Build.com for Pros: Types of Flooring for Every Lifestyle

The flooring is the foundation for any room in the home. It needs to set the stage for the overall style of the space while being durable enough to hold up to everyday use. With so many different types of flooring available, discovering the best home flooring is all about understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each variety. Fortunately, we have home flooring ideas, sure to suit every lifestyle and personality. Learn how to choose flooring that will enhance the style and boost the daily routine in any home.

Types of Flooring

Different types of home flooring offer different advantages and drawbacks, depending on how the household uses them. Traffic patterns wear into the floor in busy hallways, and if the kitchen floor is too soft or absorbent, moisture can ruin it. It’s important to find a solid, smooth, reliable floor that won’t warp or crack. 

For a few ideas to get your client started, let’s look at these main types of flooring for home use:

• Tile Flooring 
• Hardwood Flooring 
• Luxury Vinyl Flooring 
• Laminate Flooring 
• Cork Flooring 
• Carpet Tile Flooring

Best Flooring for Pets

Pets are members of the family. Choose a home flooring option designed with the furry family members in mind. The best flooring for pets really depends on the needs of the household, but the following are our favorite four options:

Tile Flooring

Tile flooring has long been sought-after in bathrooms and laundry rooms because of its ability to hold up to wet locations. This makes it an ideal choice for homes with pets, as well.

The hard surface is much easier to keep clean than carpet, which traps pet hair and dander. With so many different sizes and styles available, it's easy to find one that will match the decor of the home. There are even wood-look tile flooring options designed to provide the look of hardwood flooring.

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

When you love the look of hardwood, but the family pets can’t be trusted not to leave an accident that causes the floors to warp, consider switching to luxury vinyl flooring instead. Luxury vinyl flooring is entirely waterproof and comes in industrial-grade options that won't scratch with the claws of the furriest family member.

This material's strength and durability make it suitable for any room of the home, allowing it to be used from the front door straight through the kitchens and bathrooms. Laminate flooring provides many of the same benefits but at a much lower price point.

Carpet Tile Flooring

When craving the softness of carpet, but worried about surprise ‘gifts’ and accidents from the pets, carpet tiles make a great alternative. These small squares of carpet boast an adhesive backing that makes them easy to lay in any area. Use them to create an area rug or to fully carpet a room. If a pet has an accident, pull up the tile and wash it in the sink. If needed, you can even replace a carpet tile.

Concrete Floors

For a great looking floor on a budget, selecting concrete floors in home spaces make a fun option. When tearing out the existing flooring, check the condition of the concrete subfloor. A new layer can always be added to level out the flooring.

Keep in mind that there are numerous concrete stains and stamps available, making it easy to make the concrete floors look like pavers, bricks, and more. Once sealed, concrete floors are incredibly impervious to spills and stains. This modern alternative to hard floors is easy to keep clean with a broom and a mop.

Best Flooring for Kids

Kids deserve a home where they can have fun, explore, and be kids without fear of messing up the flooring or furniture. When you select a type of flooring with kids in mind, you don't have to fear the daily messes. Our favorite types of flooring for homes with kids include:

 Bamboo Floors

When it comes to the best flooring for kids, bamboo floors make a great selection. If there’s some indecision on how to choose hardwood floors, bamboo is a sturdy and stylish alternative. Bamboo flooring is stronger than traditional hardwoods, making them more durable against daily scratches, dust, and stains.

The kids can feel free to run and play with their favorite toys. When spills inevitably happen, simply wipe them up. Bamboo floors provide a very similar look to traditional hardwood floors, and are a sustainable choice. 

Cork Flooring

When you're looking for home flooring that is softer than hardwood beneath the feet, cork flooring provides an ideal selection. Cork flooring is naturally antimicrobial and absorbs sound as you walk across the surface.

When dust and dirt accumulate, sweep or vacuum the flooring. When spills are cleaned in a timely manner, they won't cause any lasting effect on the flooring. Every once in a while, a new layer of wax or a protective coating will help to extend the life of the cork flooring installed.

Vinyl Flooring

In a child's bedroom, the flooring needs to hold up to all that kids are going to throw at it. Make it something they can drag toys across, jump on, and crawl around when you lay down commercial-grade vinyl flooring. This waterproof home flooring option comes in a wide variety of colors and price points, making it easy to find a product designed to work within your budget.

 Style Your Flooring with Area Rugs

With all these hard flooring options suggested for homes with children and pets, it's necessary to bring in some soft touches. Once these various types of flooring are installed, layer them with some plush area rugs. 

Area rugs are a much cheaper alternative to wall-to-wall carpet and are easy to replace when needed. Area rugs are a great way to add a fun pop of color or an eye-catching pattern to the room design, as well. Area rugs are especially important in rooms with kids because it gives them a soft place to play or learn to crawl.

Plan The Complete Project

There are many different types of flooring to choose from, at prices that fit within any budget, making it easy to discover the flooring that will make the best choice for any lifestyle. If you're laying down flooring in every room of the home, make sure to choose a finish that will look good in the kitchen, living area, and bedrooms at different times of the day.

Before you lay down any of these types of flooring, consider the flooring in other rooms of the home and make sure to choose a product that makes a good style match for the other surfaces. Choosing a different type of flooring from one room to another is useful, especially for rooms like kitchens or bathrooms with higher exposure to humidity, but try to keep the colors or textures complementary when laying different materials side by side in the doorways.