Underfoot - Flooring Choices for Your New Home or Renovation

10 design tips to help make your flooring choices easier

"Should I use tiles or wood flooring for my main living area floor?"

I wish I was given a dollar for every time that I have been asked this question. The answer is not a simple yes or no. If you are struggling with this and other questions and want to make an informed choice and not a costly mistake then read on.

Flooring tips

Investment property or private home? - if the property is an investment property then the flooring chosen should be easy to maintain, have longevity and be practical for the space. In this case I would probably choose tiles as they are easy to maintain, have longevity and are very practical.

Ceramic/porcelain tiles?- there is a wide array of tiles on the market at the moment. You can choose porcelain, ceramic, polished porcelain with either a rectified edge or a nonrectified edge. It does not matter if you choose ceramic or porcelain providing that it is rated strong enough for the main traffic areas. The majority of floor tiles have a high enough rating for internal domestic use. A rectified edge just means that the grout line between the tiles only needs to be 1mm in width; a nonrectified edge tile means that the grout line between the tiles is larger at 3-5mm in width. Just be aware that it is generally more expensive to lay a tile with a rectified edge.

Polished Porcelain tiles - polished porcelain tiles have a very glossy look and may require sealing although some companies are now producing some of these tiles with a built in sealant. I would not recommend these tiles for an investment property unless it is explicitly for an expensive, luxurious home or apartment. You may be disappointed that you cannot use wood but if you want the look without the maintenance issues, why not choose wood look tiles.

Wood flooring- for the wood lovers among us just be aware that this flooring choice may be in conflict with the trend to building environmentally friendly homes. Bamboo is a fantastic wood choice that does not impact on existing forests and is a quick growing resource that is extremely hard wearing and available in many different colours and environmentally friendly. If you still wish to be environmentally conscious then why not consider recycled wood boards.

Finishes for wood flooring- there are many types of finishes for wood flooring. As a general rule the higher the gloss the more the scratches will show. A satin finish is the least likely to show scratches. There are also many environmentally friendly finishes available through a variety of stores along with the environmentally friendly cleaners. Taking the time to compare them is well worth the effort for your investment. If you have dogs you may also want to think about this choice carefully.

Wood laminates- a wood laminate gives a wood look without the same cost as solid wood flooring. Wood laminates are basically achieved by layering and compressing many sheets of paper with a polymer to produce a wood look. Wood laminates look good but the laying process can produce a floor that produces a noisy clicking sound when walked on in shoes.

Polished concrete- if you don't like any of these choices so far and you are building then why not consider polished concrete. If you do decide to go down this trail just be aware that the builder needs to know that you want polished concrete at the very early stages of the project. Polished concrete is a very practical floor covering which comes with many different colour choices. Just be aware that it can give a very industrial look unless softened with rugs and other natural elements such as wood.

Carpet- when thinking about this choice it is very important that the occupants of the home are taken into consideration. If you have asthma sufferers in the home studies have shown that it is better to consider smooth floor finishes such as concrete, tiles and wood rather than something that harbours dust mite. If you do not have to deal with these issues then carpet can provide a luxurious feeling while creating warmth underfoot. Carpets also provide sound absorbency and are best used in a theatre room situation.

Carpet types- carpet suppliers are generally producing carpets that are 100% wool, 80-20% mix of wool and synthetic or 100%synthetic carpets. With the advancement in technology there are some fantastic synthetic carpets available that are solution dyed and stain repellent.

Types of carpet pile- carpets come in a twist pile, loop, cut pile and many others. A cut pile gives a very luxurious look but just be aware that some cut loops can show "tracking" so road test the carpet sample before purchasing so that you are not continually vacuuming out footprints. Wherever possible use the best underlay that you can afford as this helps with the overall feel of the carpet when it is laid and its longevity.

In my article "Match or Mismatch - Creating a flow in your home", I suggest when you are renovating or building you should choose the largest area of the home first. In the majority of cases this is your living area floors. This should be the very first decision you make even before the kitchen and bathroom as it affects so many of your colour choices. A new home or renovation is a large investment for many people so make sure you do your homework and that you are well informed about the myriad of flooring choices that you can make. If possible have a large prefinished sample of your flooring when you make other colour and material choices. When completing a jigsaw puzzle, it is always best to have the biggest piece of the puzzle in place first.