Flooring sets the tone for the look and feel of a room. But beyond appearance, the choice of a certain flooring material should be based on how a room is used. Flooring materials are more varied than ever before, offering a combination of fashion and function. But all those attractive new options might leave you feeling a little confused about what best suits your needs. Before buying flooring, take detailed measurements of the room and create a scale drawing, if possible.

TYPES OF FLOORING

Hardwood floors suggest warmth and richness. With proper care, hardwood rarely needs replacing, and actually increases in beauty over time. The most common and desired hardwood species is oak because its relatively neutral color goes well with most decors. Installing a wood floor can be a larger investment than other flooring options. With proper care, a quality wood floor lasts the life of the house and adds to resale value. Bamboo flooring is available as planks and engineered flooring composed of laminated strips. Installing a new bamboo floor if taken in steps with the proper preparation is a reasonable project for the average do-it-yourselfer.

Laminate flooring is a laminate flooring material made to look like natural products such as wood flooring or natural stone, but yet are made up of either synthetic materials (usually melamine resin) or of synthetic materials combined with natural and recycled ingredients.

Ceramic tile is a great flooring material and is tough, comfortable underfoot, easy to clean and maintain, slip-resistant, durable, with anti-fatigue backing. These tiles create an attractive uniform surface and will stand up to the level of foot traffic that makes them a practical addition to your interiors as well as decorative ones.

Cork flooring ensures the noise reduction; the cellular structure makes the floor comfortable and reduces the noise and vibration. Cork is harvested from the bark of cork trees, without felling the trees themselves, making it a truly renewable resource. Cork provides durable and attractive floor finish which will maintain its original appearance for years.

WOOD FLOOR MAINTENANCE

• Every floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface.

• Cleats, sports shoes and high heels can dent any floor surface.

• Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of the furniture.

• Wipe up food and other spills immediately with a dry or slightly dampened towel (wipe dry).

• For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink to catch sink splashes and cut down on wear.

Before choosing a particular type of floor for your home, check out the various options available to you and choose the one that best serves your purpose and is budget friendly too.

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