Do you realize how much abuse your kitchen and
bath floors take everyday? Your kitchen and bath floors are probably
the hardest-working surfaces in your home. They take all the imaginable
harsh conditions like heavy foot traffic, water overflow in the sinks
and bathtubs, heavy pots and pans that are dropped occasionally,
children s clanging toys and colored crayons. Since the kitchen and
bath are the most visited areas of the house, it is undeniable that
these floors accumulate the most dirt and grit. Despite all the insults
these hardworking floors take, we still expect them to be beautiful and
last forever. Moreover, we want these floors to be safe and inexpensive.
In order to choose the best possible flooring
materials, you need to know what you are looking for. Today, a myriad
of flooring choices abound depending on appearance, cost and
technology. These choices include hardwoods, softwoods, stone, carpet,
resilients, tiles and laminates. Each of these flooring choices has its
own advantages and disadvantages.
Experts suggest that you use these three criteria
in order to properly choose your new floor. First, consider how the
material will fit in your design. Second - consider how much wear and
tear this material can take and how much traffic the area will take.
Third, decide whether or not it will fit the allotted budget.
When choosing flooring you need to consider if
this fits with the overall design of your kitchen and bath. The
flooring can pretty much establish the mood or character you want to
create for that certain area in your house. The flooring can either
become the focal point of the area or it can serve as a background that
will lead the eyes to other design elements of the room. Either way,
you will need to have it in proper coordination with the rest of the
design elements of the room. If you want to create a bold, contemporary
look, you can mix and match colors, pattern, size and texture of
ceramic tiles. There are also widely available laminates that can mimic
the look and feel of natural materials. These can be inexpensive and
support almost all possible design options ranging from a formal to a
casual look.
You need to know the advantages and disadvantages
of some flooring materials so that you will be able to come up with the
best possible choice. A good kitchen and bath flooring need to
withstand harsh conditions and daily abuse.
Hardwood flooring lasts indefinitely and is wear
resistant. It provides a warm, natural look that is comfortable to the
feet. This can be easily cleaned and refinished. However, this type of
flooring is vulnerable to moisture and can easily dent. Some wood can
darken as it ages.
Besides being durable, laminate flooring can be
installed over old and existing floor. There are many colors to choose
from. There are designs that imitate natural wood, stone and ceramic
tile. Although this type of flooring is extremely durable, once
damaged, refinishing it is next to impossible. This also needs foam
underpadding, otherwise it can be very noisy without it.
Ceramic tile is durable and can resist both stain
and water. There is a wide range of choices available. However, it can
be noisy and cold. Glazed tiles can be hazardous and slippery
especially when wet. Dirt can accumulate in grout joints. This type of
flooring is difficult to repair.
Resilients are vinyl tiles and sheet flooring that
are water and stain resistant. These are generally comfortable to the
feet and easy to install. There are a lot of available designs to
choose from. However, resilient flooring is prone to dent and tear.
Moisture can seep into the seam between tiles.
Finally, stone is a type of flooring that is
almost indestructible, elegant, can withstand high temperature and is
easy to maintain. Stone flooring however is expensive, cold and
slippery. A strong subfloor is needed if you decide on installing stone
flooring. Some stones like limestone and granite absorb stain and dirt
quickly. Stone flooring is usually difficult to repair. Gloss surfaces
need regular polishing, which can be expensive and messy.
(cn-stonenet.com)
