[The following is a collaborative post. Words and photos are my own. ]
If you are following me on Instagram or have met in real life in the past two weeks, you’ll know that flooring is a hot topic in our house right now. The mismatched laminate laid by the previous owners was past its best and is now history, ripped out and disposed of. The question of what to replace it with is one we have been pondering for months, before ever even lifting one slat of the old floor.
The thing is, choosing a new floor is a big decision. There is the cost factor of course. Then trends and taste and the function of the room and all manner of other considerations come into play. Since January we have been looking at flooring on and off. From tiles to vinyl to solid wood, we’ve considered it all. Here’s my run down on a selection of the many, many flooring options out there.
Carpet
Like a huge portion of Irish people, I grew up in a carpet-clad home. Cosy, soft underfoot and quiet, carpet is a great option for bedrooms and livingrooms. A good quality carpet lends a touch of luxury and instant comfort to a room, I find. On a practical note, it is easily laid and, properly cared for, will last well. Quality is one thing you want to go in for in carpet to ensure durability, according to Carpet One, so the main thing is to make sure that you are getting the best carpet you possibly can.
Wood
Solid wood flooring is something that always catches my eye. It is so versatile that it can be used throughout your home and still suit the look you want for each room, whether you can going for modern rustic, scandi or retro interios. The feel underfoot is one thing I love about wooden flooring, so I was over the moon when we discovered good-quality floorboards under our worn out laminate. Sanded and given a few coats of matt sloor varnish, it has come up beautifully. Not as cold as tiles or as warm as carpet, wood is a great year round material. If you are choosing to have a wooden floor installed, make sure to choose a high quality wood that won’t mark easily and use a hard-wearing sealant so your floor keeps looking well for years to come. Of course you can always sand it after a number of years, but the better you treat it from the get go, the better your floor will last.
Laminate
A good option for that wooden look but without the danger of not wearing well enough is laminate flooring. I know I said we just ripped ours out, but to to be fair it was badly laid and somewhere between 20 and 30 years old. It had definitely served its purpose. When researching an option for our livingroom, we looked at wood-effect laminates and vinyls . The quality was vastly different from the one laid in our house by the previous owners. The similarity to actual wood was very close. Properly laid, I am not sure I would immediately notice a difference. Apparently it is quite an easy flooring option to diy lay, making it quite attractive cost-wise.
Whatever flooring you choose, look for quality. Remember that floors are put in to last. Durability and good quality are worth paying for. If like us, you are lucky enough to find the original floors in good quality beneath carpet or laminate, make sure too to treat them well so that will last a long time to come.