Choosing what kind of floor you want for your house is not an
easy thing, especially when you have kids. Having children will
defiantly influence what flooring you need for your home. Aesthetics
becomes nearly secondary as you need something that is first and
foremost practical and durable. But don’t worry, you don’t need to
sacrifice style over substance and this post bring you three types of
flooring fit for family living.
Engineered wood
Even though engineered wood flooring looks like real wood, it is
actually only the top layer that is solid wood, the rest is man-made.
The way it is manufactured enables engineered to withstand moisture and
temperature fluctuations better than its hardwood counterpart. This
floor is therefore perfect for a family house because it is extremely
hardwearing, scratch resistant and handles spillages pretty well.
Similarly, engineered wood is extremely easy to maintain long-term. All
that is needed is a regular sweep, hoover and mop to keep it looking as
good as new. As previously mentioned, engineered floors imitate wood
perfectly and it is therefore available in a huge range of species such
as oak, larch, walnut and acacia. The only downside to engineered
floors is the price tag. While not as expensive as a solid wood, they
definitely aren’t as cheap as other options.
Laminate flooring
Laminate
flooring is a cheaper alternative to engineered wood and its endurance
is just as good. Laminate floors also imitate wood but doesn’t use any
natural wood. Instead, laminate floors are made up from synthetic layers
that can better withstand moisture and temperature fluctuations. With
its strong water resistance, laminate flooring is an excellent choice
for busy homes where spills are common. To help further ease your mind,
laminate floors are very easy to look after, helped further by its water
resistance. A mop and sweep should do the trick in terms of day to day
maintenance. Laminate flooring is a definite middle ground offering a
very affordable price, but this doesn’t affect to the quality of its
design. Laminate is available in a wide range of style imitating
different species of wood and even tile.
Vinyl flooring
Vinyl
tiles are made from PVC so unlike engineered and laminate flooring,
they are totally waterproof. This gives you an abundance of advantages
in a family home as any kind of spill won’t damage the floor. Similarly,
this is the floor that is least likely to become slippy when wet, so
provides that extra safety aspect when used in a bathroom. Cleaning a
vinyl floor is as simple as with engineered and laminate floors. Vinyl
flooring is actually far more hygienic than the previous two options.
It’s nonporous properties stops dirt and dust from becoming trapped as
you would find a lot with a carpet for example. With the amount of time
kids spend playing on the floor this is a huge advantage, especially if
your child lives with allergies. For a long time vinyl flooring was seen
as a cheap and poor quality flooring choice. Luckily, with continuing
advances in manufacturing, this is not the case anymore. Vinyl floors
offer amazing designs that can replicate wood and stone alike and have a
genuine luxury feel to them.
Ultimately the choice that
would suit your home best is up to you. But as we’ve discussed, there
are plenty of choices and options when you’re looking to family-proof
your home with a budget in mind.
