Choosing the Right Flooring

One of the easiest, fun, and most effective ways to update your home is flooring. There are so many choices in materials, colors, and grades that you can let your imagination go wild while staying within a budget. So how do you choose what to install?  

The most important thing to consider is how the space is used. Is it an area where people relax and lounge or play on the floor like a bedroom, playroom, or family room? Carpet would be a great choice! It can be very comfortable and quiet. Carpet comes in a wide variety of looks and quality so staying within a budget can be easier. A determining factor in the way carpets will feel depends on something never seen, the pad. If comfort and feel is important to you, go for a quality pad even if you have to purchase a lower grade of carpet. 

If you are needing flooring for an area that takes a lot of abuse, like a kitchen, laundry, or bathroom, tile might be a good choice. Tile is durable, water-resistant, and low maintenance, but can be expensive, especially due to the prep work required by a professional. Tile comes in a lot of different sizes, shapes, and colors, so it can work in small rooms like a bathroom or large spaces like kitchens. It handles spills, mud, and dirt like a champ. It is hard and feels cold to bare feet, so it isn’t for anyplace.  

Like tile, natural stone flooring is very durable, but also very rich looking, and pricey to purchase and install. It is a good choice for high-traffic areas, such as entries, kitchens, bathrooms and even outdoors. 

An old standard that is still popular today is vinyl flooring. It is affordable, but yet durable. You can find it in several different styles, like rolls of sheet vinyl, vinyl tiles, and vinyl planks, often called LVP for Luxury Vinyl Planks. Vinyl is a great choice for wet areas. Besides being inexpensive to purchase, you can save even more money by installing it yourself.  

The gold standard of flooring is still hardwood. It is beautiful and adds a level of class and luxury to your home. It is durable, but does not do well with moisture. Although hardwood flooring is expensive, it rarely needs to be replaced because it can be refinished, so it can last as long as the house does. It can literally be used anywhere in the home, but keep in mind that moisture is its enemy.  

If you like the look of hardwood floors, but don’t have the budget for them, you might want to consider a laminate flooring. It is similar to a lot of furniture in that a thin layer of good wood is laminated to a thicker cheap wood. This is why it is less expensive, because the quality wood is a thin layer over cheap wood. Since the surface of this flooring is very thin, scratches and dents will show and cannot be refinished, and due to the use of much cheaper wood underneath, moisture is even more detrimental to it.  

The results from last week's poll in my newsletter shows that hardwood floors are the clear choice of my readers. Of all who responded, 75% chose hardwood with just a sprinkling of other choices.  

Ultimately, you should consider the specific needs of each room in your home and weigh factors such as durability, maintenance, and budget before making a decision. By choosing the right flooring, you can enhance the aesthetic appeal and functionality of your space for years to come. 

Norwalk IA Real Estate – Jon Niemeyer, Broker/Owner/REALTOR® at EXIT Realty North Star. I list and sell real estate in Central Iowa including Norwalk, Des Moines, West Des Moines, Cumming, Indianola, Carlisle, Waukee, Urbandale, Grimes, Clive, Johnston, Ankeny, Altoona, and Pleasant Hill in the Counties of Warren, Polk, Dallas, and Madison. Call Jon Niemeyer at 515-490-4675.