Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers

Selecting Flooring

Floors form the foundation of your home. Your selection of flooring is based on the style and function of the room. Choices are abundant and come in many colors, textures, and materials. Selections include:

Hardwood floors in plank or parquet
Tile in ceramic, stone, marble, terra-cotta, and slate Vinyl flooring in sheet goods or 12 in. by 12 in. squares

Before selecting a flooring, consider the use of the room. For example, you may want a tile or vinyl flooring for high-traffic areas like an entryway, kitchen, or bathroom. You will want the most durable material that requires little maintenance at an affordable price.

Basics of Hardwood Floors
Hardwood flooring comes in a variety of woods that add unmatched natural beauty to any living area. Wooden floors offer warmth and character to all decors. They are durable and come in any number of wood types and finishes. Many are stained and sealed with a clear hard urethane in matte or gloss finish. Other finishing choices include stained, bleached, or painted.

Wooden floor boards come in various sizes, but the standard is a 2.5 inch strip or plank with a tongue and groove edge to ease installation. The types of wood available include oak, mahogany, maple, walnut, pine, cherry, beech, and ash.

Parquet flooring are squares made from short pieces wood that are glued together create a pattern in various tones. Standard size is 12 in. by 12 in. squares. Parquet flooring adds visual texture and polish to an area.

Hardwood floors are a great choice for all decorating styles. Light oak compliments a country decor, dark, high-gloss walnut or cherry works well with a light and airy modern interior, and knotty pine planks are great with casual furnishings.

Tip: If you plan to install wood flooring in a room, be sure to consider surrounding areas. If you plan to expand the flooring beyond the one room, you will want to do all of the areas at the same time to ensure a consistent finish and look.

Tile Floors
Tile flooring offers beauty to a room along with durability and minimal upkeep. Tile comes in many different materials including marble, ceramic, slate, terra-cotta, and stone. Striking patterns can be created on the floor determined by tile type and layout. For example, marble tile in contrasting colors provide a bold statement of luxury.

Types of Tile

  • Ceramic tile is one of the most versatile and popular floorings options. It is made form fire-hardened clay that is usually glazed making the surface stain resistant. It is an ideal choice for baths and kittens because it resists moisture and can be cleaned easily. Ceramic tile comes in numerous colors and hues to fit any decor.

  • Quarry tile is fired clay that usually comes in earthtones like terra cotta. Its natural-looking stone quality is ideal for informal decors.

  • Mosaic tile are small squares that are attached to a grid for installation. They come in many colors and are made of glazed or unglazed clay or glass.

Tip: When selecting a tile type, remember that glazed tile with glossy finishes can be slippery when wet.

Vinyl Flooring Basics
There are two types of resilient flooring: sheet vinyl that is sold in rolls of 6 ft., 9 ft., or 12 ft. widths and individual square tiles that are generally 12 in. square. Both types are good choices for installation over any type of flooring including basements.

Sheet vinyls are more expensive than the same quality in tiles, but come in a wider range of colors and designs and provide the advantage of seamless construction. Inlaid vinyls is the best sheet flooring that you can buy because it is constructed of solid vinyl that is layers of vinyl granules that are fused and built up to make it thick and highly wearable. The other type of sheet flooring is rotovinyl that is constructed by using photography of the floor design, such as stone or brick, and layers of clear vinyl on top. The thickness of the top layers determine wearability. Consider a thickness of between 10 mils to a maximum of 25 mils for true durability.

Vinyl tiles offer flexibility for creating geometric floor designs. Tiles are also easy to install because they are light weight and maneuverable for cutting and fitting.

Written by the editors of HouseNet.
Copyright HouseNet, Inc.

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