Building or renovating a new home to make it your own can be one of the most exciting and daunting tasks of the moving process. One of the largest components of any house is the floor, which has the capacity to make or break the look you are going for in your new home. However, right flooring selection can turn your house into a very stylish home. Here are the most popular options of flooring you can install in your new home to take some of the guesswork out of your upcoming renovation.
- Solid Hardwood Flooring
Constructed from planks or tiles made of the wood of mostly deciduous trees like birch, oak or maple, solid hardwood is easy to work with, can endure stains, and is denser than softwoods like pine. Hardwood comes in many colors and grains, and is so supple that if a piece of china falls on it, the china will tend to bounce rather than break. Hardwood is fairly easy to install for a layperson, and can be used in all rooms, even the kitchen or the bathroom. However, if it’s used in the bathroom or the kitchen, it will need to be well sealed to prevent warping.
A great choice for: Living rooms, dining rooms, and foyers. - Engineered Hardwood Flooring
This flooring is made of up to twelve layers of plywood with a hardwood veneer. Since it resists moisture better than solid hardwood floors, it’s a better choice for kitchens or bathrooms. It can also be installed over a low-humidity concrete floor.
A great choice for: Kitchens, bathrooms, and dining rooms. - Linoleum
Linoleum is made from natural ingredients like linseed oil. It can come in sheets or can be hand cut. Linoleum can come in an almost infinite variety of colors and patterns. It has a warm and soft texture and lasts a long time. Linoleum is also very easy to clean and maintain.
A great choice for: Kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms. - Vinyl
Vinyl, like linoleum, can also be bought in sheets and can also come in a huge range of patterns and colors. It’s also soft underfoot and is excellent for kitchens and bathrooms because it’s nonslip. It costs less than linoleum and is quite easy to install on a level surface. It’s waterproof and very durable. Some types of vinyl also give the illusion of hardwood without the maintenance.
A great choice for: Kitchens, bathrooms, and mudrooms.
- Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo is a grass, though it’s used like wood. Part of what makes bamboo flooring attractive to people who are concerned about the environment is that this type of grass grows very quickly. This makes harvesting bamboo more sustainable and eco-friendly than harvesting trees, which take decades to grow. Bamboo’s coloring and grain are more uniform than wood floors, but it needs to be protected from humidity and direct sunlight.
A great choice for: Living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.
- Stone
Though, heavy and expensive to buy and install, stone is unparalleled in its durability and beauty. Stone can come in all kinds of colors, textures, and patterns. Among the stone used for flooring are granite, marble, slate, and limestone.
Is hardwood flooring in your new home’s future?
A great choice for: Foyers, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Terracotta
Terracotta, which is made out of clay, is warmer than stone and like stone can come in many colors and textures. Terracotta tiles can also come in many shapes and sizes. When terracotta is sealed, it effectively resists water and stains.
A great choice for: Foyers, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Glazed Ceramic Tiles
This sort of flooring is very hard wearing and impermeable. Unlike wood, stone, or terracotta, ceramic tiles don’t need to be sealed, though the grout between them does, as grout is extremely porous. Glazed ceramic tile can also be mass produced, and so is quite inexpensive.
A great choice for: Foyers, kitchens, and bathrooms.
- Cork
Cork is actually the outer layer of a type of the oak tree, but it looks and feels nothing like hardwood. It’s warm and soft to walk on and very quiet. Indeed, it’s often used as soundproofing material. It’s also inexpensive and can be installed by anyone. When it’s sealed, it’s stain resistant. This type of flooring gives a unique, exquisite look that makes a statement in the room.
A great choice for: Living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms.
- Carpeting
Carpeting, of course, is the softest type of flooring and can be very thick and luxurious. Carpeting can be made of natural animal fibers like wool or silk, as well as synthetic fibers like acrylic or nylon. It can also be made of plant materials, including sea grass, sisal, rush, hemp, and coir.
A great choice for: Bedrooms and living rooms.
Guest post by Erin Devine
Erin Devine is a copywriter for Floor & Décor Outlets of America, a factory direct flooring retailer with a do-it-yourself mantra.
Image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
Great ideas. You really covered all the options. And I love the picture!
This are a very good ideas to make your house more atractive.
above 10 tips are really helpful. But There is no info about what is the perfect time for move. I think movers should not move in summer. In that time weather is so much hot & also moving cost is too high. So better to move in spring time
Nice blog, good information you provided which is very useful.
Thanks for sharing
Look the article is great, but I just do not see what have to do with moving!
Hi! You can find info about the time to move here and on this link. Thanks for reading our blog! Keep coming back as we keep updating our blog on a regular basis.
Kind regards,
Pamela