Flooring options
Flooring can really create the “feel” of a room, and with so many options out there, your design possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
If you are looking for a warm country feel or an elegant urban setting, think about hardwood and laminate flooring. Vinyl and ceramic tiles give you an endless number of colours, styles, and designs to achieve exactly the décor you want. Carpeting, whether it's wall-to-wall broadloom or an area rug, provides warmth, comfort and easy care.
Hardwood Flooring
Hardwood flooring is a sought after feature in homes these days. It not only adds style and elegance to a room, but also matches any decor, is easier than ever to care for and provides great value since it lasts a lifetime. This type of flooring can even improve the living quality of homes because hardwood does not trap dust pollen or other allergens.
A popular choice is the no-wax pre-finished hardwood flooring because it eliminates messy on-site sanding or unpleasant chemicals. It comes in many colours and is easy enough for a do-it-yourselfer to install.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a durable and creative flooring option. It is constructed of a dense fiberboard core with top and bottom fiber pattern layers sealed under high pressure with a durable, plastic-like substance. Laminate flooring is one of the easiest floors to install because it can be laid over any flat surface including ceramics, vinyl and short pile carpeting. One of the reasons for this product's popularity is that it is made to look exactly like hardwood, stone, tile and various other designs while providing the strength of laminate. The laminate flooring surface is strong enough to resist staining, fading, scuffing and scratching.
Carpeting
Carpet is one of the best ways to add coziness and comfort to a home. The broad range of carpet colours and styles allows people to add their own personality to their living spaces, while the right shades can either open up a small room or create a warm intimate atmosphere in a spacious setting. There are also practical advantages that only carpet can offer: it helps prevent slips and falls; it helps to absorb noise; and its insulating properties can reduce the cost of heating and air-conditioning.
Area Rugs
Area rugs are a simple and effective way to add colour and style to a home. They are also an economical alternative to broadloom, providing the comfort and practicality of carpet while retaining the classic styling of flooring. Today, area rugs are imported from all over the world. There are two ways in which area rugs are manufactured: either by hand or by machine. Hand-made rugs cost more because of the length of time it takes to make a rug. Machine-made rugs are usually less expensive than hand-made rugs, although today's machine-made rugs can be just as elaborate in design.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are a popular choice for kitchens, bathrooms and entranceways of a home because of their beauty, elegance and style. They are also a very practical flooring option for high traffic areas, where tracked in dirt, accidental spills and excess moisture would make carpet maintenance difficult. With the multitude of patterns, colours and price options available, there is no end to the design possibilities for your home.
Vinyl Flooring
Vinyl is a very versatile flooring option. It's a top choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and other high traffic rooms because it is easy to keep clean. Vinyl flooring is considered a soft floor and comes in a broad range of colours, styles and patterns.
Most often vinyl flooring is sold and installed in large adhesive sheets as opposed to single peel-and-stick tiles. Some “high-end” vinyl floors are made to look almost exactly like ceramic tiles and even hardwood floors.
Before starting your flooring project, be sure to investigate the many options available and find out which flooring will best suit your needs. Visit your local home improvement centre or flooring retailer for advice and information.
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