Whether you’re just remodeling a bathroom or undergoing a complete home remodel, you’re likely replacing flooring. When you work with a design-build company, we can advise you based on your family, lifestyle and budget. However, knowing a bit about materials before we talk can be beneficial. Here are some things to think about regarding the most common flooring materials before you begin planning your kitchen, bath or home remodel.
Durability & Longevity
Both hardwood flooring and tile can last for 50 years or more; however, their durability differs greatly. If you have pets and small children, hardwood floors will scratch and dent where tile won’t. One of the more popular flooring materials today is luxury vinyl tile (LVT). It’s quite the upgrade from old vinyl flooring you may have now and can look like tile or hardwood. Consider your family and indoor activity levels. If you have pets or young kids who push cars and other toys, any wood material will become scratched sooner than LVT or tile.
Maintenance
One of the most common complaints about tile is the grout. No one likes to clean grout. There are a few ways to minimize the necessary maintenance with tile when it comes to grout. You can choose large-format tile which has fewer grout lines, ask the tile installers to put the tiles closer together to minimize the grout and/or choose a darker color grout.
LVT has the least maintenance of any flooring type as you don’t have to worry about spills and there is no special care necessary. With real hardwood or engineered flooring, you’ll eventually need to refinish it if you want it to continue looking great. The other wood flooring drawback is that you need to do everything you can to prevent standing water, even for a short time.
Resale
If you know that you’ll end up selling your home in the not-too-distant future, you might want to consider resale value in choosing the various elements of your home remodel. This goes for flooring too. Most buyers look for real hardwood flooring in living areas of the home. Most look at tile as ideal for the laundry room, mudroom and bathrooms.
Budget
Although most flooring comes in a fairly wide price range, real hardwood flooring is generally the most expensive. If you can’t stop thinking about the look of real hardwood but know it’s not going to fit within your budget, don’t overlook some of the other options. Some of today’s engineered wood, LVT and wood-look tile really do look like real wood.
How Can We Delight You Today?
Choosing the right flooring doesn’t have to be daunting. A design-build company like G.M. Roth Design Remodeling can help you understand the differences in the major flooring types and their pros and cons. We get to know our customers and their preferences and needs before we make a recommendation. No matter your home remodeling needs or where you are in southern New Hampshire or northern Massachusetts, we can help. Call us today at (603) 880-3761 or fill out our contact form for your free consultation in our showroom or your home.
