The Pros and Cons of Various Flooring Materials

Flooring Materials 010521If you’ve made the decision to replace the flooring in your home this year, you may be wondering which is the best flooring material. There’s no one answer for all homeowners or even for all rooms. We’re going to spend the next two blogs trying to help you decide on the right flooring type for your family, lifestyle and home (or individual room). You’ll find that different materials have different pros and cons and the key to making a decision that will serve you best is to weigh each option against your specific needs.

Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors are one of the top flooring materials for living areas today. We install hardwood floors most often in great rooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and master bedrooms.

Pros:

  • Good for resale and sought after by buyers
  • Lasts for decades
  • Countless finish options to fit any style
  • Comfortable to stand and walk on

Cons:

  • Certain species are easily scratched and dented
  • Not water friendly
  • One of the more expensive flooring materials

Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank

Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) comes in styles that can emulate both tile and wood floors. They are the fastest growing flooring material. And there are several reasons why. Like hardwood flooring, LVT is comfortable to stand on and looks great. There are many options for color and styles to suit almost every home. Plus, unlike actual hardwood flooring, it is nearly waterproof and is more durable than hardwood flooring. LVT is less likely to be scratched or dented from regular foot traffic, even with children or pets. An added benefit is its easy maintenance. There is no grout to clean, and you can use most mild cleaning products on it.

One thing to consider with LVT is the finish options. You can’t custom finish LVT, and if it is damaged, you’ll have to replace the floor or the entire damaged section. While there is no real wood in LVT, when you choose a quality brand like COREtec® the product still looks authentic and very similar to real wood options.

Engineered Wood Flooring

If hardwood flooring and LVT are not the best options for you, consider engineered wood flooring. The top-most layer is hardwood, which means it may have the same benefits as hardwood flooring when it comes to custom finishing. (This is assuming you choose unfinished flooring, which gives you the ability to refinish it whether you choose a pre-finished option or a custom finish.)

As with hardwood flooring, engineered wood flooring is not water-friendly. And, depending on the species of the top layer, you’ll find it may scratch or dent easily. However, it’s more budget friendly than actual hardwood while still being appealing to many home buyers in look and feel.

Stay tuned for our next blog where we’ll talk about laminate and tile flooring and list the ideal rooms for each flooring material. If you would like an in-home consultation to learn more about the best options for your home, call Seer Flooring at (727) 469-7963. We service the greater Tampa Bay and Sarasota areas.