Flooring Materials - The Pros and Cons

There are many different types of flooring available to suit different styles, budgets and the functional requirements of a busy modern life. When you’re planning on renovating part of your home it’s important to consider every aspect of the options before you, to ensure that you install the type of flooring that is going to work best for you.

Different materials lend themselves to different rooms in your home, and every type of flooring has its own pros and cons. Here’s a simple overview of some the most popular flooring materials on the market, to help you weigh up your options and end up with the ideal solution.

1. Carpet

Pros: cheap, warm underfoot, wide choice of colours

Cons: prone to stains and shows signs of wear and tear more quickly than others

Carpets are a cost-effective option if you like to make drastic changes to your décor on a regular basis. With the option of changing colours over the years, carpet can work well in children’s bedrooms where you may choose to redecorate regularly as they grow and change.

2. Stone

Pros: durable, natural material, timeless appeal

Cons: difficult to repair, expensive, can feel cold

Stone makes a great flooring solution in a bathroom, where the high levels of moisture would not be compatible with solid wood flooring. It can be an expensive option, but if you have the money to invest it can last for many years without showing obvious signs of wear.

3. Solid Wood

Pros: durable, classic beauty, can be refinished to last even longer

Cons: vulnerable to moisture so must be treated with care

Solid wood flooring is an increasingly popular choice in a variety of rooms throughout the home. With solid wood in your living room, kitchen or bedroom you can even increase the saleability of your home by giving it an added wow factor that potential buyers will struggle to resist.

4. Engineered Wood

Pros: comes pre-finished to ensure consistency of colour, cheaper than solid wood

Cons: cheaper un-branded products can be susceptible to split ends

Engineered wood offers a slightly cheaper way of creating the effect of solid wood in your home. It is similarly robust and will last for many years without needing to be replaced, but it can typically only be refinished once or twice during its lifetime so may not be the best choice for spill-risk areas.

5. Laminate

Pros: resembles natural materials, cheap, easy to clean and maintain, durable

Cons: cannot be refinished if damage is sustained

Laminate flooring has come on a long way in recent years and with textured finishes it has become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between laminate and natural materials. It is tough and durable enough to withstand a heavy footfall without fading or wearing down.

6. Bamboo

Pros: environmentally sustainable, strong, contemporary

Cons: shouldn’t be exposed to excessive water, may fade in direct sunlight

Modern homeowners are more ecologically conscious than ever before, which is why bamboo continues to grow in popularity as a material for floors, doors and furniture. This fast growing grass is famously strong and versatile, offering a sustainable building material that is becoming an increasingly familiar sight in contemporary design.

Written by Nicky Hand.

If you’re struggling to decide which type of flooring will work best in your home, talk to the experts at Posh Flooring for all the advice you need.