Kids. If there’s one thing that takes a toll on floors more than anything else, it’s children. Well, kids and heavy construction equipment. But chances are if you’re reading this article, you’re dealing with the former rather than the latter.
They may be small, but children can cause huge damage to your flooring. Between sports equipment, playing, snacking – and spilling, and getting bored and looking for something to do, kids will find a way to put your flooring through every test imaginable.
Falling for a Beautiful – Tough – New Floor
Fall is the ideal time to call a flooring company in South Florida and make upgrades to your home. The kids are off at school; you’re at work; vacation is over. While no one wants summer to end, it does mean crews can work for longer stretches without getting in your way or interfering with your home routine.
Changing a home’s flooring can make huge differences in the type of environment your family goes home to. What’s the best choice for back to school flooring? Let’s take a look at some top choices before you schedule a residential flooring subcontractor.
- HARDWOOD: An Endurance Champ
We’re big fans of hardwood and its tremendous durability. There are different approaches to hardwood. You can go with hardwood planks or floating composite hardwood floors. In either case, if (or when) your children try to destroy it, they’re going to have a tough time with anything short of an axe.
Hardwood’s built to last for decades. It’s an exceptional investment whether you intend on owning your home for a long time to come or want to increase its value. It’s also remarkably easy to clean, taking less time to remove dust and dirt from than just about any other flooring.
There are a few things to look out for with hardwood. The moisture down here during summer does wear hardwood faster than in climes up north. This isn’t through surface wear but rather through the humidity in the air. Hardwood can warp over time.
To overcome this obstacle, your residential flooring subcontractor can install the floor in such a way that the material has space to “breathe” along the edges. This allows the floors to expand and contract as a whole without individual boards pressing against each other. This can be hidden with molding to provide a seamless look to the wall and floor. It’s an approach that makes hardwood a fine choice even with our heat and humidity.
The only time we’d advise against hardwood is if you’re near the beach and a lot of water gets tracked in. Spills need to be cleaned off hardwood quickly so that they don’t set in and warp the wood.
Think of it this way: hardwood is your best choice for wear and tear. Its one weakness is regular exposure to excess water.
- CARPET: Cushioning Comfort
Carpet is comfortable, and its insulation qualities can help save on energy costs. It limits heat exchange, so the flooring helps trap cool air inside the house in summer and warm air inside the house in winter.
Carpet’s one weakness has long been its tendency to capture allergens, molds, and bacteria. Thankfully, it’s the 21st century. There are great new technologies in terms of materials. Today, you can find hypoallergenic and bacteria-resistant options. This can be a blessing for households with allergy sufferers or respiratory difficulties. Carpet has gone from a poor choice for those with bad health and allergies to one of the best – provided your carpet is made from materials that reject allergens and bacteria.
Carpet can help your family breathe easier – and it’s incredibly comforting. The soft, cushiony surface gives children more space to stretch out and lay down. Maintenance is easier, too, with better stain resistance than ever before. A must when it comes to kids!
Beyond this, the aesthetic of carpet has changed a lot in the past 20 years. Gone are the days when everything was beige – or worse, avocado green. Today, carpets are more colorful, textured, and can make an elegant statement. Carpet helps fill out and define a space instead of merely receding into the background.
- VINYL’S ADAPTIVENESS
Often overlooked are the benefits of vinyl flooring. Luxury vinyl is soft underfoot, hypoallergenic, doesn’t stain, and resists water. It’s remarkably easy to clean, and it doesn’t scratch or break easily. In the event there is damage, a section is very easy to replace (as opposed to carpet or hardwood surfaces, for instance).
While vinyl doesn’t have the decades-long durability of hardwood or the same soft cushion of carpet, it can be a better choice in terms of maintenance and water-resistance. Again, these are two critical qualities when you have children. And, as any flooring company is South Florida will tell you, vinyl is a great choice in our humid environment.
Luxury vinyl is also affordable. Fortunately, too, its design has come a very long way recently. Through advances in manufacturing, it can give an appearance of wood or stone that’s very difficult to tell apart from the real thing.
For rooms that get a lot of water or moisture collecting – mud rooms, laundry rooms, bathrooms, and basements – luxury vinyl is very often the best choice you can make. Its ability to resist moisture helps it reject the build-up of water, mold, and mildew. That helps keep your house and your family safe.
Talk to your residential flooring subcontractor about all the different choices available and what suits your family best. Finding the balance between aesthetic and practical concerns is an art in and of itself. The right choice can help you create a gorgeous look that still holds up to the worst your children can do to it.