Quick Tips for Floor Buying
There are so many different types and styles of flooring options on the market that it can paralyzing for a homeowner who has to decide what type to pick. This bewilderment is compounded by the fact that once installed, the floor is going to be in the room for many years. If the homeowner really can’t stand the look of it anymore, its removal by a flooring company is going to be labor intensive, and more than likely expensive.
Therefore, one tip when it comes to floor buying is for the homeowner to know the design, layout and use of the room first. If you are in Charleston, SC looking for a flooring company to help you understand your options, then you should consider reaching out to us. For example, wood is probably not the best material to put in a bathroom or in a damp basement, though an engineered wood floor, which is a floor made out of many layers of cross-grained wood, can tolerate moisture better than most. If the homeowners have a small room they want to look bigger, they can install a light colored floor. Conversely, if they have a large room they want to appear smaller, they can install a darker colored floor. Here are some flooring options to choose from.
Hardwood
Hardwood is beautiful and long lasting. It’s delightful to walk over in bare feet. It comes in strips planks and blocks, with strip flooring charleston sc the most common. Floors will need to be finished, either with polyurethane or wax to protect them from staining, though prefinished wood floors cost more and need to be installed very carefully so not to damage them. Wood flooring comes in several grades, with clear as the best and #2 common the lowest grade, though it’s not necessarily bad. It just has knots and irregularities and is sold without a warranty.
Usually, when a person buys wood flooring, they should add 5 percent to the amount of wood they buy to make up for shrinkage and waste. A #2 common grade wood floor will probably need the buyer to purchase 10 percent more. These are just common to the industry, but not necessarily the actual process you will experience when you decide to purchase hardwood floors. At Carolina Flooring Services, we strive to be your flooring company of choice in the Charleston, SC area, and that means giving you the highest level of service from start to finish. If you have questions about hardwood flooring for your home in Charleston or just want to look at your options, we are here to help you!
Carpet
Carpet has a very wide variety of textures, colors, patterns and prices. It also comes in all sorts of fibers, and typically the more fibers per square inch, the longer the carpet will last. This is merely a rule of thumb. It’s important that carpet be installed with padding, because this will prolong the carpet’s life, makes it more pleasant to walk on, muffles noise and cuts down on cold. Most pads are felt or sponge rubber, but felt shouldn’t be used in areas of high humidity, and rubber shouldn’t be used over radiant heated floors.
Resilient Flooring
Only carpet is softer to walk on than resilient flooring. It can come in rolls or tiles. Tiles are less expensive and easier to install. Resilient flooring can be installed on any grade, but some types shouldn’t be laid on concrete if the concrete is in contact with the ground, and it can’t be installed over existing resilient flooring. It can, however, be installed over an older wood floor with a sturdy subfloor beneath it. If you are looking for resilient flooring options for your home in Charleston, then don’t hesitate to give us a call today.