Different Flooring for Different Needs

by Expert Contributor Jim Casar, owner of The Carpet Warehouse

There are many things to consider when selecting flooring for your home or office. You should consider your needs, your personal taste, and the specific function of the room when deciding on the right flooring.

Hard-surface flooring can include wood, vinyl, or some type of composite. These products look so amazing, you would think it is wood or ceramic tile. With better technology comes betterlooking and longer-lasting products. And with better sizing and easier installing, these products can be a great alternative to real wood or tile. Most products can even be installed over existing flooring, often resulting in reduced installation labor costs.

You may also want to consider the desired function of your floor. If you will be moving heavy furniture across the floor, you may want a floor built for dent resistance. If your room has a large amount of natural light, especially something like a sunroom, look for floors that are made for heat resistance. And if you have pets running around the house, you may need scratchresistant flooring.

A good waterproof option is luxury vinyl tile (LVT). LVT is manufactured in planks or larger tile form, as well as veneer hardwood planks. Almost all the vinyl products are waterproof, offering a wider variety of areas in which they can be used in your home. For instance, basements have a tendency of getting a wet spot or two, and vinyl may be the best option to last long and clean easily. LVT comes in many qualities, some with thicker vinyl. The thicker option feels more like real wood and generally tends to be better underfoot.

The best dent-resistant or scratch-resistant flooring option is laminate, a composite type material with a dense backing and a layer on top with an extremely tough surface. If this room will have heavy traffic of either large machinery or pets and small children, laminate flooring may be the best option for you.

With all hard-surface flooring, ware layer can be different, some with urethane and some with aluminum oxide finishes. Both finishes are excellent. The preferred ware layer is about 20 mil urethane finish and aluminum oxide has a very high density making it one of the best. There is also a wide variety of plank size, from 3" up to 9" in width and lengths up to 80" plus. For larger rooms and that larger plank look, that would be costprohibitive with real wood.

With new products coming all the time, it can be a challenge to stay on top of them all. When looking for a new flooring for your home or business, make sure to learn about the different options and consider which floor is best for your needs.

Jim Casar, Owner of The Carpet Warehouse in Broomall

The Carpet Warehouse

Warehouse Pricing For Residential and Commercial Carpeting, Hardwood, Laminate, Vinyl Tile and Waterproof Plank

• We carry all major brands of carpet as well as waterproof vinyl plank flooring • Quality pre-bound area rugs and remnants • Carved college logo rugs, including Penn State • We install all of the products we sell • Full-service workshop for cutting and binding • Tuft and knot wool Jaunty Rugs in traditional and modern designs handmade in India by old-world craftsmen

610-353-1312

620 Parkway Drive, Broomall (Lawrence Park Industrial Park)

www.CarpetWarehouseCo.com