Tips You Need When Choosing Flooring for Your Apartment
February 20, 2020Apartment living can get tricky especially with flooring. You need to choose the right material, making sure it is durable because problems with wear and tear can be a big headache. Here are helpful tips in choosing flooring for your apartment.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Flooring
Essential things to consider before buying anything for your floors are durability, design, and the function of the space or room. Choosing durable materials will save you a lot of time and money. After all, no one wants to constantly replace the flooring, so be sure of the durability of your choice. As to the design of the flooring, it is always good to keep things neutral. Try as much as possible to pick materials and colors that will appeal to everyone who is living at home, not to mention designs that are easy to match interiors with. And of course, it is most important to think of the function of the room you will be putting floorings in. There is a specific type of flooring for each room. For example, carpets should not be placed in rooms with moisture and humidity like the bathrooms and basements
7 Types of Flooring for Every Room in your Apartment
As mentioned earlier, the decision you make on the type of flooring for the rooms in your apartment should be based on what the room will be used for. Carpets, for example, are good insulators and help cut down on energy bills. It is effective in reducing noise because it is made of thick fibers. So, this type of flooring is good for bedrooms and second floors. The only thing you need to watch out for with carpets is that it stains easily, it is difficult to clean and it traps odors and allergens. Avoid putting carpets on common areas, hallways, the kitchen, entryways, bathrooms, and basements.
Tile, whether it is made of ceramic porcelain or stone, is a hard material. It is cut into pieces and installed over a cement board. Any spaced between the tiles are filled using grout. A tile surface is durable, water-resistant, and easy to clean. Use tiles on the floors of your basements, bathrooms, humid climates, kitchens, and common areas. Know, though, that tiles are not good insulators and they can crack or come up. Please cleaning grout can be fussy.
Hardwood that is solid and engineered is made from different species of wood. These are cut into planks and nailed over a subfloor. This type of flooring can last a lifetime. It is easy to clean and since it is engineered, it does not react to changes in moisture. The downside of hardwood is that this material can be quite expensive and that it easily scratches and dents. I can also be susceptible to water damage. The best places to use hardwood flooring are in bedrooms, dining and living rooms, and the home office. Avoid hardwood floors in bathrooms, kitchens, and basements.
Laminate, a synthetic flooring material, is also installed over a sub-floor by clicking or gluing planks together. Laminate flooring is good for bedrooms, dining rooms, living rooms, and the office. This material is more affordable and easier to install when compared to hardwood. It is also resistant to scratches. The downside? It cannot be refinished and it has a shorter lifespan than hardwood.
Vinyl is another type of synthetic flooring material that can either be glued down to an existing floor or installed as a floating floor by clicking planks together. Vinyl is generally inexpensive, easy to clean and install, and water-resistant. The problem is it is not very durable and can rip and tear easily. Once moisture gets underneath, mold and mildew can be a problem. You can use vinyl in bathrooms and kitchens but not really in dining areas, bedrooms, and living rooms.
Cork is made from the bark of a cork oak tree. This type of flooring is glued to the sub-floor or glued to each other. If you’re for green living, cork is the best option. It is affordable and reduces noise. The problem with cork, on the other hand, is it is also susceptible to water damage and should be sealed. It is also not durable. Cork flooring is good to use for kitchens but avoid installing them in areas of high traffic and rooms with heavy furniture.
Finally, linoleum puts together materials like linseed oil and calcium carbonate. It comes in sheets and should be glued to a sub-floor. Linoleum is also eco-friendly. It is, however, very prone to tears and dents which is why they aren’t usually used in living rooms or bedrooms. Linoleum, instead, is good to put in kitchens and dining rooms.
Again, when it comes to flooring, think of what your rooms would need so you can choose accordingly.
