When decorating or re-decorating a home, flooring is one of the most vital decisions to be made.  Flooring is one of the most expensive sides of any decorating, re-decorating, and building project.  It is meant to last a very long time, so it’s imperative to make good calls the 1st time around.  What are some available flooring options, and what are the good points and bad points of those choices?  Keep reading for some valuable info which will aid anyone in making smart choices about their floors. 

One highly preferred choice these days is hardwood flooring.  Hardwood is lovely and durable, lasting generations if it is’s properly cared for.  With a wide variety of styles and finishes, hardwood can be a perfect choice for nearly any room.  On the negative side, it is costly.  Exotic hardwoods are maybe the most expensive flooring choices on the market.  Installation is labor intensive, which adds to the already high cost.  Additionally, hardwood must be properly cared for in order to be really enjoyed as intended.  Moisture is the enemy of hardwood, and most hardwood floors also have to be refinished every so often.  It’s best to have a professional take care of this.

Adding to the expense of hardwood is the proven fact that most people use it together with area rugs.  However, this mix is a tested winner, for many reasons.  Area rugs give the warmth and comfort of carpet, which hardwood lacks, and they can be relatively inexpensive compared to carpeting a complete room.  Area rugs provide the opportunity to make a statement with flooring that carpet doesn’t permit, because they are smaller and can simply be changed.  Area rugs are quite useful ; even in a carpeted room, they serve to add color and outline separate areas of the room such as conversation areas and TV areas, for example. 

In rooms where hardwood and carpet are not options, for example bathrooms and laundry rooms, a preferred debate goes on between two decisions, vinyl and ceramic tile.  Each has it’s negative and positive qualities.  Ceramic is more expensive, but is also more durable.  Vinyl, while significantly less expensive, tends to discolor simply, and if not installed properly, it can roll at the edges, leaving a very disheveled appearance.  Ceramic can also feel really cold underfoot, particularly during winter.  Technology has come a good distance in making vinyl flooring look more like ceramic tile, and in a few cases, the difference isn’t immediately conspicuous without a closer inspection. 

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Tags: area rugs, carpet, decorating, floor, flooring, hardwood flooring, home decor, Home Improvement, interior design, laminate flooring, rugs, shopping