So the decorations are away and all the guests are gone. House looks a little bare? Notice a few spills on the carpet or maybe a scratch or two on the hardwood? Maybe it’s time to update some of the flooring in your home. With so many options, what do you choose? Let’s explore the most common types of flooring for your Orangeville home and determine which would be best suited for each room. If you are thinking of new flooring you probably will want to consider cost, benefits and function of the type of flooring you need.

Hardwood

One of the most desired types of flooring in Orangeville homes is hardwoods. Hardwood has come a long way over the years. When engineered hardwood was introduced it was sold to consumers as ‘better than the real thing’ because it did not expand and contract with heat and humidity. It was true but it didn’t really have the same look as traditional hardwood. Now engineered hardwoods are almost impossible to tell the difference. They have developed the products that they are almost bullet proof especially for high traffic areas and homes with pets. They tend to cost more upfront, but definitely worth it in the long run. The biggest drawback of hardwood is the cost. It can be quite expensive to do you entire home in a decent quality hardwood. Hardwood has great resale value and is relatively easy to clean and maintain.

Tile

Tile is still very popular in homes. There are many types, color, sizes of tiles that the possibilities are endless. The positives of tile is the durability and water resistant factor. It is generally easy to clean. Tile is typically found in kitchens, front halls, baths and laundry rooms because of the risk of getting wet. Some concerns with tile can be that it is “cold”. Many tile floors have heating installed beneath to take care of this. Tile can be hard on your legs if you stand on it for extended periods of time especially in the kitchen. Another objection to tile is that if one tile gets cracked it is difficult to repair and replace. Grout has come a long way over the years. Now it is much thinner between the tiles and is colored to match the tile floor giving a more cohesive look. However keeping grout clean can be labor. Tile varies in price so look and style will impact costs.

Laminate

Laminate has also changed drastically over the years. When it was first introduced it looked like hardwoods poor cousin. Now laminates are very difficult to tell apart from some hardwoods. The pros to installing laminate is the cost, the durability and the ease of installation. Just make sure to buy a decent quality laminate. The con to having laminate is it generally is not good with water. There is a brand that is very good for wet areas but it is very expensive. The average laminate will swell and bubble if water is left sitting on it. So probably not suited for front doors, kitchens or baths. Great in a rec room or other parts of the house.

Vinyl

Vinyl was used so much back in the 80’s and before. I remember some really wild patterns back then. Vinyl is not as popular but there are still areas of the home that vinyl is handy. Vinyl has come a very long way as well over the years. There are tiles made of vinyl that get grouted down and look exactly like tile but are not cold and much softer on the feet. This type of floor is called Duraceramic. It’s very thin but really is a vinyl tile. It is great for kitchens. Vinyl flooring is great for laundry rooms as well and baths. It holds up well to water. Vinyl is very cost effective and easy to lay. But keep in mind, resale on an “older” type of vinyl floor in your Orangeville home will not be as good.

Carpet

Many of us grew up with carpets in our homes. Some of us were lucky enough to have lived in the shag era. It actually was my job to “rake” the carpet so there were no foot prints on it. We had a red and purple mix! We were stylin!!! Carpet is still very popular in homes especially in bedrooms and hallways. It is noise reducing and offers a sense of warmth to a room. Carpet is not popular with those with allergies. Despite frequent vacuuming carpet still needs to be professionally cleaned every now and then to get out the deep down dirt. Price can vary on carpets depending on the quality and material used. Wool carpets are very expensive but last a long time. Berber is still a popular option as well as other low pile options. Just remember to always have a quality underpad installed under the carpet. This makes a huge difference on the comfort of walking on the floor as well as extending the life of your carpeting. One of the absolute must areas to have high end underpad is on stairs. This makes a huge difference in how long the carpet holds up to the heavy traffic. Some negatives to carpet is the fact that it can stain. Technology has improved its stain resistance yet it still can stain. Having carpet in a bathroom or a dining room is typically not the best idea. Perhaps an area rug would be better suit.

There are still more flooring options out there for your Orangeville home from cork to bamboo, to pennies! Just whatever you choose, keep in mind the use for the area. If you are not sure if something will add value to your home or not, feel free to reach out to your trusted realtor and ask their opinion.