When it comes to flooring, many home-owners are confronted with the tough decision of choosing between three great options: tiles, carpets, or hardwood floors. Do you go with the plush feel of a newly laid carpet, the reliable durability of a tile, or the classic elegance of real wood flooring? It’s a tough question to answer, and will certainly differ from person to person depending on what they need.
A good place to start is by weighing up the pros and cons that are part and parcel of any of the below flooring options to find out which one is right for you:
Wood Flooring
The marketplace for hardwood flooring has become increasingly diverse, leaving home owners with plenty of choices when following this traditional route. With a rainbow of brown hues to choose from, which range according to wood type, this slightly more expensive flooring option is popular amongst consumers that can afford the price tag attached to such luxury.
Otherwise, homeowners with a shoe-string budget are not excluded from the wood-look entirely, and often opt for the more affordable laminate products. A synthetic alternative to wood, laminate flooring is a popular alternative to hardwood floors, and just as durable.
Tiles
A highly practical flooring solution for your home, tiles also present a virtually limitless selection of designs and patterns. This option is very much suited to creative homeowners that have an eye for detail and value resilience. A cool choice for summer, the only drawback of the tile effect is that it’s very hard on the feet, and can lead to aching backs after hours of standing.
Carpeting
Let’s face it, there’s nothing quite like the comfort of a soft, warm carpet in the winter season. It’s also an affordable flooring option that comes in thousands of different patterns, textures and colours. Despite the fact that carpets have become less perishable, especially with innovative carpet shampoo products and new cleaning methods on the horizon; this option should be reserved for people who like to change their home decor every couple of years or so. Carpets require careful maintenance to hold onto their look and feel in the long run, and are easily stained by repeated food spills.
Making a Decision
Before making a final decision based on what you ideally want, there are also a couple of alternative factors to take into consideration.
Price: For a quality product, the price will range per square foot depending on the flooring type. The difference may not seem that great, but it can add up substantially when totalling the overall costs.
Installation: Although it would be a big project, almost any DIY enthusiast would be able install a carpet or laminate flooring if they take their time and follow instructions; the same goes for tiles – with the right power tools to cut them and care taken to create a level floor. Hardwood floors, on the other hand, should always be installed by a professional for the best result.
Maintenance: No matter your choice of flooring, maintenance is inescapable. Tile and laminate are the easiest to clean, with a sweep and a mop doing just the trick. Hardwood floors require a bit more attention, with a sealing, waxing and refinishing seasonally. Carpeted floors are the most difficult out of the three to maintain, needing routine vacuuming, spot treatment, and yearly shampooing to be kept clean.
Comfort: In the comfort stakes, carpets win hands down, followed by hardwood floors and trailed by tiles.
Durability: Tiles can last a lifetime when properly installed. Hardwood floors offer the next level of reliability if cared for correctly, with carpet and laminate flooring promising a decade of use before replacement will likely be necessary.
