With the Number of Flooring Options Out There, One is Sure to Please

Americans love flooring their homes in exquisite designs. It's comforting to know that there are several options when considering the flooring of your house. Flooring has been an essential design component of decorating homes dating back to the early settlers of the new world. It defines the look of a room regardless of the type of room design and can last decades, at times over a century. Keeping a house floor in top shape for years to come requires regular maintenance.

It's common knowledge that hardwood is a material of choice for house floors. This choice is not a coincidence since, in a home, solid hardwood flooring is durable, appealing to the eyes, and extremely hardy. That has been the secret behind this choice of flooring material for most century-old houses. Hardwood has always been a popular house flooring material since it has a plastic feel and easily integrates into practically any home because of its style. Besides, if necessary, it can be readily refinished and sanded down. Of course, traditional hardwood has its weaknesses too. This article will give practical guidance on the suitable choice from several options when considering the flooring of your house.

Types of Flooring

There are several different types of flooring that a person may choose for their home. Three of the most popular are explored below. 

1. Solid hardwood - As the name indicates, solid hardwood floors are a solid wood product. The floor comprises solid pieces of hardwood planks. Each plank usually measures three-quarters of an inch in thickness. Solid oak flooring is one of the most popular kinds of hardwood flooring. Walnuts, Ash, Hickory, and Maple, are good hardwood options. If your taste is for classic or exotic woods, Lacewood, Brazilian Cherry, Tigerwood, or Brazilian Walnut can satisfy your peculiar taste. There are some pros to solid hardwood. It typically lasts a lifetime. Refinishing or restoration of a hardwood floor is possible every decade. Its maintenance is simple. It appreciates over time which increases the value of your property. There are some cons though. Maintenance is usually higher, costing between $6 to $12 per square foot. Scratches can easily damage their surface. Moisture can adversely affect it, causing discoloration, swelling, and warp.
2. Engineered Hardwood - Produced in the 60s, engineered hardwood is mainly for basements and the first floors of buildings with concrete slabs. Over time it has gained more popularity than solid hardwood floors. Its stability and ease of installation make it an ideal choice over solid hardwood in humid environments. The pros of engineered hardwood start with its higher resistance to humidity and moisture than solid hardwood. It is long-lasting and durable. It’s also more affordable than solid hardwood flooring. Of course, cons exist. It has less longevity than solid hardwood. It's moisture-resistant but needs to be waterproof. In a high-traffic area, its surface scratches just like solid hardwood.
3. Rigid Core Vinyl - Produced from Stone plastic composite, Rigid Core Vinyl is a solid polymer core. Due to their dense nature, rigid core vinyl floors are much more durable than traditional venue floors. Plus, it is indistinguishable from stone floors on solid wood floors, scratch-proof, and waterproof. Some of the pros include UV resistance, easy installation, the waterproof nature and how affordable it is. Of course, it has cons as well. The rigidity makes it less comfortable. Due to its nature, refinishing or installation is not possible. It will not add value to your property over time.

Tips for do-it-yourself installation

Your decision to floor your house can succeed with these tips:

• Do appropriate research - A rule of thumb does not overly rely on getting valuable information from do-it-yourself sites like YouTube. Such reliance may prove disappointing and lead to the loss of helpful resources. Conduct extensive research on other sources.
• Invest in appropriate tools for a do-it-yourself flooring task - All DIY projects require tools and DIY flooring tools are mostly expensive. Determine the precise tools your project requires and budget accordingly. Investing in the right tools can make a lot of difference in the success of your project.
• Choose a suitable material - Decide beforehand the quality you expect of your flooring project. In determining the quality of your project, questions to ask include: Can it handle heavy traffic? Will it require a waterproof flooring option? Over time, will it add value to my property?
• Evaluate your skill set level and the level of training the task requires - Making an honest, realistic evaluation of your skill sets is appropriate. It helps make specific preparation for the task at hand. Such evaluation reveals the person's critical lapses and how to improve.