The Pros and Cons of Different Home Flooring Options

Posted by Daria King on December 12th, 2019

Good flooring is the basis of every good home design. It's the floor you walk on, and the foundation of the color, texture, and style in any room. Different rooms have different purposes, but the design rules are essentially the same: make it look good but make it functional for both everyday use and entertaining company. 

So if you're considering various types of home flooring for your home design or renovation project, here are the top pros and cons of your different options.

Carpet: Pros

Carpet is soft and comfortable and makes a home feel inviting. Some people consider carpet a necessity for some rooms, like media rooms and dens. Dark carpet can hide stains pretty well. It's also one of the cheaper flooring options.

Carpet: Cons

Carpet can be tough to clean because it absorbs liquids, oils, grease, and other causes of stains. Light-colored carpet will show dust, dander, dirt, and virtually all stains very easily. Also, the carpet can feel too informal if the pile is too long. But if the pile is too short, your home can look official and sterile, like an office.

Tile: Pros

Tile is more style-versatile than carpet and can make homes look elegant and fresh. Tile is a flat surface that's fairly easy to clean. You can sweep, vacuum, and mop it to keep it sanitary.

Tile: Cons

However, tile has a difficult grout that can chip or stain very easily. Often, the only way to clean grout is to scrub it extensively. Also, ceramic tile can be more expensive than carpet. Certain kinds of stone tiles are the most expensive flooring option anywhere. Tile is also expensive to install because it's labor-intensive.

Hardwood: Pros

Hardwood is timeless and elegant, blending warm comfort and restrained elegance all at once. A hardwood flooring company in Chicago can help you customize various effects, like distressing or painting wood, to give it a modern or even eccentric look. Hardwood is long-lasting if you maintain it well, and can even be restored after damage, unlike carpet or tile.

Hardwood: Cons

Hardwood isn't appropriate for bathrooms and other rooms that are likely to experience wet floors. Spills may stain if you don't clean them right away, and hardwood often needs protection in the form of a sealant. However, this sealant can actually add color and enhance the texture of natural hardwood.

When it comes to hardwood, the pros far outweigh the cons. If you want to learn more about the superior choice in home flooring, visit a hardwood flooring company to explore your style options. A good hardwood flooring company in Chicago can help you select a long-lasting, affordable, and beautiful variety of wood that's sure to last.