A Guide to Choosing the Right Flooring Materials

Flooring is one of the most expensive materials that you will have to buy when remodeling your kitchen, bathroom, or home. Luckily there are a lot of great flooring materials on the market today that make replacing your flooring more affordable and easier to do. However, before you buy your flooring you should learn about your options.

Carpet

The first flooring material that most people consider when remodeling their homes is carpeting. Today carpet comes in a wide variety of textures, depths, styles, and colors. Most carpets today also come pre-treated for stain resistance and wear resistance. Carpeting is a good option for dry areas of your home. Carpet comes in tiles and rolls. Carpet tiles are easy to install yourself and they don’t require tacking strips or padding. If you buy rolled carpet then you will most likely need to have it installed for you. Expect to pay an extra $1 or $2 per square foot for the installation of the carpet.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is a great option for wet areas of your home like bathrooms and kitchens. When vinyl flooring is properly installed it will stand up to occasional contact with water, and it will clean easily with soap and water. Vinyl flooring, like carpeting, comes in rolls and in tiles. Self-stick vinyl tiles are becoming very popular. They are generally priced between $.36 per square foot and $4 per square foot, depending on the quality and brand of the tile. Vinyl tiles are very easy to install, and if one is damaged you can replace it easily be peeling the damaged tile up from the floor and sticking a new one in its place. If you buy rolled vinyl then you will most likely need to have it installed for you, or have someone help you to install it.

Wood

Wood floors are making a come back. Today, most of the high end homes are having hard wood floors installed. Wood planks today usually come pre-finished and cut for snap together installation. These design updates make them much easier to install then they used to be. You should expect to pay about $4 per square foot for mid-line wood floor planks. In addition to the floor planks you will also need to budget for the underlayment your wood floors will need.

Laminate

Laminate flooring is a great way to get the look of more expensive materials like wood, at a reduce price. Laminate wood floors are also a great option for people who need a durable flooring material. Laminate flooring is designed to resist stains, water damage, and scratches. A mid line laminate flooring plank costs about $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot, however, you can find great deals on laminate floor planks by buying in larger lots. When you buy in lots you can usually find quality laminate flooring planks for about $1 to $1.50 per square foot.