Popular flooring options
While it's fun choosing flooring for your home based on aesthetics, you'll also want to consider things like budget, durability, who will be doing the installation, and how much maintenance will be required over time. To get you started here are some of the most popular flooring options, and what makes them perfect - or not so great - for your new build.
NATURAL WOOD: There's not denying the allure of a wood floor. Natural wood adds instant character and charm, warmth and ambience in spades.
Pros: Hardwood floors are highly coveted, so are likely to add value to your home. This long-lasting flooring will withstand up to five refinishes to remove scratches.
Cons: Wood is prone to scratches, dents and water damage, and may have to be refinished every three to five years, which can be costly.
ENGINEERED WOOD: Engineered wood is created to give you the beauty of a hardwood floor, with a more dimensionally stable product..
Pros: They're less likely to expand or contract with temperature changes or those humidity fluctuations our temperature is known for. The stability of engineered flooring makes it a perfect choice over underfloor heating, and it's easier to lay than solid wood flooring.
Cons: Having a thinner top layer, these wont' handle refinishing as well, or as often, as hardwood.
LAMINATE: With its lower price point, laminate is fast becoming a very popular flooring choice. Laminate is made by using plywood or compressed fibre, which is then sealed with a thin veneer. And it's not just wood that laminate can emulate. Manufacturers are able to achieve a wide range of looks with this flooring option, including tile and stone.
Pros: Laminate is relatively inexpensive to buy and have professionally installed. It can give the appearance of a wide range of flooring options. It's durable, and more resistant than many other materials to wear and tear.
Cons: The plywood used to make laminate flooring is prone to water damage. It's hard to repair and you're likely to have to completely replace the laminate in an area with standing water.
CARPET: With so many textures, styles and colours - and that plush feeling underfoot when you get out of bed - carpet is used in most homes. Carpet's durablitity depends on the density of the material you choose, and more dense carpets will stand up to use for longer. That plush, full feeling comes from having a great underlay, so make sure you invest in that.
Cons: Carpet requires maintenance, as dirt and debris can get trapped in its fibers and build up over time. Regular
deep cleanings are especially important if you have allergies, since carpet has a way of grabbing and holding on to allergens floating in the air.
VINYL: This multi-layered synthetic flooring typically comes in planks, tiles or sheets to be assembled. A core layer, potentially with an underlay or backing, makes up the bulk of the floor. Over this is an image layer, which can mimic a multitude of materials including wood and ceramic. A top wear layer of varying thickness protects the sublayers from damage.
Pros: The most affordable flooring option, vinyl is also easy to install for DIYers.
Cons: Since vinyl flooring consists of a single wear layer over the design layer, it can't be refininished and will need to be replaced.
CONCRETE: Concrete has been doing loyal service as flooring in workshops and garages for a long time, but it's growing in popularity for striking interiors too. Adding dyes as the wet concrete is being mixed produces concrete in a wonderful range of earthy colours. Concrete can be polished, etched or stained for different looks - whether your'e going for bold and striking, sleek and minimalist, or industrial chic.
Pros: Concrete is relatively inexpensive and durable. It takes wear and tear well and is easy to maintain. Concrete does not deplete natural resources, requires less energy than other floor types to produce and is poured locally. It inhibits mould, mildew and odours, so is good for indoor air quality. Concrete's absorption of warm and cool air minimises the need for heating and cooling. There's little need for discarding waste, like scraps of flooring and underlay.
Cons: Concrete can feel quite hard and cold underfoot. It also tends to be slippery and susceptible to moisture.