Table of Contents
Best Flooring Materials For Home
What’s under your foot has a lot to do with the look and feel of your home. Irrefutably, it also brings big impacts on how well each room performs and lays the foundation for the functionality of the space. So, at some point of your home improvement project, there stands a need for you to address the surface underfoot – that’s your flooring.
Choosing the best flooring material that happily takes a lot of abuse, from dirty shoes to muddy paws to furniture leg scrapes on a daily basis, is a big undertaking. And the multitude of flooring material options available in the market adds to the decision-making burden. So, in order to help you choose the best flooring option, we bring you here the complete lowdown on the flooring material types, uses and comparison. Read it before you splash it!
Types of Flooring Materials
Hardwood Flooring
| Pros of Hardwood Flooring | Cons of Hardwood Flooring |
|---|---|
| Made of planks milled from pieces of timber, hardwood flooring has unmatched natural beauty and goes with any decor. | They are relatively pricey as compared to other flooring options. |
| Since it can be refinished several times, hardwood flooring lasts long. | They warp if exposed to moisture for a long time. So, not a great choice for bathroom, laundry rooms and kitchen. |
| If maintained well, these floors will retain their beauty and increase the resale value of the home as well. |
Laminate Flooring
| Pros of Laminate Flooring | Cons of Laminate Flooring |
|---|---|
| Laminate floors can easily reproduce the look of wood or stone for a lower price. | As they are made from High Density Fiberboard (HDF), laminate floors can be damaged by moisture. |
| The process of installing laminate floors is easy and quick. | They cannot be sanded, re-polished or re-done but can only be replaced. |
| As they are fairly resistant to stains and impacts, cleaning and maintenance is not quite a job. | |
| Also appreciated for its toughness and durability. | |
| Stands firm against every day wears and tears. | |
| Unlike wooden flooring, laminate flooring does not contract or expand. |
Vinyl Flooring
| Pros of Vinyl Flooring | Cons of Vinyl Flooring |
|---|---|
| Vinyl flooring is a less expensive, comfortable, durable and also easy to maintain flooring option. | They don’t stand up against scratches and can be easily damaged by sharp objects. |
| Vinyl flooring stands up well to heavy foot traffic. | Its colours can fade with exposure to too much direct sunlight and also when it comes in contact with rubber. |
| This versatile option is available in a ton of colour choices and patterns to match every décor. | |
| Vinyl flooring is also best known for its stain resistant and water-resistant properties. |
Vitrified Tile Flooring
| Pros of Vitrified Tile Flooring | Cons of Vitrified Tile Flooring |
|---|---|
| It comes in a huge variety of colours, shapes, and patterns, so it can easily gel with any style of the home. | Compared to ceramic tile flooring, this flooring is high on cost because of the high-quality adhesives that are used to ensure its steadiness. |
| Since it has a glossy surface, this flooring is very easy to clean. | They get slippery when wet. |
| When maintained well, it does not lose its sheen for a long time. | As the chances of finding the same tiles again after a few years is very less, there is a need to buy a few extra pieces for future use. |
| It is scratch resistant, stain resistant, and moisture resistant. It also has a very low water absorption rate. | |
| Doesn’t discolour or fade when exposed to sunlight. |
Engineered Wood flooring
| Pros of Engineered Wood Flooring | Cons of Engineered Wood flooring |
|---|---|
| It can mimic the real wood flooring at a much less price. | As its construction involves the usage of adhesives and resins, it can give off harmful gasses. |
| Due to its construction, it is more durable than real wood flooring. | It can only be refinished one to three times and this number is greater for real wood flooring than engineered wood flooring. |
| It is less likely to expand, contract, or warp when exposed to moisture, humidity and temperature shifts. | |
| It is available in a dazzling array of colours, patterns and textures. | |
| Its top layer can be sanded and refinished if necessary. |
Marble Flooring
| Pros Of Marble Flooring | Cons Of Marble Flooring |
|---|---|
| Marble flooring always has a unique and opulent look and makes for a royal flooring. | Real marble is incredibly pricey. |
| It is very durable and long-lasting. | It is also slippery underfoot. |
| It is scratch resistant. | |
| It is available in a great range of designs, patterns, and colours. | |
| This high-density material can easily take heavy loads on it and is also capable of withstanding all types of external pressure. |
Granite Flooring
| Pros of Granite Flooring | Cons of Granite Flooring |
|---|---|
| Granite flooring is incredibly tough, strong and also hardwearing. | Granite flooring comes with a high price tag, so not ideal for tight budgets. |
| This flooring is highly durable and will last for ages. | Installation process is difficult, time-consuming and expensive. |
| You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to design, pattern and colour. | |
| It is stain-resistant, moisture resistant and also water resistant. | |
| Not only granite flooring offers great functionality, but also increases the resale value of the home. |
Other flooring options to consider
Some of the other unique flooring materials that are making their marks by being highly versatile and advantageous are
- Terrazzo
- Linoleum
- Rubber
- Parquet
- Marmoleum
- Bamboo, etc.
Uses Of FloorMaterials Based on Rooms
| Flooring Material | Room |
|---|---|
| Hardwood Flooring | Good for Foyer, living rooms, halls, bedrooms. Avoid them in wet areas like the kitchen, laundry room and bathroom. |
| Laminate Flooring | For high-traffic areas such as kitchens, foyers, dining room, and kids’ room and their playrooms. |
| Vinyl Flooring | Best suited for wet rooms like kitchen, bathroom and laundry room |
| Vitrified tile Flooring | Almost for all rooms but more specifically the kitchen as it can be cleaned easily. |
| Engineered Wood Flooring | Foyer, living room, bedroom, kid’s room and dining room |
| Marble Flooring | For all rooms, but it is good to avoid them in elders’ rooms and kids’ rooms as they are slippery. |
| Granite Flooring | Almost for all rooms |
Uses Of Floor Materials Based on Their Nature
| Criteria | Best Flooring Option |
|---|---|
| Good-looking and stylish | Hardwood, engineered wood, marble flooring |
| Highly Durable | Marble, granite flooring |
| Best for high-traffic | Laminate and vinyl flooring |
| Kids and Pet friendly | Engineered wood flooring |
| Elder friendly | Hardwood Flooring |
| Best for resale value | Hardwood and granite flooring |
| Easy to install | Laminate Flooring |
| Easy to clean and maintain | Laminate, Vinyl, Vitrified tile flooring |
Flooring Materials Comparison
| Criteria | Hardwood Flooring | Laminate Flooring | Vinyl Flooring | Vitrified Tile Flooring | Engineered Wood Flooring | Marble Flooring | Granite Flooring |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch Resistant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Stain Resistant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Moisture Resistant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Water Resistant | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||||
| Expensive | ✓ | ✓ | |||||
| Budget-friendly | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Easily Maintainable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Final Words
We hope this piece of content has given you a good idea about flooring options. Before you cherry-pick your favourite flooring material, make sure you consider your budget, family situation, kinds of room, and return on investment. In case, if you are in need of any assistance, be sure to tap on our interior design experts at ZAD interiors.
