The floors in your home can take a lot of punishment from kids, pets and people walking all over them 365 days a year. It used to be the case that people only had one type of flooring throughout their home, traditionally wood or stone. However, this has changed, and now it’s more common to have a mixture of different materials. Because of this, it’s important to understand the different requirements each type of floors in your home has. In this article, we’re going to go through some of the most popular flooring options and the maintenance and fitting requirements to help you better manage the flooring in your home.
Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is one of the easiest flooring materials to maintain and live with on a daily basis. Because of the rooms where vinyl is commonly used, such as the bathroom and kitchen, the floor needs to be water-resistant. Floors which aren’t water-resistant can often become damaged, which can lead to serious problems and may even require floors to be replaced. Kitchens and bathrooms are often rooms which you enter first thing in the morning, because of this, they’re often colder before the central heating warms the room up. To get around this, you can install underfloor heating, which works really well with vinyl flooring and can create a lovely warm feeling under-foot. Vinyl is also straightforward to clean, which makes it ideal if you have a family where things can be dropped or spilt easily. Depending on which room vinyl is installed in, along with your personal taste, there are many design options, including wood and stone effects, and with luxury vinyl tiles you can create beautiful patterns to help showcase your creativity. When it comes to installation, vinyl is one of the quicker options and new technology such as Amtico’s Click Smart range are further increasing the speed of installation.
Carpet
One of the main requirements when choosing a carpet is understanding the installation process. You should always get a professional to install your carpet as they will be able to complete the job to a higher standard and in a shorter time compared to you trying on your own. When maintaining the carpet, as with other floors, regular vacuuming is advisable, particularly if you have pets which can shed a lot of fur. With carpet, you have to be particularly careful about your furniture creating pressure spots. These are created when the feat of chairs, tables, or sofas are left in the same place for a while, and the carpet pile is significantly compressed. To avoid this, you should consider caster cups, using spare carpet to create coaster or simply moving the sofa every few months to give the carpet a breather in specific areas.
Wood
As mentioned, wood is one of the most traditional flooring materials, having been used in homes for hundreds of years. While these floors may be traditional, they do require more maintenance in certain areas than other options. Any spills should be cleaned up ASAP to reduce the risk of staining. Everyday cleaning can be as little as sweeping with a soft bristle brush. Wood floors can be sanded down and re-oiled. However, this can be a big job and should definitely be carried out by a professional to avoid serious damage to the wood. When it comes to installation, you’ll also need to have your subfloor prepared as a failure to do so could lead to your wood floors being uneven. Making sure the subfloor is flat, level and clean is vital. It’s also worth noting if you have old vinyl floors or laminate you may have to take this up before installing new wood flooring as it’s not a suitable underlay material. These are both areas the person installing your wood floor should be familiar with, and they will be able to best advise you on how to proceed when installing a new wood floor.
Ceramic tiles
As with vinyl, ceramic tiles are popular in bathrooms and kitchens along with entrance halls and corridors. You have a large range of options when it comes to tiles as you can go with a traditional pattern or design your own. When it comes to maintenance, tiles can be harder to keep clean as you need to continually be aware of the grout condition. Tiles can also stain easily so if you notice any discolouration it’s worth trying to remedy it quickly. Whenever cleaning a tile floor, it’s also vital to continually change the water you’re using, as dirty water can impact the colour of the tiles. One of the downsides of ceramic tiles is the fact they can chip or crack which can cause issues getting the tiles replaced. You also need to be careful where you place tiles as when wet they can be slippery. In the bathroom, for example, it’s always worth having a bathmat so that you’re not walking directly on wet tiles after being in the bath or shower.
Whatever flooring option you choose in any room of your home should be carefully thought about. Not just from an aesthetic point of view but how the floor will be to live with every day. Making the right choice can give you a floor you can enjoy for years which looks great while being easy to live with!