Flooring ideas for your home

Flooring is a vital component of home decor. It enhances the aesthetic and ambiance of the house. There are many flooring options available for your home and you need to consider various aspects of different flooring choices while choosing one among them. Each type of flooring comes with its own cost, benefits and disadvantages. Let us look at some of the most common flooring ideas for our homes.

Carpets and rugs

Carpets have been used for decades in homes as well as in commercial buildings. The cost of carpets varies according to quality. Various types of carpet types are available for flooring purpose – pattern, texture, loop, twist, etc. Texture and loop carpets are most suitable for high traffic areas like living room and workout room, as they provide maximum durability. Pattern or ‘sculptured’ carpets and twist carpets are stylish and casual and are perfect for sitting room, bed room or media room.

Pros:

Carpets lend an aesthetic look to the house. They feel soft and quiet to walk on; preventing echoes throughout the home.

Cons:

Carpets are easy to get stained and it is difficult to clean the dirt that gets dripped in. Even regular vacuum cleaning cannot guarantee a dirt free carpet. Also, there are bulky installation problems associated with carpets.

Carpet tiles can be a very good alternative as they are easily installable and even if spilled, a single tile can be removed for cleaning purpose.

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Marble floors

Marble floors offer a rich and clean look to your home. Marble tiles come in different colours and they make the home look unmistakably elegant. They come in different size; usually around 12×12″. Marble tiles come in square or rectangular shape or even in whole slabs. They are available in plain as well as textured form.

Marble flooring can be of crazy marble floor type, where marble stone pieces are laid on cement concrete base. More common is the white marble floor, which consists of spotless, good quality marble tiles.

Pros:

Marble tiles can be easily installed. They lend a decorative and royal look with low maintenance. They are suitable for almost all the rooms in the house.

Cons:

Marble tiles of good quality can be more expensive compared to other flooring. They are slippery too, making it little hazardous for elderly and children in the house.

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Hardwood floor

Hardwood flooring has been one of the most common among home buyers for years now. They are elegant looking and makes your home look beautiful. Due to their durability and timeless beauty, they have been preferred throughout the ages. Wood comes in maple, pecan, beech, cherry, oak, pine, etc. The thickness of wooden blocks are about 10 mm and they are laid in a desired pattern.

Pros:

Wooden floors are durable and are easy to maintain clean. They increase a home’s resale value, too.

Cons:

Hardwood floors are loud to walk on. They may need refinishing in high traffic areas and stands a chance of damage form water.

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Tile

Tiles are one of the most preferred floor designs. The cost varies according to different types of floors. Tiles are used for floors, counter tops, indoors or outdoors due to their neat look. Ceramic tile is the most commonly used floor tiles, which comes with different finishes – matte, embossed, glazed and textured.

They are available in different size, shape, colour and texture. Tiles come in various sizes and materials, such as marble, porcelain, travertine, slate and granite. Usual thickness of a tile is 5-6 mm. Tiles are suitable for kitchen and bathroom.

Pros:

Tiles are affordable, have low-maintenance and can easily match with any room decor. They are not easily prone to stains. They are water and scratch resistant.

Cons:

Tiles are loud to walk on and echoes. They are cold and heating system for tiles are expensive. If cracked, they are difficult to repair.

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Laminate

Laminate flooring is the new rage among home buyers due to their look, affordability and low maintenance. Laminate floors vary in price and this continental choice is now increasingly preferred by home buyers in USA and Asia.

Pros:

Laminate floors are resistant to burns and scratches. It is easy to clean and simple rubbing of oil can be effective while cleaning.

Cons:

Standing water can ruin laminate flooring; and once damaged, they cannot be refinished.

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Linoleum flooring

Linoleum flooring is a mixture of linseed oil, gums, resins, pigments, wooden flour, cork dust and other filling materials. It is considered environment friendly because of the materials used. Linoleum flooring comes in ready to install rolls. The rolls are usually available in the width of 1.80 meters or 3.60 meters. It is cheap, warm, durable and hence are preferred by people.

Pros:

Linoleum flooring is cheap and are easy to clean and maintain.

Cons:

Linoleum rolls should be used only in damp proof areas, otherwise they can be exposed to harm.

Read more real estate articles:

Styles of Flooring For Your Apartment!

Dream flooring for your apartment

Easy ways of adding character to your decor

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