Flooring that suits your lifestyle
Are you a growing family, on your own or a couple?
Do you entertain alot? Are you planning to move in the near future
or putting down roots? Do you have the time and inclination to
vacuum often or is the broom your best friend? Do you have
pets? (In a tank or fur-bearing? Bigger than a guinea-pig? Do
they get the run of the house? Indoors, outdoors or
both?) The answers to these questions will give you a sense
of what flooring is suited to your needs. Consider the following
pros and cons.
Carpet
Carpet is warm, comfortable and cushy, usually
well-warrantied and stain resistant. A lower grade will show
stains, wear and tear quicker than a higher quality grade,
and Berber makes a great choice for kids and pets.
Regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning will keep your carpet in good
shape but here I have to admit to a personal bias. Vacuuming
is not my hobby and I've yet to meet a rug that stands up well
over time to furballs, pet hair and pet odours. (Though I do
recommend the industrial wet/dry shop-vac if you have dogs--we
had 3.) Recommended brands--Richmond, Shaw, Coronet, National. For
stain resistance, look for the Stainmaster Seal.
Vinyl
Vinyl makes a practical cushioned floor for a
bathroom, hallway or kitchen. It doesn't hold odour and it's easy
to clean. It comes in a huge variety of patterns and looks,
mimicing ceramic and even hardwood. While vinyl is
surprisingly durable, with the current trends towards hard-surface
flooring few choose it for a family or living room. We inherited
vinyl tile flooring in our living area and it made a
good-looking, resilient covering for several years. Recommended
brands--Armstrong, Tarkett.
Laminate
Laminate is a hugely practical, popular flooring
choice. Plank flooring comes in every colour, pattern and finish
imaginable--your floor can look like bamboo, heritage oak or highly
polished hardwood. Ceramic and cork are also available on
a laminate tile tongue and groove backing for ease of
installation. Durable, easy to clean, scratch and stain
resistant, laminate can chip if heavy objects are dropped with a
lot of force. Mop up spills right away--laminate does not do
well in the wet. Recommended brands--Pergo, Laurentian,
Armstrong, Wicanders. If you're thinking of laying laminate
yourself, consider purchasing the video Installing
Laminate Flooring; it shows you everything you need to
know.
Ceramic Tile
Ceramic tile makes a beautiful, practical
choice. Available in a variety of tile sizes for floors, detail
work and backsplashes. Ceramic is breakable and it isn't
cushy underfoot--if you put it in the kitchen, use
a non-slip mat in the standing area. Recommended
brands--Casa Roma, Centura, Olympia Tile.
Hardwood
Hardwood is a classic flooring favourite. If
you're concerned about scratches and markings go with a harder
hardwood--oak, maple, cherry or bamboo. Eventually all hardwoods
will mark, but marks are a characterisitic of wood and floors can
always be refinished. The variation in pattern and colour
that natural hardwood provides is timeless. Recommended
brands--Bruce, Laurentian.
Something
green? Bamboo hardwood is harvested from the
bark of the tree, which replenishes in about 5 years. It takes 23
years to replace a mature oak tree--and bamboo is 23% harder than
oak.
Room Use, Traffic
Patterns, Taste
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© Copyright, Marion Taylor,
2008 |
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Taylor's Custom Flooring