How To Choose The Best Floor For Every Room In Your House?

Which Room, What Floor?

Choosing the best flooring for your home can be a daunting process. With so many different styles, materials and finishes on the market, flooring can quickly become one of the most challenging parts of the home decorating job.

We’ll let you into a little secret: the trick to finding the right type of flooring for each room in your house is to consider the unique needs of each space. Take laminate floors. They are ideal for large living areas, but less suitable for rooms where noise might be an issue. Likewise, solid walnut timber floors are divine in the bedroom but are less suitable for areas of high traffic, such as entrance halls.

Help is at hand! At ESB Flooring, we’ve put together a guide to what floors work in which rooms:

Floors For Kitchen

The kitchen is the hub of the home and often the messiest room in the house. What you need is a floor that really performs. It needs to withstand high traffic and wear and tear. It needs to be easy to clean and low-maintenance. It also needs to be moisture resistance and scratch resistant. Porcelain tiles and laminate floors might be the more preferred choice for kitchens but more and more we are seeing customers using engineered floors for their kitchens too. Word of caution though; if you do proceed with engineered wood flooring in the kitchen we would not advise a natural oiled finish unless you plan on really maintaining the floor properly with regular coats of oil and buffing.

Living Room Flooring

The living room is the perfect space for any hardwood flooring. Whatever the weather, wood flooring will add warmth to the room, while exuding elegance and style. The living room is an area that doesn’t see too much foot traffic, meaning wood flooring will stay looking its beautiful best for longer. This is also a room where you can indulge yourself with American Black Walnut or one of the Exotic Species like Wenge, Merbau, Jatoba or Doussie. Please  follow our very easy cleaning and maintenance guides and your floors will add beauty and value to your home.

Flooring Options for Bathroom

Bathrooms are hotbeds of moisture and heat, and whatever you choose underfoot must be able to withstand the elements. Again, Porcelain and Ceramic Tiles are the preferred choice but it is also possible to install laminate flooring and even engineered wood flooring in the right environment. However we solid wood flooring would not be suitable in a bathroom. The moisture in the room would be absorbed by the wood and the boards will expand and display visible signs of movement.

Home Office

Solid or Engineered hardwood flooring is a beautiful choice for your home office. Sleek, warm and full of character, they will ensure your home office is a space you enjoy. There’s no need to be concerned that your desk chair will cause damage over time, because you can simply refinish the floor. Laminate floors can also be a good choice, and although laminate floors might not scratch as easy initially over time real wood flooring is more hard wearing.

Bedroom

Like the living room, when it comes to the bedroom, you can afford to indulge in a little luxury underfoot. Whether you are after a cool contemporary look or a softer warmer environment, there are endless choices of stunning hardwood wood floors that will bring a richness of colours and textures, and are exceptionally easy to maintain. Compared to carpets, wood flooring is easier to clean getting rid of dust, germs and bacteria, making wood flooring an excellent option for allergy and asthma sufferers. If you like a little bit of softness, consider adding a rug under the bed.

Entrance and Hallway

Your entrance and hallway are the main thoroughfares of your home. Your hallway floors need to be tough enough to handle whatever life throws at them – high heels, dirty shoes, scuffs, muddy pets and kids…the works! Solid and Engineered hardwood is a good choice as it is easy to clean and maintain, and boasts exceptional durability. Laminate is also great for high traffic areas because of its durability. If you choose wood floors, oak is harder than floors such as walnut, which can get a real beating from high-heel shoes. Whatever your choice remember that a little care and maintenance will go a long way ensuring your floor stays beautiful for years.

Basements and Conservatories

Basements and conservatories have one thing in common: they are both subject to changes in temperature and moisture. Conservatories are also subject to longer periods of direct sunlight so there are several issues to consider. Solid wood will not perform well in potentially damp areas like basements. In conservatories you need to consider that Walnut or the some species like Jatoba or Cherry will darken in colour over time due to direct sunlight for long periods of time.
 
If you have any further questions regarding different wood flooring we stock here, at ESB Flooring London showroom or you are looking for an advice about the best wood flooring for your home feel free to contact the ESB sales team. Contact us now to request your no hassle no obligation free samples or come down to our North London showroom for a closer look.