Determining where,when and what kind of flooring to install. With all the choices out there today, it can be confusing to pick the right one. Lets start with some basics of what a floor is.
Most floors start as either concrete (slab foundation) or wood (raised foundation) with a crawl space underneath. Wooden slats running along the raised foundations joists, usually at an angle, giving the structure a substrate for adding the finished flooring to. In either case, the plumbing and electrical are embedded in the concrete or run underneath the structure (raised foundation) to come up into the walls to facilitate the fixtures and appliances.
When determining what type of finished flooring you may want, you should take into a few considerations:
- What is the climate in your area
- Will certain parts of the home be for children or pets
- Do you want to add a heated floor (usually for bathrooms)
- What parts of the home are high traffic areas
Some flooring materials do not wear well like others, like carpet, synthetic wood flooring and linoleum. I have noticed a lot of people are going tile crazy…putting tile all over the house, in rooms, hallways and even living rooms. I guess the reasons are that they are easier to clean and maintain. I have also noticed that carpeted floors are warmer than the natural cold tiled floors, unless they are heated. Wood floors, in my opinion, are the best. Solid wood floors are a bit more to install but, the finished look beats out tile any day for the relaxing areas of the home. And when there is any visible wear on a real wood floor, a quick sand (if its not damaged) and a few coats of a clear coating, and they look new again. Carpeted floors are fairly easy to install these days and comes in a variety of piles and colors. The latest in carpeted floors is the self adhesive square tiles that set down kinda like ceramic tile, and when you have a worn section, just pull up the bad and replace with new ones. Carpeted areas seem to be warmer and are best in bedrooms, if not for that reason alone.
There are so many types and styles of flooring available that it can be overwhelming to pick just the right one. Below is a more common list of types:
- Carpeted floors (variety of piles and colors, usually with padding)
- Hardwood floors (variety of woods, configurations, widths and staining colors)
- Synthetic wood floors (variety of looks and is very easy to install)
- Tiled floors (variety of textures, colors and sizes)
- Linoleum tile flooring, adhesive backing (variety of styles, patterns and colors, very easy to install)
- Linoleum rolled flooring (variety of patterns, colors and is not as easy as the small squares mentioned earlier)
As you can see, there is a wide selection to creating or installing a style of flooring to your home. Some are doable by the homeowner and some should be left to qualified installers.
Repairing most floors is also doable by the homeowner if they choose to do so. My only suggestion is that make sure you understand the material you will be working with. Each type of flooring has its own installation procedures, adhesives and rules.
