnut tends to be darker with brown streaks running across its grain. Hickory floors are reddish-brown with brown streaks while cherry has a pinkish hue.
Wood flooring can last for decades – this is because wood is highly durable and resistant to scratches and dents. It’s also easy to refinish and keep clean. Some homeowners have reported having their hardwood floors for 30 years or longer!
Wood floors can be installed over existing flooring – if you are remodeling a house and want to replace your current flooring but don’t want to completely remove it first (or can’t because it’s too expensive), then a great option is installing wood over your existing flooring. This not only makes it easier and cheaper to install wood floors in your home but also protects your original hardwood floor underneath from damage during construction. This type of installation is known as “overlay” or “sandwiching” and involves installing wood floor bracket systems between two layers of subflooring (the top layer is usually plywood). Many homeowners do this when installing wood floors in their kitchens or bathrooms where they do not want to tear up their brand new tile or vinyl flooring just yet.
Wood can be refinished multiple times – as mentioned above, wood floors can be refinished multiple times throughout their lifetime without losing their character or quality. This is great because it means that if your floor gets scratched or damaged in any way during its lifetime you can simply sand down the surface and refinish it! While refinishing wood floors can be slightly more costly than simply replacing them (due to labour costs), it makes them extremely durable and long-lasting! Refinishing a hardwood floor costs about 1/3 less than installing a brand new one!
