Tuesday, March 12th, 2019
Choosing flooring is far more complicated than just finding the best-looking product. Several other factors–moisture, durability, costs, and more–greatly influence your decision.
These 5 questions will help you reach the flooring decision that is right for you and your home.
If your flooring is going to be installed in an area that sees a lot of humidity, make sure you are choosing a flooring option that can handle the moisture.
Vinyl planks are a great option for high moisture as they are essentially pliable PVC, which means their susceptibility to changes in humidity is minimal to none, making expansion and contraction a virtual non-issue. Vinyl planks are also a water-resistant flooring material.
Porcelain tile is another good hard-surface floor for humid areas. It’s also water-resistant, easy to clean, and durable. If you live in a humid region where keeping your home cool is also necessary, porcelain tile does help keep the temperature down in rooms.
Another solid option is laminate flooring. High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) is rated best for high humidity and climate areas. This high-pressure classification simply means that the laminate floor was made with a special glue that reduces moisture absorption.
There are many high-traffic areas in the home. If you are thinking about replacing the flooring in one of these areas, that is important to keep in mind. Areas like foyers, entryways and main hallways tend to see more traffic. When you need flooring that will continue to look good where traffic is the heaviest, tile flooring, concrete flooring and laminate flooring are your best choices.
Another good option for high traffic areas is engineered and solid hardwood flooring. Just because wood can tend to scratch easier, doesn’t mean it isn’t a viable option. Especially when you are buying prefinished wood flooring, its worth bearing in mind that it’s the finish applied to the floor that provides the protection and many modern finishes are rock hard! Even with solid hardwood floors, if you choose a species of wood with a strong hardness rating and a strong finish it’s going to be very durable and resilient.
It is important to know how much new flooring you will be needing before you head into the store. We suggest writing down room totals as you go. Drawing a rough sketch of the rooms where flooring will be installed, and writing the dimensions on the drawing, is a great approach.
Once you have chosen your flooring, it is important to have our professional installer make the final measurements to ensure that you purchase the correct amount. This way, we know how to include hallways and closets, match patterns, plan seam placement, work with room irregularities, and account for rooms with widths greater than 12 feet (most carpet is produced in 12– and 15–foot widths).
This is another critical questions to consider before you head in for your estimate. Our installation crews are ready to help you ensure flawless installation. However, if you decide to install the flooring on your own, this will alter your total cost. Knowing which path you are going to take for installation can help you budget correctly and choose the correct type of flooring for your budget.
Life gets busy. We get it! If you are someone who doesn’t have time to sweep and mop thoroughly every week, you might want to consider a different type of flooring. We have some flooring options that require much less upkeep to stay looking fresh than others. It is important to let your flooring consultant know if you are hoping for a lower maintenance flooring right away so they can lead you down a path to success.
Stop into our St. Cloud location or give us a call anytime if you have questions about our flooring options or if you are ready to get started on your complimentary flooring quote. Our dedicated flooring experts are ready to help you find the perfect flooring for your style and budget.
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