5 quick tips for choosing new flooring
Choosing new flooring for your home can be an exciting experience. A new floor can change the entire look and feel of your home, but it can be a big job going out to different carpet and flooring retailers to quotes and compare prices, not to mention trying to make a selection from the seemingly endless flooring options that are around these days. From floating floor and timber boards to carpet, vinyl and laminate, the choices are endless and the benefits many. Some can reduce noise while others are waterproof, some can even withstand even the most frenetic of pet claws scrabbling against them.
We’ve pulled together five top tips that make selecting your new floor a breeze.
1. Know your space
The first step to getting an accurate quote on your knew floor is by knowing exactly how much of a product you will need. Get a good measure of the square metres of your space. This will help you keep within your budget, too.
2. Know what’s on trend
There’s a huge range of flooring available these days, but classics such as wood and timber floorboards are still very much the flooring option du jour. However, there are some excellent alternatives to a timber floor, such as engineered or vinyl planks which clip together to achieve a similar look. There are even engineered timber flooring options that are waterproof and suitable for wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries.
3. Know what you need
When shopping for flooring it’s important that you spend your money wisely on something that suits your lifestyle. If you have children or pets it’s a safe bet you want something that’s hardwearing and resistant to stains and scratches. Robust flooring options include tiles, vinyl, laminate, engineered timber and carpet, although carpet can be susceptible to stains. If it’s a quiet adults-only home, then you can go with a more classic option such as natural timber, but just remember this can be scuffed up by high heels, furniture feet and pet claws.
4. Know who will lay the flooring
Laying the flooring yourself can significantly cut costs, however laying carpet, tiles or a solid timber floor is a hard task to get right for DIY-ers. Vinyl and laminate flooring, or floating floorboards, are much easier for DIY-ers to install themselves. Decide which suits you and plan your budget accordingly.
5. Ask for a sample
There’s nothing worse than choosing a new floor, only to lay it at home and find it doesn’t look how you imagines. Ask to take a sample of your flooring choice home so you can see how it looks in the light of your chosen room, and if the colour really works the way you imagined it would in the space.
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A guide to DIY flooring options
