Whether you realize it or not the floors in your home make a huge impact on your life. They can make the difference between a dark and dingy space or a light and airy room. Floors can help control noise levels and temperature. The type of floors you have can even save you time and money when it comes to cleaning, maintenance, and return on your investment. Face it, the floor you stand on is a big deal, so let’s see if your floors fit your life.
Carpet
Wall to wall carpeting remains the most popular floor covering in the United States, and for good reason. To have soft carpets under your bare feet as you walk around the house is an often-unnoticed luxury. Carpets literally and figuratively warm up a room, plus they are the best choice for absorbing noise and echo. With more options to choose from than any other floor covering, you are sure to find a style that is right for you. Common styles include textured, frieze, cable, looped, and cut and loop. New styles and textures make it easy to blend carpets in with any home decor. The down side is that carpets tend to be hard to keep clean and can be a poor choice for high traffic areas, families, and pet owners. The wear and tear these homeowners can potentially put on carpeted floors can leave permanent stains and odors that can only be solved by replacing the floors.
Linoleum, Marmoleum, and Laminate
Linoleum is an extremely durable, low-maintenance flooring that comes in many patterns and colors. It is available in sheets or more intricate cuts and because of the wide variety of styles and options, linoleum can complement almost any home. This flooring material is often confused with some similar materials like marmoleum. This all-natural and renewable resource is composed of recycled materials that are beneficial to the environment. Unlike linoleum, marmoleum resists dust and dirt and has no strong odors. This makes it an excellent allergen-free choice for the home. Laminate is another material that is often confused with linoleum because it can duplicate the look of hardwood, natural stone and many other types of flooring. Laminate makes a great low budget option for those who still desire an upscale look. It will however wear out more quickly than linoleum so be cautious of those high traffic areas when deciding to go with laminate floors.
Tile
Tile can be the most durable option of any floor covering. The most common tiles for homes are ceramic tiles which come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, finishes and colors. This limitless variety make this type of flooring easily compatible with almost any design style. Another benefit of ceramic floor tile is that it’s finished with a durable glaze which makes the floor water-resistant and easy to clean. Natural stone tile is another popular choice. No two tiles are the same, and they come in a wide array of choices, including granite, slate, marble, travertine, limestone and onyx. The natural stone can create a timeless and organic beauty that adds a rich and luxurious feel to any home. Although stone tile adds value and doesn’t go out of style, it can have the opposite effect of carpet, making rooms look and feel cold.
Wood
Wood is an elegant flooring option that adds depth, character, and value to the home. There is a wide variety of choices including red and white oak, maple, cherry, white ash and hickory. Hardwood floors can be tailored to fit anyone’s individual taste. Since hardwood floors are the most expensive option, there are many cheaper engineered wood floor options available.
Similar in appearance to hardwood floors, engineered hardwood is composed of a core of hardwood, plywood or high-density fiberboard and a top layer of hardwood veneer that’s available in almost any variety. In fact, engineered wood floors can outperform solid wood floors in areas beyond price, like water and moisture resistance. This makes them a great choice and a good value when trying to choose what floor is best for you.
So, if it is time to change your floors or you feel the need to switch to a floor style that better fits your life, why not switch houses instead? This is not as crazy as it seems when you consider all the expenses and disruptions to your home that replacing the floors entails. We are Gulf State Homebuyers and we can buy your home with its old floors, in as-is condition for all cash. Quick, easy and competitively priced, we can help you get into the home with the right floors in no time.
