Renovating Flooring: Which Material is Best?

HopeDesigns.ca

There comes a time when every house could use some updating, if not a complete overhaul. Whether it’s something as simple as a fresh paint job or something much more elaborate like a kitchen remodel, there’s always room for improvement in a home.
One component in particular that is often the victim of a ton of wear and tear is the flooring. If your home is the scene of heavy traffic, then your floors are taking a beating. Depending on the quality of flooring material and the type of abuse it’s being subjected to, your floors might need an update sooner rather than later. The question is, which material is best when renovating flooring?
There are several options for you to choose from. Your job is to understand each type before deciding which one is best suited for your home.
Hardwood
One of the most popular types of flooring is hardwood, especially in living rooms and family rooms. It’s sophisticated, stylish, high quality, and timeless. Hardwood offers a combination of both beauty and durability that you’d be hard-pressed to find in any other type of flooring material. If you’re renovating flooring, hardwood almost always makes a great choice.
In fact, more and more homeowners are choosing to install hardwood flooring in more unconventional spaces, including the kitchen. For open floor plans, having a seamless transition from the living room to the kitchen without breaking up the flooring with a different material can help open up the space and make it seem even more spacious.
Hardwood flooring comes in all sorts of varieties, including maple, oak, beech, cherry, pine, walnut, and many more. This flooring type provides a long-lasting surface that can withstand plenty of wear and tear. It can be stained in various colours and may be refinished if necessary. That said, certain types of hardwood flooring can darken with age or even shrink and expand with heat and moisture, which can create gaps in the floor surface.
Laminate
Many homeowners who seek a more affordable flooring option often go for laminate. Easily one of the cheapest flooring materials available, laminate still offers a strong, durable surface that is resistant to scratches, chips, and even burns. It makes a great choice for areas of particularly high traffic and looks similar to natural materials.
You can easily customize your laminate flooring thanks to all the colours and designs that it comes in. It’s also easy to install. However, laminate flooring can’t be refinished.
Bamboo
One of the more recently popular choices in flooring material is bamboo, an elegant, durable material that comes in all sorts of different shades to perfectly suit any unique space. Bamboo offers homeowners a strong, clean floor, though it can be susceptible to expanding with sunlight exposure and even darkening over time. Although durable, bamboo can get ruined if it is allowed to stay sopping wet, which is why it might not necessarily be the best choice for kitchens.
Manufactured bamboo flooring is generally available in planks with vertical or horizontal grains in them. Vertical bamboo flooring provides a uniform look to the surface area of the finished floor plank. Horizontal bamboo flooring has slats that are arranged in a horizontal manner and joined side-by-side with other pieces using a laminate system.

Renovating Flooring With Hope Designs

Still not sure what material to choose when renovating flooring? Hope Designs can help. With years of experience under their belt, the team at Hope Designs can help you come up with the appropriate solution for your space that will suit your tastes, needs, and budget. Call Hope Designs today!