Replacing the flooring in your home is one of the easiest ways to change the way that it looks and make it more functional overall.
But before you pick out new floors, you should make sure that you choose the right flooring for you. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of flooring options out there, so it’s important that you take your time and settle on the one that will work best for your situation.
It can be challenging to land on the right flooring, but it’s not impossible if you keep a few key things in mind.
Here are 12 tips that will make selecting the right flooring for you a breeze.
1. Figure Out What Your Budget Will Be
Before you start shopping around for different types of flooring, you should sit down and come up with a budget. This budget will ultimately determine which kinds of floors you can afford.
As you will quickly see when you begin floor shopping, a new floor installation could cost anywhere from a couple hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It all depends on the type of flooring you choose and the square footage of the rooms you’re outfitting with new flooring.
By creating a budget, you can avoid breaking the bank by falling in love with floors that you can’t actually afford.
2. Take a Look at All the Different Flooring Options
Once you have a budget in mind, you can start checking out the flooring options available to you. You will find:
- Hardwood floors
- Laminate floors
- Bamboo floors
- Cork floors
- Tile floors
- Linoleum floors
- Vinyl floors
- Carpeted floors
- And more!
The flooring possibilities are pretty much endless. It’s a good idea to do your research on your own and figure out which floors might be best for your home.
3. Narrow Down Your Search by Eliminating Some Options
After you have sifted through all of the different flooring options that are out there, you can start to narrow down your search pretty easily.
You should make a list of the flooring types and then throw some of them out based on everything from cost to the materials used to create the floors.
For example, if you’re adding floors to a bathroom, you probably want to eliminate hardwood floors and other floors that will warp when they get wet.
By the same token, if you’re adding floors to an elegant living area, you probably want to eliminate linoleum floors that will bring down the aesthetic appeal of the room.
By narrowing down your search, you can make finding the right flooring for you a lot easier.
4. Weigh the Pros and Cons of Your Favorite Floors
After you eliminate some of the flooring options out there, you’ll be left with a list of your favorite floors. This list will help guide you as you try and make your final decision.
You should take your favorite floors and weigh the pros and cons of each of them.
You might love that hardwood floors will boost the value of your home and last for a long time. But you might not love the price associated with them and the upkeep you’ll need to do to them.
You might love that tile floors will be easy to clean and relatively affordable. But you might not love that they can get very cold in the winter and make it harder to heat your home.
No matter how much you love a specific type of flooring, there will be pros and cons for it. Finding the pros and cons will give you a better overview of which flooring type might be your best option.
5. Find Out How Much Maintenence You’ll Need to Do on Flooring
Once you have new flooring installed in your home, you will be in charge of maintaining it. Are you prepared to do the maintenance that will be required for certain types of floors?
If you hate vacuuming, carpeting is probably not for you. If you dislike mopping and getting down on your hands and knees to scrub floors, linoleum might not be the right flooring for you.
Find out how each flooring type will need to be maintained and then think about if you’re ready to do what it takes to keep it clean.
6. Think About the Flooring Installation Process
The time that it takes to install flooring in a home varies depending on the type of floor and the size of the rooms inside of the home.
Carpeting can usually be installed in a matter of just hours. Hardwood floors, on the other hand, can take days to put down.
If you’re in a rush for some reason, you might not want to pick out flooring that will take a long time to install. You might also want to try and avoid having your whole life turned upside down due to floor installation.
7. Bring Flooring Samples Home and Test Them Out
You can look at all the flooring samples you want in a store to try and decide which one would look best in your home. But how can you really be sure about one before you see what it looks like at home?
Most flooring stores will allow you to take several samples home with you so that you can see how they fit in with the rest of your interior design. You’ll want to test them alongside everything from your existing furniture to the paint colors you have on the walls.
By using flooring samples to your advantage, you can get a better sense of how flooring will look once it’s installed. The last thing you want to do is install flooring only to find that it clashes with other colors that are already in your home.
8. Reflect on How Floors Will Impact Your Interior Design
You might not realize it, but the flooring you have in your home is one of the first things people will see when they walk into it.
So what will your new flooring tell your guests about the style of your home?
Hardwood will give off a much different vibe than carpeting. Tile will get a different reaction than linoleum.
If you pick the wrong flooring type, you might completely ruin the rest of the interior design you have done. You want to make sure the flooring you choose fits in with your overall design and doesn’t drag it down.
9. Contemplate How Much Value Flooring Will Add to Your Home
The flooring you add to your home will ultimately have an impact on more than just the way it looks. It will also affect its overall value.
When you put down beautiful new hardwood floors, it might cost you a fortune to do it. But you’ll get a nice return on your investment later if you ever decide to sell your home.
At the same time, you might save a lot of money by going with linoleum flooring. But it might not bring the value of your home up much.
By crunching the numbers and potentially even speaking with local real estate agents, you can figure out which type of flooring you should install if you want to give your property value a quick boost.
10. Research How Long Different Flooring Types Last
Do you really want to install new flooring now only to have to change it in a few years because it’s accumulated a lot of wear and tear?
Flooring will last for different lengths of time depending on the materials used to make it.
You might be able to get 100 years or more out of hardwood flooring when it’s maintained properly. But you might only get five years out of carpeting, even if you vacuum it regularly and have it deep cleaned all the time.
There are some flooring types that will last forever, and others that won’t last long at all. By researching flooring, you can find which kind will last for the right amount of time for you.
11. Speak With a Flooring Specialist
Trying to pick out flooring for your home can be incredibly hard, especially if you try and do it alone.
This company can help you make the right decision by walking you through the steps associated with picking out flooring. From choosing the right material to choosing the right color, they’ll be by your side at all times.
It will cut down on the frustration many people feel when it comes to finding flooring.
12. Pick Out Your Favorite Flooring and Install It
Once you’ve considered all of your options and found the right flooring for you, it will be time to install it. Make sure you hire a company that knows what they’re doing during the installation.
If your flooring doesn’t go down properly, it could present problems for you in the future. By hiring the right flooring installation company, you will be able to rest assured knowing your flooring will enhance the look of your home and last for years to come.
Choose the Right Flooring for You Today
When you pick out the right flooring for you, you can drastically improve your home in a matter of just days.
There are also many other great interior renovation ideas that you can use to your advantage. They will put some life back into your home and help you see it in a whole new light.
Check out our blog for even more home improvement tips.
