In search of the best flooring option

With so many options to choose from, installing flooring is a difficult decision to make, but one best left to the homeowner. The flooring you select for a home not only reflects your personal taste, it will also tie in with your style of decor and your way of life.

 

tilesandvinylflooring.co.za

In the process of trying to decide what flooring would be best for my lounge, I realised how many factors have to be taken into consideration.

Light or dark
The space does not receive a lot of natural light and is a fairly dark space, which means dark flooring would contribute to making the space seem even darker. From an asthetic point of view, I prefer a darker flooring option.

Hard or soft
I love the feel of carpet underfoot but have a family that rarely wipes their feet when they enter. There are also three small dogs to consider. While eating bones and treats is definitely for outdoors, they continue to try their luck and will often sneak bones into the lounge. Laminate flooring is definitely not an option. My experience has shown that this type of flooring option is easily scratched and scuffed. Even the harder-surface bamboo flooring in my bathroom is susceptible to the occasional scratch here and there.

sadecor.co.za

It really isn't easy trying to decide what flooring to put down and I sympathise with anyone trying to make a similar choice. Hardwood floors look gorgeous but the cost is prohibitive for many homeowners. Using reclaimed timber, however, is a more affordable option - if you can find enough timber for the entire room.

3dworldoffloors.co.za

I love the look and feel of laminate wood floors. They are also cool and soft underfoot and really aren't hard to keep clean - a quick wipe with a floor duster is all they need. But it's best to keep this type of flooring for a home that doesn't have pets, or small children who love to drag their toys around.

topfloorsonline.co.za

 

 

Most of my home is tiled with natural slate tiles and the bathrooms are finished with ceramic tile. While tile offers a wide choice of finishes they are cold underfoot. For the living space I would prefer a flooring option that is warmer and softer.

sadecor.co.za

One product that I think deserves more consideration is the new luxury vinyl plank from Belgotex. Having previously seen samples of this product I like the look and feel of vinyl planks, which are textured to resemble the real thing. Vinyl floors, as opposed to laminate floors, won't scratch easily and are definitely low maintenance.

Luxury vinyl flooring holds up to the rigours of daily household traffic much better than stone, ceramic or hardwood and its durable construction includes a protective wear layer that resists scuffs, scratches, wear, tears and gouges . Natural flooring, such as tile, stone and wood, are hard, cold and not nearly as durable - they easily scratch, crack and scuff and are not easy to repair.

Although I haven't fully made up my mind, I'm definitely going to look at the vinyl plank option. Once the carpet is removed I will lay plywood board over the concrete floor, to provide a barrier and soften the floor before laying the vinyl plank tiles.