Your home's flooring is very important, as some flooring materials help to insulate a home and absorb noise, for a quieter and more comfortable interior. Updated flooring can also make a home look fresh and new, while a poor choice of flooring might make the entire home seem outdated and even downright ugly. To ensure you choose the best flooring for your home's interior, note a few mistakes to avoid, and discuss your choices with a contractor as needed.
Busy patterns
Tile and stone will often have patterns on their surface, which can soon seem cluttered and busy when spread over a large area of flooring. Some veining on stone tile and a very light pattern on tile can create visual interest on the floors, but save those busy patterns and deep veining for smaller rooms, such as the bathroom or sitting room. This also applies to wood floors; small slats will create a busier pattern than wide floorboards, so choose larger wood pieces for large rooms or long hallways.
Traction
Stone and tile floors are good for rooms where the floors might get wet or be exposed to high humidity levels, such as bathrooms and kitchens, as water won't affect their surface. However, these options can also be very slick and slippery. Look for a pitted surface for flooring in these rooms, or choose smaller stone blocks so that the grout between them provides some traction for walking. If you must have a smooth stone or tile flooring option, be sure to put down area rugs for foot traffic, and non-slip pads under furniture.
Replacement costs
You might want to choose a very cheap carpeting or tile for your home just to save money on its installation, but consider the overall lifespan of your choice. Carpet that you need to replace in a few years because it's threadbare and worn will mean spending more on flooring over the lifetime of homeownership, versus investing in a high-quality brand that will last many years before it wears down.
Note, too, that you may eventually need to replace certain sections of flooring; this might include a few wood slats, or a broken stone tile. Consider how easy it would be to find the same species of timber or type of stone for that replacement; rare materials may be more expensive and harder to find when you need to make those flooring repairs, so consider if a more common species or stone type would be a better investment.
Share28 November 2017
The kitchen is often referred to as the heart of the home, and as someone who enjoys cooking, I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and need it to be functional and easy to maintain. In the past, I sacrificed style for functionality, but as I use my kitchen frequently, I wanted the space to be aesthetically pleasing and enjoyable to spend time in. I began reading interior design and home improvement books to gain some inspiration for transforming my kitchen without breaking the bank, and I now have a kitchen that's stylish and does what I need it to do. The kitchen is often overlooked when it comes to home decor, so I started this blog to share what I've learned with others who don't want to spend time cooking in an ugly, outdated room. I hope you find my blog useful.
