How to Choose the Right Flooring for Different Rooms in Your House

Many homeowners select flooring on the same basis they choose their paint: a showroom tour followed by the proclamation, “That’s nice. I’ll take it!” The issue with that strategy is flooring decisions have downstream implications on cabinet height, door clearances, subfloor prep, and installation sequencing. In other words, flooring decisions must be finalized before the tear-out begins, lest you pay twice for the same material.

Entryways Need Flooring That Can Take the Abuse

Every renovation has to start somewhere, and in this case should start at the entrance to the property. Entryways and mudrooms get hit with water, tracked dirt, dropped keys, and pet business on a daily basis. As such, a solid hardwood is out as an option due to its susceptibility to moisture and general fragility in the face of heavy traffic.

Porcelain tile or rigid core luxury vinyl plank are much better options for the high-traffic, high-moisture area as both can resist the effects of water damage and are available in wood-look patterns for those desiring to extend a flooring design throughout a home.

Slip resistance in the entry is a huge concern as well, which is why one should examine the coefficient of friction (COF) of any tile being considered for the space. The showroom may make a tile look luxurious and inviting, but it can turn into something of a hazard as soon as it gets wet

If one is considering extending a hardwood floor into an entry, it’s best to stop at a transition strip and then start the next flooring option at the threshold near the front door.

Kitchens Need Flooring Built for Spills and Traffic

After all, kitchens are the grease pits of the home. Whether it’s spilled liquid, greasy splashbacks from the stove, or the dog learning that the kitchen is the perfect place to relieve himself, the kitchen floor is going to endure more than any other room in the house. The kitchen also serves as the thoroughfare to all parts of the house, meaning the floor needs to handle heavy foot traffic in addition to whatever else is dumped on it.

The characteristics to consider when choosing a flooring material for the kitchen are similar to those of the entry in that the floor needs to resist water damage and have a non-slick surface for safety, especially for those in the household with mobility concerns. Porcelain tile and rigid core luxury vinyl plank are much better options for a kitchen due to their resistance to water, stains, and dents.

With vinyl, an eye should be kept on the thickness and clear coat of the top-wear layer (measured in mils), as a lower than 12 mil thickness can lead to excessive scratches and gouges in the flooring. Laminate is tempting in a kitchen scenario because of the lower cost and visual appeal, but it’s a poor choice for the increased likelihood of damage around standing water (the seams can swell if the flooring gets wet).

The core layer of laminate flooring is basically sponge which can retain water, a problem especially around a dishwasher or washing machine.

Bathrooms Put Waterproofing First

It’s rare for a homeowner to choose a bathroom floor based on aesthetics, and it should be rare for a contractor to advise someone to choose a bathroom floor based on aesthetics.

The short version of this is that the bathroom is where water-vulnerable floors get their comeuppance, and as such it’s a good idea to select a durable and easy-to-clean option for the space.

The long version speaks to the reality that a bathroom is the single most humid room in the house, and as such it’s likely to see both accidental spills and water accumulation underneath the toilet if the sealant around it fails (the same goes for around the shower/tub).

The top recommendation for a bathroom floor is porcelain tile installed over a waterproof membrane, as it’s about as close to totally waterproof as one can get with floor covering. However, it’s a cold, hard option for those uninterested in the feel of a five-year-old concrete basement at the end of every day.

Waterproof vinyl plank can be an excellent second choice material for a bathroom (avoid peel-and-stick varieties), as it too is totally waterproof but with the benefit of being more pleasant to bare feet. It’s important to note that any vinyl plank installed in a bathroom should be of the rigid core variety as the flexible planks can easily be lifted at the seams like traditional tongue-and-groove laminate.

Avoid installing either solid hardwood or traditional laminate in a bathroom, as the seams will absorb water and cause swelling. If tile is chosen as the material, time should be allocated to sealing the grout, an oft-overlooked maintenance task. Failure to properly seal bathroom grout is often the reason a five-year-old bathroom floor looks ten years old.

Bedrooms Reward Comfort Underfoot

A plush, cozy floor is the stuff of relaxation in the bedroom, and the feel of it under bare feet after a long day is unmatched. For those unfortunate enough to live in a house where the climate can’t support a beach-house year-round existence, the softness and warmth of a thick carpet are even more appealing.

That doesn’t mean that other flooring options can’t be employed to similar effect, though, especially if the homeowner has allergies and finds that the carpet fibers hold onto pet dander and dust too easily. Hardwood paired with an area rug can offer the same softness without the allergen consequences for some.

Frieze and berber carpets are much harder wearing than plush variants, though, so one should be aware that berber has a lower comfort factor than plush and is more of a traffic floor than a cozy retreat.

The common areas (living room, family room, great room, etc.) tend to benefit most from prefinished distressed hardwood, especially if the space sees a fair amount of foot traffic from kids, dogs, and/or grandparents. Prefinished floors are best in these rooms as the finish will help resist the effects of heavy traffic and power cleaning (both of which are necessary for a space regularly used by a large number of people).

Prefinished flooring in a kitchen is also an option, as long as one doesn’t have large dogs (who can cause dents in the wood during play). Prefinished flooring in the kitchen should avoid the possibility of water getting to the seams, however, as that can cause subfloor damage that may necessitate replacement of the entire flooring.

Oak tends to be the hardwood of choice for prefinished flooring due to its flexibility and forgiving nature. Maple is a harder wood and will show dents more easily, especially in the grain, and hickory has a much more rustic appearance. None of the three woods should be chosen in relative isolation from the rest of the house, as most common rooms are joined to the kitchen and/or entry in most residences, and the three areas need to have a degree of cohesion.

Basements are generally off-limits to solid wood due to the likelihood of moisture exposure at some point during the life of the installation. The options are limited mostly to engineered hardwood and vinyl plank, as both have a much lower likelihood of delamination and swelling.

Tile, too, is a viable option for a basement floor as it’s impervious to moisture concerns completely. Engineered hardwood is made up of alternating layers of solid hardwood and plywood for stability, which reduces, but doesn’t eliminate, the ability for the floor to swell due to moisture. Vinyl plank is totally moisture-resistant and won’t swell or delaminate in the face of water damage.

Tile is an option for a basement if the subfloor (concrete) has been appropriately tested for moisture and cracks, as it is completely waterproof. Radiant floor heating is also an option for basement renovations in particularly cold climates, but an eye should be kept on material restrictions for the heating choice (tile and vinyl can work; hardwood species are often ruled out)

Flooring Choices Affect Cabinets, Trim, and Appliance Clearances

This makes the choice of the floor covering one of the most difficult decision points in the remodeling process, as it’s a large expenditure with little leeway for error

If one goes with tile and decides later to change course and go with vinyl plank, post-cabinet installation, there’s a good chance that appliances like a dishwasher won’t fit in the same manner. It’s critical, when ordering cabinetry and trim, to bring blueprints and/or room measurements to a full-service supplier who can quote materials and installation timing for the entire house.

A company like Wylie Carpet & Tile has the ability to source samples, analyze them in relation to the home’s cabinetry/appliances, and plan out the build in such a way that flooring doesn’t slow down the project unnecessarily.

Rooms need to be considered in conjunction with one another rather than individually.

Plan Connected Rooms as One Flooring System

The presence of a single flooring type, or at least one that uses the same plank throughout, is a huge aid in giving a home a more open feel, especially when considering connected rooms like the kitchen/dining combo or the living room/dining combo. Changes in flooring material require transition strips, which are used in every renovation regardless of an individual’s desire to avoid them.

The more of them present in a space, the more choppy and less thought out the finished work is apt to look. T-molding is used in transitions between two equal-height floors while reducer molding is used in conjunction with lower profile flooring (ex: tile to a thinner planked vinyl plank).

An eye should be given to where transition strips are going to be needed before installation begins, as retrofitting one in at a later date requires some unattractive cutting due to the nature of most planks.

Check the Subfloor Before Installation

Floating floors are a good option for most renovations due to the forgiving nature of the tongues and grooves, but they’re incredibly unforgiving when it comes to laying on carpet or tile. The uneven nature of a subfloor is often exaggerated when a floating floor is installed, making imperfections far more apparent.

Concrete subfloors are often inspected for moisture and cracks before a tile installation can commence while wood subfloors are inspected for levelness before any wood installation can begin. Older flooring is usually not left in place if a new version is going to replace it.

Subfloor leveling or replacement is often a huge expense, accounting for anywhere from 10-20% of the overall cost of a flooring renovation, and it’s the single aspect that’s forgotten by nearly every homeowner when the budget is being planned out. One should get an estimate of the cost beforehand when considering a floor renovation rather than after a large amount of time has been spent shopping at a local flooring store.

Another consideration for homeowners considering hardwood or laminate is the acclimation period, where the flooring is allowed to sit in the house before installation so that it can adjust to the local environment. Skipping this step will often result in expansion gaps or buckling (flooring coming off the subfloor) as the wood expands (from humidity) or contracts (from dryness). This step is often overlooked by DIYers with devastating results.

According to the National Association of Realtors, 91% of buyers prefer homes with hardwood flooring (2018 Remodeling Impact Report). It’s the reason why many homeowners request the material regardless of the room, despite the drawbacks already outlined. In short, it’s the most sought-after option for renovation and is worth considering on a room-by-room basis.

See Flooring Samples in Your Own Space

Showroom photos and lighting are two reasons why a flooring choice might look wonderful at the time of purchase but end up disappointing in the buyer’s home afterwards

Ordering samples of ones’ top choices and seeing them in the space is an important step in the process that should never be overlooked. One should spend time examining the samples in different lighting throughout the day and make sure the best options don’t disappoint on the home front. After choosing finalists, a few days should be spent considering the options before committing.

Pet owners can use that time to make sure one’s hardwood of choice won’t show damage from pet accidents, while more active homeowners can eliminate less durable options from the list of consideration. They should also be sure to avoid higher sheen options for high-traffic areas.

These are all practical matters that narrow the selection without regard to the individual’s personal preferences at the time of selection. After that, the shopping can begin in earnest with the power to choose from competing suppliers and avoid the pitfalls of the showroom.

These seven considerations should be made before flooring installation begins so that the remainder of a home renovation can be conducted with confidence and efficiency.