Choosing flooring for your
home is a very personal choice. Whether you are planning a renovation of your
existing home, or you need to decide on flooring for your newly built home, the
choices are plenty! Manypeople are going with tile and wood floors in their
homes nowadays. What caused this trend is uncertain, but possibly it is the
ease of cleaning these materials, and keeping them clean. Possibly it is
because carpet can harbour odor, stains, and dust mites. Whatever the reason,
more and more people are choosing to go with natural stone, ceramic or wood
flooring in their homes.
There are several types of
tile floors to choose from. A common choice is natural stone flooring, such as
granite, marble, slate or limestone. Another type of
tile flooring is ceramic or porcelain tiles. You could go with wood
flooring, of which there are numerous varieties, as well as laminate or vinyl
flooring. With so many choices, how do you know which is right for you?
First you need to decide on a
budget. While
natural stone is the most unique and beautiful of these choices, it is also up there in
the more expensive finishes. With that said, it also retains its value and shows
a return on investment in the resale of your home.
Wood flooring is in the same
neighbourhood budget wise, and although it is equally beautiful, it isn't a
practical choice for every room of your home.
Some tastes may suggest laying wood flooring throughout the entire home,
however most people choose a mixture of tile in some areas and wood in others.
That being said, the next
material to consider is ceramic or porcelain tiles. These tiles offer a similar
look to natural stone, with a more budget friendly price point, however they
are not as durable as their much nicer looking natural stone counterpart.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles can and do crack and break if heavy objects are
dropped on them. For instance, a large soup can falling accidentally out of
your cupboard can cause unsightly and expensive damage to your ceramic or
porcelain tiles, while your natural stone tiles may get a small scratch if
anything at all. Ceramic and porcelain also don't hold the same value from an
investment standpoint. Lets face it, you get what you pay for. Most home buyers
will choose the home with the beautiful marble entryway over the one with the
ceramic more often than not.
That leaves us only with
laminate, and vinyl flooring. While these options can help a tired looking home
take on a fresh new look, and they are definitely the cheapest of all the
finishes, they are also the least desirable from a resale standpoint. You might
not be considering ever selling your home, and feel that the cheaper update is
the best option for you, but when years down the road you find yourself
selling, you might look back and wish you had spent a little to make a lot
more.
Whatever choice you make, be
sure to know all the cost associated with the material you choose, as well as
maintenance and the future value.
Natural
stone floors have stood the test of
time in value, durability, maintenace, and definitely beauty.