Walk into any flooring store and you're confronted with hundreds of swaths of carpet choices, wood choices, tile choices...by the time you can take it all in you've forgotten what color the walls are in your house and whether you were looking for ceramic or slate or a new puppy.

That's where research comes in, because once you've done it, you can be well armed with the kind of flooring you need for your home and your family. But even after you do your homework, you'll want to bring in a qualified flooring professional to demonstrate how the floors will work with your space, your wall color, and your lifestyle.

Carpet

    •    Usually constructed of nylon, but polyester, wool, acrylic and polypropylene are also used
    •    Styles include level loop pile (Berber), multi-level loop pile, cut and loop pile, cut pile and sisal
    •    Quality of carpet depends on the density of construction (the denser the better) and the twist, or how many fibers have been intertwined to make the yarn (the tighter the twist, the better the carpet)
    •    Use with carpet padding to extend the life of the carpet
    •    Installation products will include tack strips, a sharp razor-type knife, a chalk line and a straight edge
    •    Usually comes in 12-foot widths

    •    Best suited for bedrooms, family rooms and dens. Doorways can serve as a great transition point for color

    Note: If you install carpet, you'll want carpet padding, which is:

    •    Installed underneath the carpet
    •    Used to prolong the life of the carpet and add to comfort
    •    Usually made from felted cushion, urethane, foam rubber or sponge rubber
    •    Weight, density and thickness vary by type and the amount of traffic in the area to be carpeted
    •    Typically available in 36-inch, 54-inch, 72-inch, 108-inch and 144-inch widths

Vinyl Flooring

    •    Generally available in large, 12-foot rolls in varying lengths, or in square tiles
    •    Available in a variety of patterns and colors
    •    Most floors have a no-wax surface, although most manufacturers recommend specially formulated floor finish to enhance or restore shine and provide added protection
    •    Quality depends on the thickness of the material. In general, urethane floors last longer than vinyl
    •    Installed by gluing to the subfloor with an adhesive made for the material
    •    The square tile type often has an adhesive backing that makes for easier installation
    •    Best suited for wet areas such as a mud room, laundry room or bathroom.

Hardwood Flooring

    •    Available in planks or parquet tiles
    •    Some types install with nails, others with glue
    •    Popular types of wood are oak, maple, beech, birch and pecan
    •    Has tongue and groove joints for a tight installation
    •    Ideal for almost every room, but best suited for the kitchen, entryways, dining room and bedroom

Engineered Flooring

    •    A popular alternative to solid hardwood flooring
    •    The surface veneer is made of hardwood such as maple or oak, while tongue and groove strips underneath are constructed of plywood
    •    Easy to install because it can be installed without a subfloor and requires no sanding or finishing
    •    Usually installed by gluing to the subfloor, although some types snap together and don't require glue
    •    The size of the veneer will determine the floor’s durability. High-quality engineered floors feature surface veneer of 5/32 inch to 1/8 inch.
    •    Ideal for almost every room, but best suited for the kitchen, entryways, dining room and bedroom.

Laminate Flooring

    •    Consists of thin layers of wood or paper products adhered to a resilient foam core
    •    Designed to look like wood, stone or marble
    •    A coating of aluminum oxide provides hardness for the flooring
    •    Easy to maintain and resists scratching, denting and staining
    •    A glueless, interlocking design offered by some manufacturers makes it easy to install
    •    Works in almost every room in the house, but not recommended for bathrooms since it can swell when exposed to water

Ceramic Tile

    •    More durable and easier to maintain than vinyl or wood flooring
    •    Glazed tile is made of clay that has been single fired at a high temperature, a process that makes color and shape permanent and a surface that is resistant to stains, burns and scratches
    •    Comes with a durability rating from 1 to 4+
    •    Class 1 is the least durable, while 4+ is intended for commercial applications with heavy traffic
    •    Available in a variety of colors and patterns
    •    Comes in 12x12-inch size; accent pieces can be 2x2, 4x4 or 6x6 inches
    •    Since ceramic tile is impervious to water seepage, it's excellent for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.

Marble Tile

    •    Made of natural marble
    •    Slick and easily scratched, although scratches can be buffed out
    •    Tiles should be sealed after installation
    •    Types include travertine (for exterior use), white (translucent) and green (usually installed with water-free epoxy mortars)
    •   Marble tile is most typically used in bathrooms, but can also be well suited for entryways.

Granite Tile

    •    Made of solid granite
    •    Similar to marble, but harder, denser and more durable
    •    Must be sealed after installation
    •    Commonly used on countertops
    •    More difficult to harm than marble, but also more difficult to restore when damaged
    •    Granite floors are becoming increasingly popular in kitchens thanks to the beautiful styles, colors, variety, and durability.

Slate Tile

    •    Made of shale with a natural cleft finish
    •    Must be sealed after installation
    •    Ideal for almost any room, but are most commonly used in bathrooms.

Quarry Tile

    •    Has a shale body, extruded then cut to size with edges ground smooth
    •    Very durable, and often used in institutional settings
    •    Can be glazed, but is usually sold unglazed. Must be sealed after installation.
    •    Because quarry tile is a thicker, tougher, water-resistant tile, it is best suited for surfaces that receive heavy traffic, such as the entryway or the kitchen.

[Main image: istockphoto]

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