Major Types of Flooring for Your Home

Are you in the market for flooring but confused by all of the options? What kind of flooring does well in wet areas? What’s the best type of flooring to have if you have pets?  Let’s examine the major types of flooring to learn the answers.

Hardwood

Hardwood is a very popular type of flooring because of its durability and beauty.  However, it has to be nailed to a subfloor so it usually is not used in Florida on first floors of homes. Varieties include oak, maple, hickory, Brazilian cherry, pecan, and black walnut. Some woods are harder than others and would be better used in a setting where durability is a must.  To find the hardness ranking of a wood, check out the Janka Hardness Scale the higher the ranking number, the harder the wood.

One of the reasons hardwood has grown in popularity is that it can be refinished many times over its lifespan.

Engineered Wood

Engineered wood consists of a top veneer of real wood backed by layers of plywood.  This construction makes this type of flooring more stable and resistant to changes in temperature and humidity, perfect for Florida homes.

Engineered wood can be nailed, glued, or installed as a floating floor over a cushioned pad. There are also self-locking planks that install without glues or nails. This type of wood is a good choice for kitchens and other living areas except bathrooms.

Laminate Flooring

You may have known this type of flooring as Pergo, when it first hit the flooring market.  However, laminate flooring has come a long way and offers a variety of styles, colors, and patterns. It’s similar to engineered wood in that a top wear layer is backed by layers of plywood or compressed fiber backing that is stable.  The main difference is that the top layer is not real wood but rather a plastic coating applied over a photograph! This photo-realism technology used creates look-alike finishes which mimic real wood, stone, ceramic tile, and stained concrete.

Most laminate comes in planks or tiles and is a floating-floor system so they can be installed directly over existing flooring with nails or glue.  A tear-out of the existing flooring is not necessary. If you have animals but want hardwood flooring, the laminate flooring will withstand scratches and give you the realistic look of wood.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring comes in sheets, tiles, or planks and is very flexible as well as slightly soft underfoot because of its layer of felt backing.  It’s realistic wood or tile look is amazing.  This type of flooring is very tough and virtually maintenance-free. It comes in an array of colors and patterns and is less expensive than the other types of flooring.

Ceramic Tile

Ceramic tile is made from a mixture of clay and shale, baked and hardened in a kiln. Dry pigments are added to the mixture which give the tile its earthy colors. When purchasing tile for your floors, it’s important to ensure that the tile is usable as a flooring application.

There are four types of ceramic tile:

• Glazed Ceramic – consists of a glasslike coating applied before firing which gives the tile a variety of colors and textures. This type of flooring is virtually maintenance-free.
• Quarry Unglazed Ceramic tile – has a slightly rough texture which offers better slip-resistance.
• Porcelain – fired at extremely high temperatures, this type of flooring is growing in popularity because of its durability.  It can even be used outside and comes glazed or unglazed. It also resists staining.
• Terracotta – is an unglazed tile with a rustic, earthy look.  It must be sealed from time to time to prevent staining.

Carpeting

Carpeting is versatile because it offers so many colors and textures. When purchasing carpeting, ask about the density of the fibers. The more fibers the carpeting contains per square foot, the more durable the carpeting. You should also look at the carpet durability rating on its label.  The ratings are from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.  A durability rating of 3-4 is normal

Carpeting comes in five types of fiber:

• Wool –  a natural fiber, is the highest quality and generally the most expensive. It has the best feel against hands and bare feet.  Furthermore, it is resistant to moisture and stains.
• Nylon – a synthetic fiber, is a very popular choice because of its exceptionally strong durability and resistance to wear. If you purchase nylon carpeting, make sure you have it treated for static electricity.
• Acrylic –a synthetic fiber, has physical properties similar to wool.  It resists wear, crushing, and mildew.
• Polyester – a synthetic fiber, comes in a variety of bright colors and is highly resistant to moisture.  However, stains on this type of carpeting are difficult to remove.
• Polypropylene Olefin – is a great indoor/outdoor product because it is extremely resistant to moisture and mildew.

We hope these helpful truths about the major types of flooring have given you some insight into the best flooring product for your home.  If you need additional help selecting flooring for your home, please contact us at 904- 625-2214. We have budget-conscious flooring suppliers that we deal with regularly and have helped many homeowners throughout the Jacksonville/St. Augustine areas.

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Interiors Revitalized is a full-service home staging, model home merchandising, and interior design firm located in Jacksonville Florida.  In addition to Jacksonville, we serve the St. Johns, St. Augustine, Orange Park, Fleming Island, and Fernandina Beach areas. Contact us today at 904.625.2214 to discuss your home staging or interior design project.  We’ll make that first offer your best offer!

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