...Flooring Choices--How Do You Decide?

By Marion Taylor

Flooring that fits your room use and traffic patterns

What room are you updating with a new floor? How do you use the space and who uses it most? Does your family spend a lot of time there or is it a high-traffic, pass-through area? High-traffic pass-throughs show wear more quickly so invest in a quality floor cover with a good warranty. While there are no hard and fast rules, the following is a list of common choices by area:

Bathroom - vinyl, ceramic, laminate
Kitchen - vinyl, ceramic
Living Room - carpet, laminate, hardwood
Family Room/basement/games room - carpet, laminate, hardwood
Study - carpet, laminate, hardwood
Bedroom - carpet, laminate, hardwood
Hall - carpet, vinyl, laminate, hardwood
Entrances - ceramic, vinyl, laminate
Stairs - carpet, laminate, hardwood

There's no accounting for taste

Taste is the indefinable element that often overrides every other consideration. Unless you're moving, you'll live with your choice for a long time so you'd better love it. Limit the number of people involved in making the final decision to two, and then figure out which options you both like. Be prepared: the person with more passion for style, color and fashion sways the vote. In our household when we find something we both love we buy it--that's why we're finally trading in the vinyl tiles for bamboo hardwood! (That is, after the requisite paint and trim updates are complete. Yours truly is having too much fun painting out the old floor along with the walls!)

 

 

© Copyright, Marion Taylor, 2008