What Kind of Flooring Should I Choose?
September 17th, 2009
Floors make a huge impact on the look of your home. They occupy as much square footage as your ceilings, and considering that floors are always in our peripheral vision, we must consider their importance in the overall design master plan.
Floors serve a vital function in your home, and it is crucial to think about how the floor will be used and then choose the right material for the task. This is a classic example of form follows function.
The simplest way to consider the form and function of your home’s flooring is by thinking of each room as a separate area. Consider what normally happens in each room, what surface will serve best and then choose the look of the surface you want.
Kitchen Flooring
It is safe to say that the kitchen is the most-used room in every home, so this floor needs to be very durable. It also needs to be kind to our legs, knees and ankles because we spend most of our time standing in this space. And a kitchen has many water-producing appliances, so moisture resistance is a top priority.
The most durable and water-resistant kitchen flooring is ceramic tile, but it can be unforgiving when you stand for long periods of time, and if you drop a dish, it’s a goner.
If you drop a dish on a wood floor, you have a better chance of it surviving the fall, and because it is a softer material it is easier on your legs. But wood floors – whether natural or engineered wood – are vulnerable to water, so if, for instance, the dish washer were to leak, damage to the floor is almost unavoidable.
Vinyl flooring is impervious to moisture, is easy on your legs and has an unending variety of looks to choose from. Because it is a soft material, it is prone to tearing and scarring, so when you pull out your refrigerator to clean under it, it can leave grooves in the surface.
The only absolute our Mosby designers adhere to is no carpeting in the kitchen. Food and water naturally winds up on the kitchen floor, which makes carpeting in this room both high maintenance and less hygienic.
Bathroom Flooring
The bathroom is all about water, so waterproof is the most important consideration. This is why ceramic tile and stone remain the most popular and enduring material for bathroom floors. Other materials can be used, but just like in the kitchen, water and hygiene is the prime consideration, so choosing a material other than ceramic or stone can be very high maintenance.
For both your kitchen and bathrooms, tile floors can be water-resistant and warm if you also install radiant heating under the tile.
Entries, Laundry Room & Mud Room Flooring
Laundry and mud rooms are high utility, and need to accommodate moisture and dirt. Hard surfaces like ceramic, stone or concrete work best for keeping these spaces clean. The same thinking applies to entries, where visitors will be more likely to bring in the outside elements.
Bedroom Flooring
Warmth and comfort are top priority in bedrooms, and because they are typically not high traffic areas, this is a chance to splurge on more luxurious flooring. Carpeting is a great choice, as is cork, which is a natural material with exceptional softness.
Family Room Flooring
The public spaces of our home are used and seen most frequently. Carpeting is a popular choice for its warmth, and good quality carpet is durable. Choosing the style of carpet is based on how the room is used, what levels of maintenance you expect and your personal preference for look and feel.
Choosing from such a wide variety of colors and textures requires some extra analysis; light colors in a high-traffic family room will show dirt and traffic patterns, while dark colors will show lint, pet hair and most anything that lands on it.
Wood flooring is a good choice for warmth and lower maintenance, and adding area rugs to the room provides softness and introduces another layer of design options.
Basement Flooring
Your basement can be a moist area, so the choice of flooring is all about how it holds up to humidity and water. The best choice is ceramic tile because it is impervious to moisture. If you prefer a wood look, use an engineered wood (or vinyl flooring with a wood look) because it is better at adapting to moisture than natural wood. Real wood floors will continually swell and contract with the changing humidity levels in your basement.
Carpeting can work in a basement if you choose only 100% synthetic materials with built-in mildew resistance. Avoid natural carpet materials like wool and cotton, as they will wick up moisture and eventually hold a mildew smell. Vinyl flooring is another option, but as it is installed directly over the concrete, it will show any imperfections in surface or level.
Decisions, Decisions…
As you may have gathered, there are many other things to consider besides how it looks when choosing flooring for your home. How do you keep track of it all and make the best decision?
When it comes to making a choice about a surface that makes such a large impact on your home, we invite you to work with a Mosby Building Arts designer. Our designers stay up-to-date on all the latest flooring trends and technologies. And after talking with you about how you live and what you desire, we will make an informed recommendation on which flooring best compliments your personal style while delivering lasting value. To explore your flooring choices, call us at 314.909.1800 or contact us here.
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Related posts:
- Does Your Kitchen Need a Facelift?
- KMOX – January Home Maintenance Tips
- Types of Roofs & How to Maintain Them
- Concrete Finishes & Sealing
- KMOX – Choosing Exterior Siding
Learn the Art of Living at CallMosby.com.
Tags: basement flooring, bathroom flooring, bedroom flooring, carpeting, ceramic tile, choosing flooring, engineered wood, kitchen flooring, mud room flooring, natural stone, natural wood, vinyl
September 13th, 2011 at 5:02 pm
I would love to know what tiles are in the mudroom picture. We live in Raleigh NC and are doing are mudroom built-ins now.
Thank you,
Margaret Boyse
September 14th, 2011 at 6:46 am
Margaret,
The flooring shown in the mudroom photo is a matte ceramic tile in multiple colors to create a colorful pattern. The matte finish keeps the floor from being slippery when wet, and is very durable against the roughest use.
Linoleum is also another good option for a mudroom, giving you a wide choice of colors and styles, and is a tad easier to clean. But because of the material, it is not as durable as tile, so will have to be replaced somewhere down the road.
Good luck with your mud room!