Get floored

Before building or renovating your home think about the different kinds of floors that suit each room. There are many kinds of flooring and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Wooden
Hardwoods are used to best effect in the living room but can be costly. However, engineered wood will cost you much less. Installation is a specialised job and can be an expensive affair but they look very nice and are easy to clean and maintain. They only need to be swept or vacuumed, as mopping with water can spoil them. Wooden floors look stylish and you can use a carpet or a rug to protect the flooring.

Tiles
They are best used in the dining room, bathrooms and kitchen. There are different kinds of tiles and you should go in for the best professionals in the line for laying them effectively and without wastage but you will still need at least 10 per cent more than the surface area to be tiled. Glazed ceramic tiles are easy to clean, long-lasting and scratch and water resistant. Tiles come in a variety of sizes and materials, such as marble, porcelain, slate, and granite to name a few. But they can crack and sounds echo in a tiled room. The best tiles can be very expensive too.

Concrete
Recently, concrete is increasingly being used as an architectural statement. It is durable and often used in weekend cottages and larger spaces. But Concrete floors need to be level, strong and damp proof sufficiently strong and stable.

Vinyl
This is almost like a carpet and is quite inexpensive. It can look like wood or tile, but it can tear easily and can be difficult to clean. It can easily be replaced and is widely used in the laundry room, bathrooms and the kitchen.

Laminate
They should be used in corridors or the den as they do not scratch easily and even if they do, can be mended by rubbing oil on the scratch to disguise it. Some laminates look like real wood or tile and are easy to clean. Dogs cannot scratch or stain it but water can spoil it so they should not be used in your kitchen, bathrooms, or laundry room.

Cork
For a unique look, interior decorators suggest Cork. It is environmentally friendly and absorbs sounds but can fade in direct sunlight and gets damaged under heavy pieces of furniture. It is used mostly in bedrooms.

Floor paint
Paint can improve any room and show your creativity too. You can use unique stencils in your children’s room.

Stone
A lot of homeowners go in for stone flooring as it looks great, is durable, and requires very little maintenance. It keeps the home cool in summer. Stone comes in a wide range of colours, from granite, basalt and slate to pale marble and limestone. There is a wide range of texture from rough to smooth and polished. It is the best choice for kitchens and bathrooms.

Bamboo
This is the newest entrant made from bamboo grass strands glued together to form solid strips or engineered planks, just like hardwood. It is very tough and durable and environmentally friendly flooring choice.