Selecting Flooring
Floors form the foundation of your home. Your selection of flooring is based on the style and function of the room. Choices are abundant and come in many colors, textures, and materials. Selections include:
Hardwood floors in plank or parquet Before selecting a flooring, consider the use of the room. For example, you may want a tile or vinyl flooring for high-traffic areas like an entryway, kitchen, or bathroom. You will want the most durable material that requires little maintenance at an affordable price.
Basics of Hardwood Floors Wooden floor boards come in various sizes, but the standard is a 2.5 inch strip or plank with a tongue and groove edge to ease installation. The types of wood available include oak, mahogany, maple, walnut, pine, cherry, beech, and ash. Parquet flooring are squares made from short pieces wood that are glued together create a pattern in various tones. Standard size is 12 in. by 12 in. squares. Parquet flooring adds visual texture and polish to an area. Hardwood floors are a great choice for all decorating styles. Light oak compliments a country decor, dark, high-gloss walnut or cherry works well with a light and airy modern interior, and knotty pine planks are great with casual furnishings. Tip: If you plan to install wood flooring in a room, be sure to consider surrounding areas. If you plan to expand the flooring beyond the one room, you will want to do all of the areas at the same time to ensure a consistent finish and look.
Tile Floors
Types of Tile
Tip: When selecting a tile type, remember that glazed tile with glossy finishes can be slippery when wet.
Vinyl Flooring Basics Sheet vinyls are more expensive than the same quality in tiles, but come in a wider range of colors and designs and provide the advantage of seamless construction. Inlaid vinyls is the best sheet flooring that you can buy because it is constructed of solid vinyl that is layers of vinyl granules that are fused and built up to make it thick and highly wearable. The other type of sheet flooring is rotovinyl that is constructed by using photography of the floor design, such as stone or brick, and layers of clear vinyl on top. The thickness of the top layers determine wearability. Consider a thickness of between 10 mils to a maximum of 25 mils for true durability. Vinyl tiles offer flexibility for creating geometric floor designs. Tiles are also easy to install because they are light weight and maneuverable for cutting and fitting.
Written by the editors of HouseNet.
|
|