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Criteria for Choosing a Floor Covering Type

Floor coverings are an integral part of any interior design. They interact with other design elements of the room and have a great influence on the way your home interior look like. Hardwood, laminate, ceramic tiles, carpet, vinyl, concrete, linoleum, palm, cork or bamboo flooring … which floor covering is most suite and what are the criteria for choosing the best floor covering for your home?

Here is a List of Criteria for Choosing a Floor Covering Type

1. Carpet Floor Coverings

Soft, flexible floor covering offering comfort in bedrooms, family rooms, and hallways
Choose a wall-to-wall carpet for a sleek and comfortable look
Select a lighter color to focus attention of furniture
Use a monochromatic theme to make the room appear larger
A small amount of texture will enhance the visual aspect of the floor
Stripes of variable width will make a bold and less predictable design
Warm tans and cool whites will balance cleanliness and comfort
Use a soft carpet for additional comfort and sound-absorbing
Is the most warmer and softer floor covering
Much quieter than any other kind of floors
Economical floor covering in terms of cost per square foot and installation
Typically made from synthetic fibers bonded to a mesh backing
More expensive carpets are made from natural fibers such as wool
Installing carpet require some specialized tools and skills
No very durable in comparison with other floor covering types
Carpet may not be as trendy as hardwood floors
Carpets come in rolls or squares and are easy to install

2. Ceramic Tile Floors

Ceramic tiles are a hard, durable and versatile floor covering available in wide variety of sizes, patterns, shapes and colors
Can exude refinement and elegance by setting the tone of the room
Can be the focal point of the room
Can be simple in its neutral color and pattern and allow for multiple room styles over decades
Laid on diagonal ceramic tiles widen a long and narrow room
Hexagon tiles allow for eye-catching designs
Use tiles with rough edges to give character to your floor covering
Monotone color schemes are perfect for small spaces like bathrooms
Use rows with the same width but different individual tiles in each row to get an interesting regular and random effect
Use limestone and glass for a sophisticated and calm atmosphere
Excellent for high moisture and/or high traffic areas
Available in unglazed quarry tiles, glazed ceramic tiles, porcelain mosaic tiles, or natural stone tiles such as marble, slate or granite
Ceramic tiles are durable and scratch, fire and water resistant
More expensive than other types of floor coverings
Offering the greatest design flexibility
Ceramic tile may not work well in some rooms

3. Wood Floors

Hardwood is one of the most popular floor covering option
Warm and elegant, suitable for dining rooms, living rooms and entry ways
Natural warmth and comfort, do not compete with other decorations in the room
Use two different woods to create an appealing boarder around the room
Use area rugs to enhance the look of the room
Available in traditional solid wood planks, plywood backed wood planks, or laminated or engineered wood
Available in narrow strips, medium strip, long strip, regular plank, wide planks and parquet squares
Pre-finished or unfinished hardwood floors are also available
Use palm, cork or bamboo flooring as alternative - these options are easy to install and ecologically friendly
Available in high quality and relatively large variety of finishes
Elegance of this type of flooring will add character to any room in your home
Installation is relatively simple and can be glue down, nailed down or floating
Hardwood floors can be installed over almost any type of sub-flooring

4. Laminated Floors

Laminate floor covering offers similar appearance to hardwood at reasonable costs
Excellent alternative to hardwood if traffic and cost are of concern
Typically installed over a foam underlayment
Suitable for high traffic areas
Installation and replacement is easy - most brands snaps together while some must be glued onto underlayment
Laminate floors are fade and stain resistant
Very high quality laminate floor coverings are available
Best laminate floors are imports from Europe
Not as durable as the hardwood floors
Laminate floors are easy to install - typically installed as floating floors
Laminate floors are are incredibly durable and very easy to clean

5. Vinyl Floors

A single color washed over the floor, walls and home accessories will generate a cool and smooth surface
More than two colors alternating in irregular pattern will give the room a casual feel
Use vinyl tiles that look like ceramic, if ceramic does not feel good under your feet
Use several subdued colors for a contemporary look or dark separation borders for a dramatic vinyl floor
To bring the spaces together, the dividing lines must not correspond exactly with the room transitions
Versatile and flexible surface most often used in kitchen and baths
Available in all sorts of stylish colors and patterns
Can look like ceramic tiles, hardwood or stone
Relatively easy installation - must be glued to underlayment
Not recommended for high moisture areas if the floor covering will have lots of seems
Relatively easy to maintain

6. Concrete Floors

Concrete floors can be both beautiful and durable
Can be dyed to create the look of ceramic, stone or even marble
Cement floors do not absorb well sounds
Add soft furniture and luxuriant window coverings to absorb more sound
A concrete floor offers numerous options for interior rooms including nearly limitless designs and colors
Cement floors can be acid-stained, painted, and uniquely designed by applying cuts, textures, patterns, overlays, or micro-toppings
Concrete floors can be naturally colored so that it blends seamlessly with other elements in a room
Easy to change - just place hardwood, ceramic or carpet on top of the concrete slab
Extremely suitable in regions with lots of sand or snow
Cement floor are a good alternative to carpet for people with asthma or other allergies
Concrete floor are extremely easy to maintain

7. Ecologically Friendly Floors for the Ecologically Conscious

Use limestone or tumbled slate as great alternative to ceramic or vinyl for bathrooms
Wool carpets are ecological alternatives to traditional petroleum-based carpets
Carpet squares made from recycled soften hard surfaces and scrap rubber can be used as alternative floor coverings
Palm, cork or bamboo flooring are natural alternatives to hardwood flooring
Tiles made of recycled glass, aluminum or brass prevent such materials to end up in landfills
Linoleum is a renewable material and the best available alternative to vinyl