Few surfaces in your house are used as often as your floors. No matter what kind of flooring you use, you will be walking thousands of miles over it over the years, and as a result you will either grow to love it more as the years go by or... not. Choosing flooring is a big decision and, as it is usually one of the most expensive investments in your house, it is a choice that you only want to make once. Of the many types of flooring available whatever you choose will inevitable be a compromise between what you want and what you need.
Solid wood and parquet floors are beautiful and fairly durable. When they do become scratched or otherwise damaged, you can easily re-beautify them by sanding them down and applying a new coat of stain and varnish. However, they are unsuitable for floors below ground surface, and they are among the more expensive types of flooring to put in.
Engineered wood floors can be installed either above or below grade, and some can even be used in bathrooms. However, they cannot be installed on floors that become damp, such as some basement floors. If installed over a crawlspace, there needs to be a minimum of two feet between the ground and the bottom of the joists.
Laminate floors have become increasingly popular in recent years. They offer many of the advantages of wood flooring, such as aesthetic appeal and ease of cleaning, and are also easy to install and affordably priced. Laminate flooring is suitable to go over most subfloors, including concrete, vinyl sheets, vinyl tiles, stone, chipboard, terrazzo, and even particleboard. Like with engineered wood, if installed over a crawlspace there needs to be suitable room between the bottom of the joists and the ground.
Vinyl is easy to clean, affordable, and easy to install. Sheet vinyl can be installed either above or below grade, while vinyl tiles needs to be above ground level. Vinyl is compatible with most subfloors, including concrete, marble, and ceramic tile.
Carpet is suitable for most levels and most subfloors. If installing below grade, make sure you have chosen a carpet that is designed for the purpose. Some allergy sufferers have difficulty with carpet, so if you think this might be a problem it can be helpful to take a sample home to check for reactions before purchase and installation.
