How can I choose the right flooring for my home?

Choose the right flooring for your home

Let’s set the scene…

You’ve laid your eyes on the most amazing dream home and it is exactly what you wanted. You’ve never seen something like it and you’re having these visions of living in that dream home. But.., you don’t like the flooring in the kitchen, or perhaps the living room, or even the bathroom. This shouldn’t stop you going for your dream home, but it is something that can be easily managed with help from Flooring Direct! Below is a list of advice which should help you choose the right flooring for your home. It’s one of the most important decisions you will have to make.

Flooring is for the long-term

Almost all flooring is designed to last, and durability is an important factor when looking for all the right elements in your dream home. So, it is important to think about these questions:

Does it match your personal taste?

You’ll be seeing your carpet, laminate, or wooden flooring almost every day so it is important that you choose the right flooring. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Suitability is important, but so is your taste.

Fortunately for you, we have a huge selection of carpets, vinyl flooring, wooden flooring, and even engineered wooden flooring options just for you. At Flooring Direct, we want to point you in the right direction. Here’s a step by step process of what we would do…

What’s the first step to take?

So, we’ve discussed the importance of durability and personal taste when looking into what flooring would suit your dream home, but there are so many other things you need to look out for. Ask yourself which room you are looking to change or design. If it is the front room or the showroom, think about the amount of traffic that will be coming through that room and on the flooring, would carpet last? You’ll probably need a hard-wearing floor.

If it’s the bathroom that you’ve got a real issue with, then you’ll need to choose the right flooring specific for that room. With bathroom flooring often exposed to moisture due to condensation, you will have to identify the right flooring which is both waterproof, but also easy to clean. This could also apply to kitchen flooring if you are often in there and love to spill food and drink (there’s always one!). Here are some of the rooms that would require special attention so you can choose the right flooring.

Living Area Flooring

When you are looking to identify the right flooring for your living room, it is mostly about personal taste. This is where you and your visitors will spend most of their time, so it needs to look nice and to your personal taste.

It’s unlikely to experience a lot of moisture and condensation so it is mostly about personal taste. There is a wide range of options, all available at Flooring Direct, including carpet, laminate flooring and even wood flooring.

The one suggestion we would make is that you probably stay clear of vinyl flooring in the living room areas. Why? Because vinyl flooring can draw up moisture from the subfloor, making the room feel comfortable, but not always as cosy as you like, which is one of the key components of a living room.

Carpet can also match the whole house if that is what you want. It can be used from the living room to the stairs, to the landing and the bedroom, giving it a soft touch when you’re walking around the house. It is also known to make the room feel warmer and more comfortable underfoot, which is perfect for a good night’s sleep.

Choose the right flooring for your living room: Carpet, Laminate or Wood Flooring.

Avoid: Vinyl Flooring

What’s best for the kitchen?

Remember, if you are looking to do up your kitchen then there is one thing you need to remember… There will likely be a lot of people going in and out of the kitchen, regardless of how much you are cooking. Kitchens nowadays are often multi-purpose and double up as a congregational room, as well as somewhere to stick a television. The kitchen floor, therefore, needs to be durable, but it also needs to be easy to clean.

Premium quality vinyl flooring would be our first suggestion for you to take a look at. But remember, this is for the long term so you need to make sure like how it feels and looks. It has enough of a bounce to make it comfortable when you walk on it, but it also comes as a waterproof surface which is easily cleanable. What you will need is either a damp mop or a cloth, to keep the odd spillage of the floor. If we’ve not sold it enough yet… it is also resistant to scratches and dents. If you are prone to the occasional dropping of pots and pans, then Vinyl flooring from Flooring Direct should be able to handle it.

As we have discussed the importance of personal taste, we must mention that we offer a great assortment of vinyl flooring designs, which include a wood effect, tile effect and a marble look. Depending on your personal taste and room decor, you can choose the right flooring which suits your needs.

Good choice: Vinyl Flooring

Avoid: Carpet

Bathroom Flooring

Lastly, you will need to take a look at the bathroom. Your bathroom floor will often get wet with moisture and condensation, and also from when you are getting in and out of the shower or bathtub. Obviously, you can place bath mats around, but this won’t always stop the water. Flooring Direct believe there is only one type of flooring which would be right for your bathroom, and that is vinyl flooring.

Stay well clear of carpet. This is because mould spores live and breed in carpet, particularly if it is in the bathroom and bacteria will also often find its way. Moisture is one of the main reasons that stops people from being able to choose the flooring they want for their bathroom. Moisture will always find its way through the grooves and joints that come with laminate or wooden flooring. If it was down to us, vinyl flooring would be our suggestion for your bathroom.

Good choice: Vinyl Flooring

Avoid: Carpet, Laminate or Wood Flooring

Want to know a bit more about the maintenance of each flooring option so that you can see how much upkeep it would take for your perfect home? Take a look here at our flooring advice and inspiration guide.