Flooring Options: Area Rugs, Hardwood, and Vinyl vs Ceramic

When decorating or re-decorating a home, flooring is one of the most important selections to be made.  Flooring is one of the most costly facets of any decorating, re-decorating, and building project.  It is designed to last ages, so it’s imperative to make good calls the first time around.  What are some available flooring options, and what are the pros and cons of those choices?  Continue reading for some valuable information which will aid anyone in making smart choices about their floors. 

One intensely popular choice these days is hardwood flooring.  Hardwood is beautiful and durable, lasting generations if it is’s correctly cared for.  With a wide variety of styles and finishes, hardwood can be a perfect choice for just about any room.  On the negative side, it is costly.  Exotic hardwoods are maybe the most costly flooring decisions on the market.  Installation is work intensive, which adds to the already high cost.  Additionally, hardwood must be correctly cared for in order to be really enjoyed as intended.  Moisture is the enemy of hardwood, and most hardwood surfaces also must be refinished every so often.  It’s best to have a professional take care of this.

Adding to the expense of hardwood is the indisputable fact that most of the people use it in conjunction with area rugs.  However, this combo is a time-tested winner, for plenty of reasons.  Area rugs supply the heat and comfort of carpet, which hardwood lacks, and they can be relatively cheap compared to carpeting an entire room.  Area rugs provide the opportunity to make a statement with flooring that carpet doesn’t permit, because they are smaller and can simply be changed.  Area rugs are quite helpful ; even in a carpeted room, they work to add color and outline separate areas of the room like conversation areas and TV areas, for example. 

In rooms where hardwood and carpet aren’t options, such as bathrooms and washing rooms, a preferred debate goes on between 2 decisions, vinyl and ceramic tile.  Each has it’s positive and negative qualities.  Ceramic is costlier, but is also more durable.  Vinyl, while considerably less pricey, tends to discolor simply, and if not installed properly, it can roll at the edges, leaving a very disheveled appearance.  Ceramic can also feel very cold underfoot, particularly during winter.  Technology has come a good distance in making vinyl flooring look more like ceramic tile, and in a number of cases, the difference isn’t instantly noticeable without a closer inspection. 

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