Decorating & Design - Flooring

How to choose the right floor material

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How to choose the right floor material

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An increasingly diverse range of flooring materials is available these days. To help you sort through the options, here’s the lowdown on the main products out there.








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VINYL

Characteristics
  • Huge selection of styles and colours. Available in tiles or sheets.

Pros
  • Low price, low maintenance.
  • Double-thick vinyl is ideal for damp areas like bathrooms. Tiles are easy to DIY if the subfloor is level.

Cons
  • Vulnerable to scratches, tears, stains and wear.

Cost
  • $2-$10 per square foot
choosing-flooring-2.jpg
CERAMIC TILE

Characteristics
  • Huge selection of colours, styles and sizes.

Pros

Cons
  • Can cause discomfort to legs and back after prolonged standing. Not all tiles are equally wear-resistant; high-traffic areas like kitchens call for stronger ceramic.
  • Can crack or chip.
  • Needs a level subfloor.

Cost
  • $7-$25 per square foot
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LINOLEUM

Characteristics
  • Huge selection of styles and colours. Available in tiles or sheets.

Pros
  • Natural, biodegradable and hypoallergenic, composed of flax and natural resin. Does not trap dust or bacteria, which helps air quality. Low maintenance, durable and mildew-resistant.

Cons
  • Does not suit all decors.

Cost
  • $7-$13 per square foot.

1 Comment

  • by
    ciaohola
    on 2009-04-27
    Reply to this comment

    good info, except the headings are hidin or not there so one is guessing what product they are reading about. Please fix and it is a great resource to have on file.

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