Choosing the Right Flooring
There are various things which need to be taken into consideration when deciding what kind of flooring to get fitted. Getting new flooring fitted in your home can breathe new life into it and can be a great way to improve your living environment. It may not be as expensive as you think either.
A big consideration on what flooring to choose is the function of the room it will go in. Flooring which makes sense for the dining room may not be suitable for the kitchen or bathroom for example. Some of the most popular types of flooring are carpet, vinyl, wood, and laminate.
Laminate flooring can be a great substitute for solid wood floors if you are looking to achieve a wood effect floor for a fraction of the price. Laminate flooring consists of a sheet of MDF with a wood-effect plastic surface glued to it. One pitfall of laminate flooring is that whilst it is scratch resistant once it is damaged it is not possible to repair. That aside it can still be an ideal choice for a kitchen, where the plastic coating provides an easy to wipe clean surface. On the other hand a solid wood flooring would not be appropriate in a bathroom, or indeed any room which is likely to get very wet. Some woods are particularly sensitive to moisture such as beech.
If you are looking to fit a wooden floor, it’s critical you have the right surface to fit it on. An ideal surface would be flat, and dry. There are options however to counter uneven flooring issues, such as laying ply throughout, or employing an underlay to create a ‘floating floor’.
More often than not laminate flooring is sold as a product you can assemble yourself which is another useful way of keeping costs to a minimum. Solid wood flooring requires however a higher degree of DIY competence, so it can sometimes be advisable to get solid wooden floors fitted professionally which on the downside can add substantially to the cost.
Something many people do not realise when they measure their room to calculate how much flooring they will need to buy – is that it is important to include a 10mm gap around the edge of the room for the wooden flooring to expand and contract.
As a fundamental part of any interior design strategy, it is crucial to select the correct flooring. Whilst wooden or laminate floors can be ideal – often for a more chic minimalist look; carpet can be a better option if you are trying to achieve a more traditional home feel. The important thing is you take into account the various factors you need to consider before ordering new flooring.
