If you are looking for a new floor for your place, you already know that there are lots of features you need to take into account. Probably one if not the most important is the durability – since a floor can be quite a high investment, it better last for a long time! Durability becomes even more significant if you have children and pets at home. If you are not sure what is the best option, in this post you can find three floors we think are very hardwearing.
Solid Wood Flooring
A traditional option, solid wood owes its popularity to how hardwearing it is and the amazing look it offers. If you are wondering if hardwood is truly durable, you should know that if correctly maintained, solid wood floor can last more than a lifetime. However, if you want your floor to last and not look worn out after some time, you will need to refinish and sand from time to time. This doesn’t mean you need to do it every month, as depending of the product it can be between 10 to 15 years. Even though hardwood has high durability, there are some things it can’t stand, like temperature fluctuations. This means you can’t install wood floor if you have underfloor heating, or the place suffers from high moisture. Since wood is a natural material it will contract and expand to the contact in these conditions.
Engineered Wood Floor
If you like wood flooring but it turns out your place is not suitable for hardwood, fear not! Engineered wood flooring is the answer! Engineered looks like solid wood but is far more practical. This is because of the way it is made. Engineered is made of birch plywood layers, which means that all layers except the top layer are synthetic. This allows the floor to stand moisture and temperature fluctuations without expanding or contracting. On top of these layers, there is a top layer made of real wood, which allows the floor to look like real wood floor. However, this layer is not entirely water resistant, so if there is a spillage you will need to remove it straight away before it penetrates the floor and damages it. Engineered offers you stunning aesthetics, it can replicate different kinds of wood such as oak, walnut or acacia, and is available in a number of different colors and shades. An alternative to engineered is laminate, since it is very similar but without the price tag.
Vinyl Tiles
If you are looking for a floor suitable for rooms that can have spillages such as bathrooms and kitchens, we wouldn’t recommend the floors we have previously mentioned. You need something not only hardwearing but also water resistant. The traditional option here would be porcelain or ceramic tiles. However, we know not everyone has the budget for tiles. Therefore you need a cheaper alternative, and this is vinyl tiles. They are made from vinyl but are classed as ‘luxury tiles’, and are much higher quality than a simple vinyl sheet. Besides being resistant to water and hardwearing, they are very hygienic and easy to maintain. As well as this, if in the rare case a tile gets damaged, you don’t need to replace the whole floor but only the damaged tile. They also offer amazing designs that can imitate wood and stone both alike.
So there you have it, three floors that are great when you are looking for something durable and beautiful at the same time.
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