What are the different types of flooring? What is the most popular flooring? Should you do the same flooring throughout your house?
What are the different types of flooring?
If we were to list all of the different types of flooring available on the market, we’d be here all day. The fact is, there is a seemingly endless variety out there available to you. However, for the sake of saving you time and effort, we’ll keep that list as short as possible; rather than share them all, we’ll share the ones worth a look:
- Hardwood flooring
- Engineered wood flooring
- Laminate flooring
- Real stone flooring
- Tile
- Resin / concrete flooring
- Vinyl flooring
- Luxury vinyl tiles
- Carpet
- Rubber flooring
- Cork
What is the most popular flooring?
So, out of the list mentioned above, what is the most popular flooring type? This is a difficult question to answer as there are several popular flooring types, each favoured for its own unique pros.
It largely depends on the desired aesthetics, the room itself being re-floored, and whether or not it’s a high-traffic home with kids and pets or not. In any case, we’ll pick out a few popular contenders and identify why they’re so popular today.
- Hardwood: Hardwood is and likely always will be one of the most popular flooring types – even though other cheaper materials can mimic a similar natural wood aesthetic. Primarily, people love having the real deal in their homes. Hardwood flooring offers a charming aesthetic and element that other synthetic materials simply cannot.
- Engineered wood and vinyl: Engineered wood and vinyl flooring mimic the appearance of hardwood very well. These are growing in popularity because they cost less and can be far easier to maintain. Not only that, but both materials provide a water-proof benefit making them perfect for high-moisture areas such as the kitchen and bathroom.
- Carpet: Carpet has always been a popular choice, particularly in colder climates. This is largely due to the warmth and comfort that they provide underfoot. That said, the carpet does have its drawbacks.
- Tile flooring: Tile flooring comes in a wide variety of shapes and styles which is one of the primary reasons why it is so popular with interior designers. For organic shapes and geometric patterns, there are few material choices as popular are tile.
Laminate flooring: Laminate flooring is a versatile flooring option for a variety of reasons. It is easy to install and provides a similar aesthetic to hardwood, can be water-proof, and provides excellent durability compared to other flooring options. Not only that, but laminate is highly affordable as well.
Ultimately, choosing the perfect flooring material for you depends on how much budget you have available, what kind of aesthetic style you would like to go for, the room that you will be finishing, and how much foot traffic the area is likely to receive on a daily basis.
Should you do the same flooring throughout your house?
Many people ask whether or not you should use the same flooring throughout your house. In truth, the decision is yours. If you want to use the same flooring throughout your house and keep everything consistent, then you are within your rights to do so, however, you will need to find a flooring type that is suitable for all environments.
Personally, it’s nice to utilise different flooring materials in other areas of the home. Adding a variety of distinct style choices has its benefits.
In any case, you will need to have flooring that is water-proof and durable in areas like the bathroom and kitchen. In the kitchen especially, where knives may be dropped on occasion, it’s important to have durable flooring as well.
As for the bedrooms, you’ll want something more comfortable underfoot, rather than focus on durability and water-proofing. Again, it all comes down to you.
Conclusion
Our two favourites would be laminate and vinyl flooring. They can both mimic natural hardwood, whilst providing other benefits – not to mention the lower price tag – which is why we believe they are a solid contender.
We hope that you have found this article helpful and wish you the best of luck with your renovation project.
