It’s a challenge to choose the perfect flooring. Knowing what will work, what you love, how it will help or harm your family, the pros and cons and so much more. There is a ton of information for a seemingly simple decision!

Why is the perfect flooring important?

There are so many things that go into the perfect flooring. Our first thought is typically aesthetic: is it pretty? Do we love the way it looks?Unfortunately, that tends to be where it stops. We choose what we love and will fit our budget and that’s that. At least, that’s what we did in our first home. Let me tell ya, that was not the best decision. Ah, the growing pains of learning!

There were so many things we didn’t consider. Such as allergies, maintenance, lastivity and laziness.  Yes, laziness is something to consider. When it’s new, you convince yourself you’ll crazy vacuum or mop or whatever. Ten years down the road, you could care less. It’s sad, but true for most of us.

At the Zoo

As I said before, we didn’t consider a lot of things. All we thought about was our dreams of how the house would look and what our budgets could handle. It didn’t help that we chose a terrible contractor who continuously went over budget and time frames, but that’s another post. I could rant on that for days!

Back on point, we have a tendency to act like children. We’ve literally had water fights, with the hose from outside, inside our house. While not advisable, it sure was fun! Knowing our childlike habits, we didn’t want to have carpet in the main living areas so we opted to only have it in the bedroom. We had seen some really cool DIY stuff on pinterest, so we also wanted a glitter and penny floor. Finally, the other two rooms would be painted.

I’ve since learned that those weren’t the best decision, but that’s also for another post. For now, we’re focus on the topic at hand!

How to Choose the Perfect Flooring For Your Family

What’s Happening?

Think about what will take place in the room in question. Is it a place where water is likely to hit the floor? Will people be laying on the floor to play? Are there pets?

Hardwood is great for high traffic areas as it can be sanded and refinished many times if there is damage but it’s not good for high moisture areas like kitchens and bathrooms. In those rooms, it’s best to stick with vinyl or tile which is easy to clean and can stand up to moisture.

For the love of all things Holy, try to stay away from stick on tile. Just no. 

Health Concerns?

If you have allergies, consider going with tile, vinyl, engineered/composite wood or hardwood as they hold less dander and allergens. Definitely avoid rugs at all cost. While carpet can be shampooed, you have to ensure that your shampooer doesn’t leave behind too much water as it can cause mold. You may want to check our our 15 Ways to virtually eliminate harmful irritants in your home!

Hire The Right People for the Job

Choosing the right flooring company is essential. I can’t imagine a large box store being able to hire the right people for the job as it takes someone who loves their craft to have the proper skill and experience. Smaller stores are typically the best way to go, plus you can negotiate the prices somewhat and have just the right person to go to if something goes wrong. A company such as Selecta Flooring (if you are in the New Jersey area) is a perfect choice.

My Daddy was a carpenter when I was a child. To this day I love the smell of new carpet, as it reminds me of being a little girl and sitting on those giant rolls while my Dad laid down tack strips and such. Love that man so much and am ever so grateful for all that he taught me. (Check out this DIY Dad Pack, he’ll love it!) Anyway, my Dad came down and laid our carpet, which made me so happy and I knew it was done right!

Since I understand and appreciate the talent, hard work and skill in carpentry, I really appreciate the backgrounds of Scott McDarby and his business partner, Michael Shultz.  They are the team that began Selecta Flooring.

You’ll want skilled, knowledgeable and experienced carpenters for your flooring. If they can’t drone on for what seems like forever with a strong passion, they may not be the right people. Don’t be afraid to ask about what jobs they’ve done. After all, you are hiring them and have the right to ask them questions like any other employer would do!

Expenses

Painted floors can be the cheapest way to go but make sure that you have it sealed properly. Otherwise, you’ll be moving all of the furniture out and repainting every three or four years. That’s never convenient, especially since you’ll need to turn off the circulating air and stay off it for a few days!

Vinyl is the next cheapest option. It typically runs from $3 to $4 per square foot not including labor. Just remember that it scratches and dents easily and can be damage by the wrong chemicals. For a bathroom, it’s almost perfect at a low budget price point.

Tile can run anywhere from $10 on up per square foot. You’ll want one of those talented guys I mention above to ensure it’s properly installed. Trust me when I say you don’t want someone unskilled to lay tile. Ever. Besides, who wants to spend a ton of money and have that one off tile somewhere that drives them nuts for the next 30 years?

Carpet generally starts around $4 per square foot and goes up to whatever you’d like to spend. It, too, requires professional installation. You’ll also want a quality carpet pad. Trust me, it makes a huge difference. Just make sure you have a quality vacuum with a HEPA filter to help make sure you get the dust out and it doesn’t go flying back into the air!

Engineered and composite wood is next on the price scale. It usually starts at around $7 per square foot, plus installation. From what I hear, it can be installed easily by those who love a good DIY. Remember that liquids can cause them to bow up so you’ll need to quickly clean them up and be careful with pointy shoes, like heels or cleats. It will scratch!

Hardwood flooring is a little more costly, depending on what kind you get. Generally speaking, the lower end starts at around $10 per square foot. However, that is not for the DIY person to install! Get a professional.

That’s All Folks!

I really hope that helps you on your search for the perfect flooring! I’m looking forward to bringing you tons more information on home improvement and such! We’ve got a guide to hiring a contractor in the works to help you avoid our mistakes.

Do you have any pointers you’d like to share with us?