The right flooring to any room can add a touch of class and sophistication. It is important to remember the function of the room before choosing between the many material options. For example, wood flooring may be perfect for a living room but not so great for the bathroom, because it could warp from the moisture. Some things to keep in mind before deciding the flooring material are the maintenance, pricing, installation, and style.

Some floors are in “busier” rooms of the house requiring more attention than others. The heavy traffic and dirt that come through the kitchen after school or soccer practice may call for routine cleaning to keep your floors looking tidy. Hardwood flooring can get dusty, dirty, or easily scratched. It should be swept and vacuumed regularly never using a soaked mop to clean the surface or any products with ammonia. Bamboo, though a very durable material, sometimes needs maintenance every once in a while. It can still be scratched, damaged, or possibly punctured from wearing high heels, stilettos, or sliding leg chars across the floor. Vinyl floors need similar work to that of wood flooring, requiring sweeping and vacuuming frequently. Also, not using a mop, detergents, or anything bristle when cleaning is suggested as well to maintain a flawless finish.

The pricing of material should be taken into account in guiding your choice of flooring material. Here are some price ranges for the different materials to help you plan before you install. Hardwood flooring tend to run around $5 to $15 depending upon the quality and the width of the boards with an installation fee of around $2 to $8 per square foot. Laminate flooring is very affordable ranging between $1 to $6 per square foot with a $1 to $5 installation fee. Linoleum runs around $2 and $3 per square foot, with an installation fee of $5 to $7 depending on how complex the designs or color patterns are. Vinyl sheets are usually $1 to $5 per square foot with a $1 to $2 square foot installation fee. Vinyl tiles are the cheapest flooring option ranging between $1 to $4 per square foot and $1 to $2 per square foot for installation. Stone tiles and ceramic tiles are much more expensive running between $7 to $20 and $5 to $15 per square foot of material respectively. In addition, their installation rates are also higher because it is more labor intensive than vinyl, running around $6 to $8 per square foot for both.

However, some of the installation costs can be avoided by doing the installation yourself. From reading tips online, you can save the money on a professional contractor and install hardwood flooring, vinyl, or laminate flooring yourself. Though it is highly recommended that you hire a professional contractor to make sure the job is done properly the first time, it is possible without one. You can save money in installation fees and decide to splurge in other areas of your redesign project instead.

Lastly, when thinking about colors for your flooring, you want to pick colors that match the tone and style of the room. For a more soothing and calming presence, pick lighter colors that will convey just that. To create a warm and relaxing atmosphere, you should go with any of the darker colored options.