What to Know About Durable Flooring Options

by Expert Contributor Jim Casar, Owner of Carpet Warehouse

Well-chosen flooring that offers durable resistance to spills and stains, scratches and other signs of wear, aging and damage can not only add to your home’s ambiance and comfort, it helps maintain your home’s market value. Here is a guide to understanding different types of durable flooring and their strengths in protecting the unspoiled comfort and beauty of your home.

CARPET

It helps to know how stain-resistant carpet works. Any carpet — regardless of its fiber content — can be chemically treated to enhance its stain resistance. But some carpet fibers, such as nylon, can allow spills to permanently attach to the dye sites in the carpet. So, look for fibers constructed without dye sites and in which permanent protection is built into the carpet fibers, not layered on later. It can increase and maintain your enjoyment of your home now and for years to come.

LAMINATE FLOORING

Although laminate may be visually indistinguishable from hardwood, it is a synthetic product. Its advanced construction and protective wear layer provide a waterproof system to withstand moisture near plumbing. And its incredible durability and scratch and stain resistance make it suitable for many areas in your home.

LUXURY VINYL FLOORING

Vinyl flooring is made from 100% plastic. It is sometimes confused with laminate flooring, but vinyl’s differences in material and installation forms contribute to its extreme durability and versatility of appearance. Vinyl flooring resembles wood yet contains no wood, which increases its inherent water resistance. High-quality options are also extremely resistant to scratches and staining. Sheet vinyl comes in large rolls that are cut to size across the room. Luxury vinyl planks and tiles snap together or glue down, for easy installation, and can even be used with grout, to give an incredibly realistic tile or stone appearance.

HARDWOOD

In the search for durable flooring, hardwood floors can be overlooked. Typically, wear, stains and discolorations are concerns for hardwood floors. There are a few factors to consider when you’d like to add hardwood floors to your home but traffic patterns in your home would challenge hardwood's durability. If that’s the case, choose one of the harder, more durable species of hardwood, like hickory or maple. Also, look for lower-gloss finishes, and consider rustic designs to help hide wear.

TILE

The ultimate option in durability, tile’s manufacturing process produces an extremely hard, scratch-, moisture- and stain-resistant material. Some tiles offer enhanced durability, which is infused during manufacturing. It won’t ever wash or wear away. The exceptional ability of tile to withstand wear, damage, growths and stains contributes to its popularity for use inside and outside the home.

Expert Contributor Jim Casar, Owner of Carpet Warehouse

CARPET WAREHOUSE

Marple Newtown’s Carpeting & Floor Covering Expert

Offering New Floors at Warehouse Prices!

610-353-1312

www.CarpetWarehouseCo.com

620 Parkway Dr, Broomall (Lawrence Park Industrial Park)

• Residential carpeting • Commercial carpeting • Waterproof vinyl plank flooring • Quality pre-bound area rugs and remnants • Carved college logo rugs including Penn State • A full-service workshop for cutting/binding • Installation for all of the products we sell