Whether you're replacing an old floor, doing a major renovation or even building a new house, one of the decisions you'll be faced with is what type of flooring to use. There are many different types, each with their own advantages and disadvantages.
And different parts of the house will require different types of flooring most likely. You may want something a little more durable and easy to clean in the kitchen, for example, with hardwood throughout the rest of the house. You may even want to consider a rubber tile floor in the garage or the exercise room.
Each type of flooring will offer various options as well. Hardwood comes in various varieties, both domestic and exotic hardwoods such as bamboo, cork and fir, and can be found in either engineered (laminated) or solid varieties.
Laminate flooring is another option that has many different styles available. You can find hardwood laminate flooring (not to be confused with laminated wood) or laminate tiles that are designed to look like tile floors, right down to the grout lines.
There are various manufacturers, such as Armstrong, Fargo, and Empire, each of which offer their own styles and grades of flooring. Sometimes you can even find discounts on certain types, such as discontinued styles, so it pays to shop around a bit before making your decision.
Different types of flooring have varying levels of durability, so it's important to consider how much traffic and what kind of use any given room is going to get before choosing your flooring.
A high-traffic games room may need something different than your living room, where people are sitting more often than moving around. And a workshop or craft room might be better suited to rubber tiles, or at least rubber mats in working areas, than many other types of flooring.
The key is to do some planning and research before making any decisions. Just because you like the look of a particular type of flooring doesn't mean it's going to be the best solution for your needs.