When it comes time to remodel your home, flooring can have a significant impact on someone’s first impression when they walk through your home’s front door. Flooring is on display at all times and isn’t some decoration that you can put away if it doesn’t fit in with the other changes you’ve made during your home remodel. Each type of flooring comes with advantages and disadvantages, making some flooring better than others for specific rooms. The experienced flooring professionals at Quality DesignWorks are here to teach you about the benefits and drawbacks of each type of flooring for your remodel.
Our Gainesville remodelers with Quality DesignWorks have years of experience in the home remodeling industry, including kitchen and bathroom flooring. Contact us today to schedule a showroom appointment so we can give you the remodel and floor of your dreams!
Hardwood
Hardwood flooring can be bought finished or unfinished. After installation, unfinished hardwood flooring has to be sanded and finished. Prefinished wood is typically more durable than a do-it-yourself (D.I.Y.) finish and typically costs less than unfinished hardwood.
Advantages
Solid wood flooring can be refinished up to five times to remove any scratches on the surface, plus it is easy to clean. One of the main advantages of hardwood flooring is that it can increase the resale value of your home.
Disadvantages
One of the most significant disadvantages of solid hardwood flooring is that they are vulnerable to scratches, dents, and moisture. Moisture can cause them to warp, so we recommend not installing solid hardwood flooring in bathrooms or laundry rooms.
Engineered Wood
Engineered wood flooring can be found in planks, strips, and parquet tiles. This flooring also comes in a variety of wood types. It also comes with a tongue and groove system so it can be installed without nails or glue.
Advantages
Unlike hardwood flooring, engineered wood can be used for a basement room as it is more tolerant to changes in temperature and humidity. Engineered wood is significantly less expensive than solid wood while giving you the same look, and they can be installed on top of old hardwood floors, saving you the money and labor of ripping out the old floor.
Disadvantages
Engineered wood can only be refinished once and can scratch or dent easily. Refinishing it more than once can risk wearing through the veneer to the plywood under it. Engineered wood may be more tolerant to moisture, but it isn’t waterproof. Similar to solid hardwood flooring, if engineered wood gets soaked, it will warp and bend.
Bamboo
Bamboo flooring comes in both solid strips and engineered planks that have varying grain patterns. Bamboo flooring is highly versatile and can be used in most rooms of your home, is hygienic, and great for allergy sufferers.
Advantages
Bamboo is more moisture-resistant than both hardwood and engineered wood. Bamboo flooring is also easy to install, care for, and refinish. In addition, it has increased in popularity due to its eco-friendly properties — bamboo grows faster than most trees and absorbs carbon dioxide quicker.
Disadvantages
While bamboo can withstand moisture better than wood, it is not waterproof and shouldn’t be used outside or in any other place with excessive water. If your home is energetic, bamboo flooring could be more susceptible to dings and nicks.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile can be used in any room of the house, though it is most frequently used in kitchens and bathrooms. There are four types of ceramic tile, each with different properties. This includes glazed ceramic, porcelain, quarry tile, and terracotta.
Advantages
Thanks to modern printing technology, ceramic tiles can have almost any pattern or mimic natural stone or wood. Glazed ceramic and porcelain tiles are easy to clean and require little maintenance. Porcelain tile is highly resistant to water and is found to be the flooring most resistant to scratches, dents, and moisture.
Disadvantages
Unlike wood flooring options, tile is louder and feels cold underfoot. Because tile is denser than wood, it is more challenging to install. Tile is also difficult to repair if a single tile happens to crack. If you are considering using porcelain tile in your home, we recommend calling in an experienced flooring contractor.
Laminate
Laminate flooring comes in both planks and tiles and can be installed as a floating floor system. This means that they can be installed right over your old flooring without glue or nails. Laminate can create a natural look similar to wood but at a lower price.
Advantages
Laminate floors are easy to maintain and clean. Laminate planks and tiles are made out of a hard material that can easily resist scratches, dents, and stains. Because it can be installed as a floating floor system, you can save time and money by installing it over your pre-existing flooring.
Disadvantages
Similar to tile, laminate flooring is slippery when wet, so we recommend keeping this flooring out of moist environments, such as a damp basement. It is also less cost-effective than wood or tile in the long run, as it cannot be refinished when it wears out, only replaced.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is a synthetic material that can come in planks or vinyl sheets that can be unrolled, cut to size, and glued to your subfloor. Some of these planks have a peel and stick backing, so they don’t need any adhesive before installation.
Advantages
Vinyl flooring is known for its waterproof areas, so it is a good option for kitchens, bathrooms, and other rooms that see excess amounts of water. For homes with heavy foot traffic, vinyl is a tough material that is a great scratch-resistant choice. Good quality vinyl flooring can last 20 years.
Disadvantages
Although vinyl is more durable than it used to be, it could dent the entire plank forever if something heavy is dropped on it. This can also happen if heavy furniture rests on a vinyl plank for long periods. Similar to laminate flooring, there is no way to refinish it when it wears out, so it will have to be replaced entirely.
Linoleum
Similar to vinyl flooring, linoleum can be installed as a flooring floor in sheets, tiles, or laminated planks. Without a protective coating, linoleum should be cleaned and waxed every couple of years to maintain its appearance.
Advantages
A linoleum floor can last up to 40 years with proper care and is often more durable than vinyl flooring. Linoleum flooring is easy to clean and doesn’t show scratches as much as vinyl because the pigments are throughout the thickness of the material and not just on the surface layer.
Disadvantages
Linoleum isn’t as water-resistant as vinyl, so it is not the best choice for bathrooms or laundry rooms. While linoleum is an extremely durable choice, it is vulnerable to denting from high heels and furniture legs. If linoleum is installed in a room with a lot of sunlight, it could darken or turn yellowish, but a protective coating can help prevent this.
Cork
Cork flooring is often made from leftover material from wine cork production, making cork an eco-friendly type of flooring. The two forms of cork flooring include tiles you glue down or planks that typically have a click-lock edge and can be installed as a floating floor.
Advantages
Cork flooring has a natural look and is slip-resistant. It is also hypoallergenic as it is naturally resistant to mildew and mold, and there are antimicrobial cork planks available. Cork is also resistant to termites and fire.
Disadvantages
Similar to linoleum, the cork will have to be resealed with either wax or polyurethane every 2–3 years to protect it from stains and water damage. Long-term exposure to sunlight can cause the cork to turn yellow and fade.
Carpet
Carpeting is one of the most popular flooring choices as it can be laid in nearly any place of the home. It is installed by nailing it down over a layer of padding that adds cushioning and can prolong the carpet’s lifespan.
Advantages
During the colder Florida months, carpeted floors can keep your feet warm and better insulate your home. Carpeting feels soft underfoot, plus it is quiet and slip-resistant. It is also an inexpensive option to keep in mind during your remodel.
Disadvantages
Carpet is one of the more difficult flooring options to keep clean, as it can harbor dirt and dust that only steam cleaning can remove. The soft fibers can trap allergens, making carpet a poor choice for allergy sufferers.
