You put covers on your outlets, child locks on your medicine cabinet, and baby gates in front of stairs – virtually every aspect of your home is adapted to be a safe environment for your child. But what about your floors? Such a large surface definitely deserves consideration when child-proofing your home. But how to know what is the best flooring for kids? The answer depends entirely on your family’s unique needs. To help, we at Carolina Flooring Services have created a list of our four top kid-friendly floors.
Carpet – Best for families seeking comfort. Carpet is the first choice for many families with children because its softness and warmth provides a cozy place to play and a forgiving surface for unsteady walkers to fall on. It is not as easily maintained as other flooring options, so parents should be sure to enforce rules prohibiting food, drinks, and messy crafts like fingerprints in carpeted rooms. Selecting a carpet with a flecked patterns or different colored threads while help mask inevitable stains, too.
Cork – Best for families with allergies. Cork is the best flooring for kids with allergies and can do much to benefit your child’s health. The dense nature of cork makes it both impervious to water and airtight, eliminating common allergens such as mildew in the subfloor as a result of spills and accumulated dust and pet dander. And the natural softness and warmth of cork makes it a much more preferable play surface than traditional hardwood!
Laminate and Vinyl – Best for families who play hard. Both laminate and vinyl are less expensive flooring options that hold up extremely well in areas with high traffic. Both flooring options are also easily cleaned with regular sweeping and a damp mop. Health conscious families may prefer these flooring types because they can also be installed over an existing flooring type – provided that the floor is level and undamaged – as a floating floor, meaning without the use of nails or glue that could emit toxic fumes. Families that chose to install laminate also appreciate how easily minor scratches can be repaired with a laminate fill-in kit. Should you install vinyl, be careful not to allow cleats in the house, as these can dent the surface.
Still love hardwood floors? Some families may choose to install hardwood floors despite having children because they are such a wonderful investment in the value of your home. To protect both your youngsters and your investment, place rugs in areas where Junior likes to play and mats to wipe his feet at the doors. Regular sweeping will prevent scratches on the woods surface and prevent toddlers from picking up and eating crumbs and debris. When doing a deep clean, be sure to use a floor cleaner that meets both your manufacturer’s specifications and contains non-toxic ingredients.
Families with babies just learning to walk who have chosen to install laminate, hardwood, or vinyl should be careful to use no-slip baby socks to provide traction and prevent tumbles. With any flooring surface, parents should be diligent about wiping up spills immediately to prevent staining and damage to the subfloor.
Once you’ve considered your families needs, budget, and personal style, contact us to learn more about our services and products. We are ready to help you select and install the right flooring for your family today!