How to plan your home! Flooring

Flooring is one of the most important finishes of the interior. It has to be aesthetically pleasing, be appropriate for the intended use, be comfortable to walk on, and be safe. Also consider the durability of a flooring and its environmental sustainability. The cost of flooring varies greatly; keep your budget in mind when making your selection. Once you have made your floor choice for each space, add this into your chart of your wall finishes and ceilings.

The floor of your home can be sunk lower in an area or raised up. Lowering or raising your floor in an area creates a separation of that area without walls. Consider accessibility of an area if you are planning to raise or lower a part of the floor.

The variety of types of flooring available is too great to cover comprehensively here; below is a list and some attributes of the most common choices.
 

Wood flooring can be either solid or engineered. Engineered wood flooring has a wood veneer
  over a wood composite core, which makes it more stable than solid wood floor. There are
  many different wood species available. Choose a domestic species rather than a exotic one to
  be more environmentally sustainable. Not all wood species are appropriate over a heated
  floor. Wood flooring expands and contracts depending on the moisture content in the air, which
  sometimes results in cracks getting larger during the winter. Engineered flooring doesn't expand
  as much as solid wood flooring. Wood flooring scratches relatively easily and might not be
  suitable for pets. Wood flooring is expensive to purchase and the installation is costly as well.

Bamboo flooring comes in either stranded, horizontal or engineered flooring. Stranded bamboo
  flooring is made by shredding the bamboo into strands and then compressing them into sheets
  using a resin binder. Horizontal bamboo floor is made by cutting strips and gluing them
  together to make planks. Bamboo behaves much like hardwood floors. It expands and
  contracts depending on the moisture content of the air. Bamboo grows quickly and can be
  harvested every five to six year, which make it a easily renewal

Laminated flooring is available in many colors and finishes. It is durable and more scratch
  resistant than wood flooring. Water resistant laminate flooring is also available and a great
  choice for areas where moisture might be a concern such as kitchens, basements, and entries.
  The cost of laminate flooring varies widely as does the quality. A lower quality is appropriate
  for bedrooms and other rooms where there isn't a lot of wear. However, choose a medium to
  high quality for rooms with lots of traffic.

Cork flooring is very comfortable to walk and stand on as it provides some cushioning. It is
  available in different colors. Cork flooring is relatively soft and heavy furniture will leave
  dents in the flooring. It feels warm to the touch.

Ceramic, Porcelain and stone tiles are available in different textured finishes, colours, and patterns.
  Tiles generally feel cold to the touch and are hard, which makes them very durable although hard impacts can crack them. Some tiles
  have a recycled content, which makes them more environmentally sustainable. Tiles can also
  effectively add to the thermal mass for passive solar heating. Consider installing in-floor heating underneath tiles.

Carpet, whether wall to wall or carpet tiles, helps to control the noise in spaces. It reduces the
  sounds of footsteps and absorbs other sounds as well. Carpet adds a soft texture to a space
  giving it a warm feel.

Some carpets contain a percentage of recycled content and are recyclable which improves the
  environmental sustainability of carpets. The main drawback of carpets is their cleanability.

SPC, Stone Plastic Composite or Rigid Core Vinyl Flooring, is completely waterproof. SPC flooring
  mimics the appearance of wood or tile floor. It is durable and appropriate for moist areas, such
  as bathrooms, kitchens, entries, and basements.

Vinyl is a cost effective solution for wet areas. It comes in a variety of colours and finishes. It is easy
  to install and suitable for floors with lots of movement such as in seasonal homes.

Concrete is a cost effective, durable solution for homes on a slab. The concrete for your slab can
  be polished and textured to serve as a finished floor. Different finish textures and colours are
  available. Like tiles, concrete feels cold to the touch, but offers an efficient thermal mass for
  passive solar heating. Concrete has a high embodied energy and is not environmentally
  sustainable, but if existing concrete is finished as flooring it reduces the need for additional
  flooring material.

Next week we will have an enlightening look at lighting!