The floors in
your home add up to a lot of visible surfaces. A room's floor establishes much of its character. And, depending on
the furnishings, you may see a lot or just a little of the floor in
years to come.
Floor materials and patterns can be used to expand a room or make it
feel more cozy. Linear flooring, like wood and laminate, direct the eye.
Therefore you can run boards lengthwise in a narrow room to make it
larger. Alternatively, patterned floors, like vinyl and tile, tend to
make the room look smaller. So try to minimize contrast in small rooms.
If you want to create zones in a room, you can do so by changing
materials. For example, an area rug creates an island of warmth,
surrounded by tile or hardwood. A kitchen open to an adjacent dining
area need not share the same flooring.
In kitchens, maintenance matters. No matter who does the cleaning,
most messes end up on the floor. So carefully consider the maintenance
requirements when choosing a floor.
How
they are finished will contribute significantly to the overall look and
feel of your home. Since floors aren't always easy to
"redecorate" take care in selecting your flooring material.
Plastic laminate
flooring was developed and popularized in Europe before making its way
to America. There are now a number of manufacturers, in the US and
Europe, producing quality laminate flooring. This is a product you will
either love or hate. It replicates the look of wood in a wide array of
patterns and colors, at far lower cost and with less maintenance.
Don't confuse laminate flooring with its countertop cousin—the
flooring is far more scratch- and impact-resistant. The laminate
"sandwich" consists (from bottom to top) of a particleboard or
MDF backing, a paper pattern layer, then a super-tough melamine wear
layer on top. An installer rolls out a cushion of thin foam sheets right
over your existing floor, then glues the planks or tiles together to
form a "floating" floor.
Be sure your installer uses enough glue so that each seam squeezes
out a bit of excess glue. Once wiped away, the joint (and therefore your
floor) is nearly waterproof.
Laminate flooring for low-budget projects will include low-cost
material laid in an uncomplicated room, over a smooth floor. A
medium-range budget will afford moderate cost materials laid in an
irregularly shaped room, over an uneven floor. At the top of the line,
you'll be afforded borders and imitation inlays, even if laid over an
uneven floor.
Pre-finished wood
flooring goes down as fast as unfinished wood, but you can walk on it
and bring your furniture back in right away.
The cost of pre-finished materials is quite high, relative to natural
wood, but compare the installed prices. Look for solid wood strips or
planks, which can be refinished several times. You'll also find
manufactured composites: thin strips of pre-finished hardwood or pine
glued over plywood or particle board planks. These may be re-sanded once
or twice, depending on wear.
Wood parquet parquet tiles are often sold pre-finished and are
meant to be glued down, not nailed.
Pre-finished floors on a low budget will yield pine planks in a
simple room. In the middle range, you'll be able to get hardwood over an
uneven floor. And for a premium, expect solid hardwood with a border
around and intricate room shape.
The romantic warmth of traditional wood floors wins and holds the loyalty of many. If cared for properly, and refinished every 15-20 years, wood floors can easily last a lifetime. You should vacuum regularly, keep doormats at every entrance and wipe up spills promptly. For the people who love them, wood floors are worth the fuss. Unfinished floors take longer to complete than pre-finished floors. They can take about the same amount of time to install, but unfinished floors require careful sanding and several coats of finish—a demanding process that requires many days to complete.
There are several types of site-finished wood floors. Random plank flooring is sold in variable widths and lengths, some with interlocking tongue and groove edges. Look for square-edged planks rather than those with beveled edges that collect dirt. Strip flooring means narrow strips, up to 3-in wide, usually sold in random lengths. Strip flooring offers the widest selection of wood species.
Hardwoods
for flooring include oak, maple and birch. You'll find others in some
regions, too. Pine planks are the backbone of the country-style design,
but they're not nearly as durable as hardwood.
For durability and easy cleaning, finish your wood floor with
low-luster polyurethane. Oil finishes are easier to retouch, but don't
do as much to protect the wood from water and stains.
No matter what type of wood flooring you choose, the installer should
have it delivered and stored in the room about two weeks before
installation to give it time to adjust to your home's temperature and
humidity.
When it comes to pricing for site-finished wood floors you'll find
options at all price points. On a low budget you should be able to get
softwood flooring installed in a rectangular room. In the mid-range you
can find oak strips with a border. And if you've got a big budget expect
more exotic hardwood with a border around an intricate room shape.
Vinyl is the
least expensive flooring for kitchens and baths, and is widely used. A
wide variety of patterns, colors and textures is available, from solids
and speckles to imitation tile and brick.
You'll find vinyl available in sheets and tiles. Sheet vinyl is sold
in 6- and 12-foot wide rolls. Therefore many kitchens will have at least
one seam (the best seam seal is epoxy). Vinyl tiles, which are easier
for the amateur to install don't last as well as sheet vinyl, simply
because there are so many more seams. They do offer great design
choices, well beyond the obvious checkerboard.
When you're shopping for tile be aware of its traits. The wear
layer matters most. Urethane coatings are more scuff resistant than
vinyl. Whether the pattern layer is printed (rotogravure) or inlaid
makes little difference once the top layer is cut or worn through. No-wax
flooring holds its glossy shine for years. The better grades have
longer warranties, which cover loss of shine. Solid vinyl has
continuous color from top to bottom. This permits you to buff out flaws.
There is a myriad of patterns and textures available. When you make
your choice, consider that textured surfaces hide dents better than
slick ones. And mottled patterns hide dirt far better than solids.
Low budget for a vinyl floor will yield vinyl tiles or low-cost sheet
vinyl over solid subfloor. Mid-range pricing gets you better sheet goods
installed with a curved perimeter, even when the subfloor needs
patching. A high-end vinyl budget will get you premium vinyl in an
intricate room. The old flooring will be removed and the subfloor
repaired.
Kitchens and
baths are the most likely candidates for tile floors. Tile is
long-wearing and, if properly sealed, resist spills and stains well.
Tile is also great in entryways where muddy shoes and wet coats first
arrive. Go for non-slip tiles whenever possible.
There's such a wide selection of tile colors, sizes, shapes and
patterns that you should plan to spend plenty of time looking at
samples. In smaller rooms, avoid high contrast patterns and grout
colors. Contrast holds the eye and makes the room seem even smaller.
Before you get started it's essential that you have a solid subfloor.
This will keep tile and grout from cracking after it is set. From a
maintenance standpoint, it's important to make sure grout is well-sealed
- otherwise it will easily absorb water and stains. Epoxy grout forms
the best barrier against water and stains.
If you want to avoid cold feet, consider in-floor radiant heating
elements with a timed-control take the chill off.
Stone TileGranite and marble are both commonly available as floor tile. You'll also find limestone and slate, though these are harder to keep well-sealed. Avoid highly-polished stone because it's inevitably slippery when wet. A neutral, low contrast grout lets the stone shine without distraction.
A low-budget investment in stone tile will get you low-cost marble over cement board with thin set adhesive. If you go mid-range, you can expect granite tile over cement board. Remember, diagonal layouts require more cutting. And at the high end, there's granite tile set in a mortar bed with a border and insets.
Glazed, non-skid ceramic floor tiles come in the widest array of colors and patterns. Use 12-in. tile to limit the amount of grout required, and keep grout lines as narrow as possible. With a good subfloor and proper care, your floor could last a lifetime.
If you're shopping on a low budget, you'll be able to afford home center tile over cement board. Mid-range budgets will yield better tile over cement board. Remember, diagonal layouts require more cutting. At the high-end, expect imported tile set in a mortar bed with a border and insets, using epoxy grout.
The most rustic in style, also called quarry tiles, pavers are typically 8- or 12-inch squares or octagons. Unglazed pavers must be resealed every few years. Factory baked-on sealers speed installation, but still must eventually be renewed.
If you're pricing a low-budget job, you may get unglazed, machine-made tile. In the mid-range you may expect Mexican tile, laid with a border over cement board. And if money's no object, go for Italian pavers over a mortar bed, complete with border and a diagonal pattern.