The Ultimate Guide to Flooring Options

When you are renovating your home, you need to think carefully about the kind of flooring that you have in place. Your flooring can not only affect how your home looks, but it can also be something that needs to be practical in the long run, especially if you have kids. Choosing the right flooring can be pretty tricky when you don’t have much experience in this kind of thing. Do you go for an expensive solid wood floor? Or would you rather opt for the cheap laminate floor? Both of these flooring options can have their own benefits, but not all are going to be suitable for any kind of home. You need to think through everything carefully and make the right decision for you.

In this article, we are going to look at the different kinds of wooden flooring and other flooring types that you can have in your home and help you to figure out which is best for you. We’ll talk about everything from the price of these kinds of flooring to how they need to be maintained. Keep reading if you would like to hear more about our ultimate guide to flooring options.

Solid Wood Flooring

Solid wood flooring is often one of the more expensive options because of the way that it is made and the wood that it contains. This kind of flooring is made from one piece of wood that has come from a particular tree. With solid wood flooring, you will find that this has then been made into planks of wood that can be installed in your home. Solid wood flooring can look great as it is often easy to tell that it is real hardwood. Many people will buy a home based on the fact that it has solid wood flooring as this can be quite valuable. It is one of the reasons why it can be such a popular option for many people.

There are, of course, some downfalls of having solid wood flooring in your home including the fact that they cannot be laid over an overlay and that they cannot be used with underfloor heating. As a whole, however, solid wood flooring is often a great choice for many different kinds of households. It will last for long, as long as it has been well maintained. So, make sure to consider this for your home if you are thinking about trying out something new. You might even add some value if you are planning on selling your home in the near future.

Engineered Wood Flooring

Another kind of wooden flooring that you might come across is engineered wood flooring which comes from both hardwood and plywood. This kind of flooring is not made entirely from solid wood, but it does have a layer of solid wood on the top of it. This can make it appear as if it is a solid wood floor, but it is often a cheaper option for those who cannot afford to have the entire floor built this way.

With engineered wood flooring, you will find that it has a base layer of plywood. This means that it can be floated over an underlay or fixed down, depending on the needs of your home. If you are thinking about installing some underfloor heating, then you might want to consider some engineered wood flooring for your home.

Laminate Flooring

While both solid wood flooring and engineered wood flooring can look great in a home, many people prefer to go for a cheap laminate floor. What is a cheap laminate floor you ask? This kind of floor is often the better option because it is made up of a few different layers of flooring that have been fused, or laminated, together. When you choose a cheap laminate floor, you can be sure that your floor is going to last for many years and that it will be really easy to clean.

Laminate flooring is one of the best choices for many people and it remains one of the most popular things that you’ll find in homes across the UK. You can place it in many rooms and have a great design throughout your home.

Other Alternatives

If you aren’t so keen on the wooden flooring options that we have discussed so far, then you should be aware that there are some other options of flooring types that you can have in your home. Have you ever thought about having some carpets installed? A carpet can add a great look to your home as it can come in a variety of colors and styles to suit your decor. Many people choose the carpet because of the added comfort levels, but it can be hard to clean, and it can get a bit messy over time. If you are going to choose a carpet for your home, then you might want to go with a high-quality one that is sure to last a lot longer. Otherwise, we would suggest that you avoid this flooring type altogether if you want to have a nicely decorated home.

Other flooring options for your home include tiles which can be great for places that are going to have a lot of moisture. Many people use tiles in their kitchen or their bathroom as they don’t want to have a wooden floor expand. Of course, some options can work well in this kind of environment, so make sure not to decide against wooden flooring just yet.

Things to Consider

It can be hard to choose the best option for your home when there are so many to choose from? Do you go for quality or do you go for a lower price? Obviously, the price needs to come into the decision as you will have a budget that you need to adhere to, but you also need to think about your value for money. Many people will opt for a cheap laminate floor, but they won’t consider the duration of time that this is going to last for. Of course, there is a difference between getting a laminate floor on sale and choosing one that is cheap because of the quality, so this is definitely something to consider.

You should also think about whether you are going to have underfloor heating installed in your home or not. While this is a luxury for many people, it can actually be quite useful in rooms that have a temperature that is going to fluctuate. A good example of this is in conservatories that are made of glass. Many people opt for underfloor heating in this area to maintain the balance of warmth. For this kind of thing, you would need to avoid solid wood flooring and go for one of the alternatives such as engineered wood flooring.

When you are considering the different kinds of wooden flooring, you also need to think about the design of the floor. You will likely want the floor to match other rooms in your home and the general décor that you are going to have to match it. With solid wood flooring, you get what you get as it is taken directly from a tree. With engineered wood flooring and laminate flooring, you have more freedom to choose the design and the species of the wood. You can even choose the size of the planks, depending on what works best for your overall décor. So, make sure to consider this when making your choice.

Maintenance is another thing that you need to consider when looking at the various kinds of flooring for your home. Are you going to be able to look after your floor? Do you have lots of kids or pets who are going to scrape it or spill things on it? It is really important that you think carefully about this before you make any serious decisions as you could ruin your floor and waste a lot of money. Laminate floors tend to be easier to clean, and because a cheap laminate floor is going to cost you less to replace, it might be the better option for those who think it might get scraped or dirty.

Finally, you might want to consider the difficulty to install as you might need to do it yourself if you cannot afford to pay someone else to do it for you. with laminate flooring, you will find that it is very easy to install as you just need to click the pieces into place. For wooden floorings such as solid wood or engineered wood flooring, you might need to have someone else come into your home and install it for you. Some retailers will offer this as part of the pricing package, but it will often cost more overall. This is why you should consider a kind of flooring that is easy to install so that you can enjoy some DIY.

Which Is Best?

When it comes to wooden flooring and other alternatives for your home, it can be hard to say which one is best. While some are seen as better or more valuable to the general public, you can only really decide what is best for you. It all depends on what you need from your floor. Do you need a floor that is going to cost less and last a long time? Or would you rather have a floor that features a stunning wood species that is going to draw the attention of your guests when they arrive at your home?

Some families have lots of kids, others have a few pets, and some are more likely to maintain a wooden floor more effectively over time. This is a decision that you need to make based on all of the information that we have given you here in this article. Don’t make this decision too quickly as you might regret it in the future.

Buying Your Wooden Floor

If you do decide to go for a wooden floor of any kind for your home, you need to make sure that you are getting it from a high-quality retailer. Don’t let yourself get distracted by low prices as these kinds of floors don’t always last a long time. You might end up having to replace it in the near future, and you will only end up spending more money this way.

You can find plenty of flooring retailers online who offer all of these kinds of wooden floors. Before you make any kind of purchase, you should have a look at their offerings and read some reviews on the floors that they have installed. If the general reviews are positive, then you can be sure that this is a retailer that you can trust. Otherwise, it might be best to avoid them as it is your home that you are dealing with.

Conclusion

As you can see from our ultimate guide, flooring options are quite complicated, and you need to do a lot of research before you even think about investing in one for your home. Will you go for solid wood flooring or would you prefer to go for the engineered kind? If you aren’t bothered about the wood at all, then it is always possible to get some laminate flooring for your home.

If you are going to decorate your home this year, then you should make sure to consider everything that we have discussed in this guide. Always remember to consider how you are going to maintain your floor over the years and make sure that you are ready for any issues that might occur. As long as you stick to your budget, then you should be able to find the flooring that works for your family.

Get out there and get the flooring that you need, whether that is wooden flooring, laminate or even a carpet if that is what you would prefer.