Choosing The Right Flooring For Every Room In The House

Choosing The Right Flooring For Every Room In The House

Have you ever been surprised by how many flooring options exist once you start planning a renovation? Thanks to improved technology, today’s flooring choices are better than ever, offering enhanced durability and design flexibility. With a wide range of colors, patterns, textures, and price points available, selecting the right flooring can elevate both the look and performance of your home.

Understanding the benefits of each flooring type helps you make informed decisions that fit your lifestyle, budget, and the specific needs of each room!

Hardwood Flooring

Solid Hardwood Flooring ($$ - $$$):

Solid hardwood remains a timeless option. It is available unfinished or prefinished and comes in a variety of wood species.

Unfinished hardwood is installed as raw wood boards, allowing you to choose any stain color for a fully customized finish. Prefinished hardwood arrives ready to install, requiring no staining.

Solid hardwood is typically 3/4 inch thick and can be refinished multiple times over its lifespan. Board widths vary, with five-inch-wide boards being especially popular. Hardwood is easy to clean, hypoallergenic, and suitable for most areas of the home, excluding bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements where moisture is present.

Accessories such as reducers and stair nosings are purchased separately.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring ($$):

Engineered hardwood features a top layer of real hardwood bonded to multiple layers of plywood beneath. The layers allow it to expand and contract less than solid hardwood.

Engineered hardwood can be installed throughout the home, including in the basement. Thickness varies, and most engineered options cannot be refinished. Boards often come in wider formats, commonly between 5 and 7 inches.

It is available in a wide range of finishes, colors, and wood species, and certain products are compatible with radiant heat systems. Accessories are purchased separately, and engineered hardwood generally costs less than solid hardwood.

Tile Flooring ($$ - $$$$):

Tile flooring includes ceramic, porcelain, natural stone, and marble. It offers one of the widest design ranges available, with styles that mimic wood, stone, and marble being especially popular.

Tile is waterproof, making it ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, entryways, and basements. It is easy to maintain and repair, as individual tiles can be replaced if damaged. Natural stone and marble require sealing due to their porous nature.

Tile works well with radiant heat. Installation requires a cement or specialty base to prevent cracking, resulting in a two-part installation process that increases labor costs. Marble and natural stone tend to be more expensive than ceramic and porcelain options.

Accessories such as grout, thresholds, and saddles are purchased separately.

Vinyl Flooring ($):

Vinyl flooring is a synthetic option known for being durable, waterproof, and easy to maintain. It is available in a wide variety of colors and highly realistic patterns designed to resemble hardwood and tile.

In many cases, vinyl can be installed over existing flooring, reducing demolition time and cost. It is an excellent choice for basements, kitchens, and mudrooms.

Coordinating accessories, such as quarter rounds, T mouldings, reducers, and thresholds, are purchased separately.

Carpet Flooring ($):

Carpet is the quietest flooring option, providing warmth and comfort. It is available in countless colors, patterns, and textures.

Padding is installed beneath the carpet and is purchased separately. Both carpet and padding come in varying thicknesses, allowing for customization based on comfort and durability needs.

Carpet is especially popular in bedrooms due to its softness, though it can show wear and stains more easily than other flooring types.

Understanding Square Footage

Flooring is priced and sold by the square foot. To calculate your room’s square footage, multiply the length by the width of the space.

Depending on the flooring material and layout pattern, an additional 10 to 15 percent is typically ordered to account for waste, cuts, and pattern matching.

Ready to Choose the Right Flooring?

Selecting the right flooring for each room can feel overwhelming, but the right guidance makes all the difference. At Evolution General Contracting, we have complementary design services to help homeowners navigate flooring options with confidence, balancing design goals, durability, and budget.

Whether you are renovating one room or updating your entire home, our team is here to guide you from selection to installation.

Have you decided which flooring works best for each space in your home? Contact Evolution General Contracting today to start planning your renovation with expert support and lasting results.

See you in the next post!

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Jennifer DeVito

Owner & Founder, Evolution General Contracting