If you’re in the early phases of remodeling or building a home, the endless options on your mind can be quite overwhelming. In hopes of making those first steps a little easier we’ve created a simple, basic guide to the different types of flooring. Use it to select a few that initially appeal to you and then visit with us to further explore the options.

Porcelain or Ceramic Tile

Squares crafted of porcelain or ceramic and glazed. These have been used for centuries because they are easy to clean, hygienic, and durable. This functionality combined with how aesthetically pleasing they are has made them immensely popular. Especially in bathrooms and kitchens.

Carpet

Available in both natural and synthetic varieties, this reliable flooring option can be made of wool, polyester, nylon, or polypropylene. Carpet is available in thousands of colors and patterns so those who like options will appreciate it versatility. It’s best suited to dry environments.

Engineered Wood

This product employs a veneer of hardwood over top of layers of wood underneath. It is also known as composite wood. It is often pre-laminated. Finishing techniques include either processed or machined.

Cork

A flooring derivative made of bark from the cork oak.  It’s exceptionally sustainable and therefore a very popular choice among environmentally minded home owners. It’s also ideal for rooms where a natural, earthy vibe is desired.

Vinyl

Vinyl is a polymer flooring option that is 100% synthetic. It includes pigmentation and it is thus available in many colors. It’s also non-porous and flexible which makes it ideal for tricky rooms that aren’t well suited to less flexible and higher maintenance options.

Stone

Stone flooring makes use of various types of natural rock. It is initially carved out of a quarry and then sized and cut for use as flooring. Well loved stones include marble, slate, limestone, and granite. Quartz has recently risen in popularity as well.   

Bamboo

Application involves installing bamboo reeds over sub-flooring. Bamboo is exceptionally durable and it is a great natural option if you are avoiding synthetics in your home design. It’s very renewable and eco-friendly as well.

Hardwood

Hardwood is a flooring option that is milled from a single piece of timber. It’s very durable. It tends to always be in demand because it’s a valuable flooring upgrade that instantly raises the bar in terms of style and luxury. Common types of hardwood for floors include oak, maple, hickory, and walnut.

The trends for flooring in 2015 are exciting and fresh, boasting surprising materials and new takes on old ones. It can be hard to determine if a new trend is right for your house when you don’t know much about the material like one of this years biggest trends—bamboo. Here we will go over the pros and potential cons of this exciting flooring material.

As we mentioned before, bamboo is a trend that is quickly on the rise. It might surprise you to learn that bamboo is very hard, even harder than most other hardwood floors. Bamboo gives your room a look similar to traditional hardwood flooring, however it does have a distinct appearance that can add a modern look to any room. Generally it comes in wider planks, and you can find it in various shades.

One strong argument for bamboo flooring is that it is a natural and renewable material. While it can take the trees used for hardwood floors 20 years or more until they can be harvested, bamboo is mature enough to be harvested in only 5 years. This faster growth means that the harvesting and use of bamboo as flooring does not deplete the bamboo population with the same effect that it has with hardwood. Don’t worry about pandas going hungry, either!  Bamboo grown for floors is not edible by our fuzzy friends.

There are some considerations when deciding if bamboo floors are right for your space. Bamboo is best installed in areas that tend to be dry rather than humid. Avoid bathrooms and kitchens and instead use bamboo in areas such as your bedroom or living room where there is no threat of humidity. This will ensure that the planks do not expand. 

Finally, cleaning bamboo flooring is convenient and incredibly easy. Make sure that you keep it well swept with a dry mop or broom. No harsh or special cleaning treatments are necessary. If you really need to clean more deeply, you only need to use warm water and a mild soap to mop the floor. Wring the mop thoroughly so no excess moisture is left behind.

Bamboo is a great option when considering what type of floor you want for your home. There are many pros and with an informed decision you will be able to find the floor that is right for you. If you have any questions, check out our bamboo information page or stop by one of our stores!

One of our favorite tools is our Virtual Room Designer. This tool enables you to visualize a variety of floor designs and materials in many different types of rooms. This can be incredibly helpful when you are just beginning to decide what kinds of flooring you want to use in the room you are redesigning. 

It can feel overwhelming when you first begin exploring the myriad of options there are and you might feel like there is so much to choose from it feels impossible to know where to start. But with this tool, you can easily picture what different flooring looks like from the comfort of your own home before you come in to visit our store.

The first step is to get online and head to http://www.carpetsnmore.com/designcenter/vrd.aspx to get started with our Virtual Room Designer. Below we will walk you through how to use this tool to illustrate how this feature of our website can be helpful to someone who is trying to decide on what flooring will be best for them.  

Once you have pulled up the link above in your web browser the first step is to identify what room it is that you are going to be designing. For example, say you are going to be changing the flooring in your kitchen—you would first click on the kitchen option. Below several options will appear and you can choose from these options which kitchen matches yours the best.

Next the picture you choose will bring up a window where you can try different materials in the room. This is the best part of the tool because it allows you to visually picture what kinds of flooring would look best with what you already have in your room. For example, you have chosen the kitchen that best matches your kitchen. You will then choose from the ‘type’ drop down menu, picking between things such as hardwood or ceramic tile. Once you’ve made your selection you can narrow your search based on brand, product and color group if you need to.

Have fun and try all different types of flooring! You never know what combination might look best and you might even try something you hadn’t thought of before. It could surprise you as your favorite! Once you have a selection of your favorite flooring come in to one of our locations and we will help you decide what flooring works best for your needs and your home.

When selecting flooring for homes occupied by older adults it is important to be cognizant of a few key issues. Most importantly, the flooring should be well padded and provide good traction to limit and protect against falls. Secondly, maintenance should be fairly easy as older persons tend to not only tire quickly but have a fixed income which limits continuous professional maintenance.

Cork and linoleum are two excellent choices as there is usually a padded subfloor between these materials and the base floor. Due to the fairly thin materials used, cork and linoleum both adopt the quality of the layer in which they cover. Both of these choices are also extremely easy to clean. Cork, while more affordable than linoleum, has higher maintenance costs attached, as it must be sealed at least once per year to protect against stains. It is also highly susceptible to water damage so is a not an option for bathrooms.

Vinyl flooring is another low maintenance material available on the market. Unlike cork it can resist water damage, is stain proof and does not have high upkeep costs.  Like the other two flooring choices mentioned, a subfloor can soften the feel underfoot. The biggest drawback is its non-renewable properties. 

If sustainability is important to the homeowner, rubber flooring can be one wonderful but more expensive option. It has great traction, is very soft, water resistant and even fire proof. It is fairly simple to clean, however as mentioned earlier the initial installation costs can be quite high.

Carpeting is one of the more popular floorings found in homes occupied by the elderly. While upkeep can get expensive it undoubtedly is the softest underfoot. Furthermore its woven strands act as insulators so it remains fairly warm in the winter and cuts down on additional costs of having to install insulated floor panels. However, carpet can stain if not properly maintained.

Each flooring option has its own benefits and drawbacks. Weigh your priorities in terms of costs, maintenance and safety against personal preferences.  The staff at Carpets N More is happy to help with any questions you may have.