What kind of flooring should you invest in during your home remodel? Carpet, hardwood and tile tend to be common choices for a few reasons:
Carpet – Carpet flooring is known for creating a much softer look than hardwood or tile, and as our friends over at San Jose Hardwood Floors tell us, it provides actual thermal resistance, meaning it retains warm air longer (an energy conservation benefit).
Additional benefits to carpet include the thousands of styles and colors available, softening of slips and falls – especially toddlers and older individuals and absorption of noise from TVs, phones, computers, etc. The downsides? Dirt and dust can be easily trapped in carpet, which can aggravate allergies and make it difficult to clean. To properly maintain carpet and keep the dirt/dust low, homeowners should have it professionally cleaned approximately every 6 months.
Hardwood Floors – Hardwood floors can be a beautiful addition to the home that is much easier to stand on and typically less expensive than tile. As About.com shares, hardwood floors are easy to maintain and a fantastic value (hardwood flooring can literally last hundreds of years). They can be kept clean with sweeping and, occasionally, wood floor cleaner.
Hardwood floors also come in a wide variety of colors and styles. In addition to types of wood like oak, cherry and walnut, there are a wide variety of hardwood types like solid hardwood, engineered flooring or laminate (San Jose Hardwood Floors explains the differences on their blog).
The cons of hardwood flooring? It can be a costly option, depending on the type you choose, and can become even more expensive as it needs to be installed over sub-flooring. It also needs refinishing occasionally (more often if it’s a softer wood) and can make a home sound noisy as it helps the sound bounce around the room.
Tile – A great option for those with pets, tile is durable, easy to clean and maintain, and great to use with radiant floor heating (especially in a bathroom). Building Your Green Home also shares that tile is a great non-toxic flooring to use in your home.
Although many people think of tile as “bathroom only” floor, it’s actually great all over the house! It isn’t damaged by water, making it great for the kitchen too, and it’s considered eco-friendly because it’s made with clay, shale or recycled glass.
The drawbacks to tile include feeling colder on your feet (unless it’s used with radiant floor heating), being easier to chip or break, feeling less comfortable to stand on for long periods of time and making the room sound noisier than a carpet would.
Want to know more? We’re happy to share our flooring suggestions with you during a complimentary in-home consultation! Contact us to set one up.