One of my pet peeves in a home is when you step inside and immediately see several different types of flooring.
It makes the home -- especially if it is a smaller space -- seem choppy and poorly designed. At the very least, a buyer might think the property's layout was ill-conceived.
Stand in your own entryway and look around. Can you see a tile entry, carpeted living room, vinyl kitchen -- you get my drift.
So, if you're considering sprucing up your existing space for a future sale or for your own enjoyment, think about the flooring.
In this area, St. Louis' Illinois suburbs, hard wood floors are king. Replace your worn carpet with gleaming wood and you might even give your moving plans a second thought.
Here are some wood flooring basics:
Solid wood floors are milled from a single piece of hard wood that can be sanded and restored over time.
Engineered wood floors are created with several layers of hard wood that are bonded together to create a surface that won't be impacted by your home's humidity and can be installed on any level of the house.
Wood-look laminate flooring simultes the look of wood without the same costs and with some extra durability. Many brands come with 30-year warranties. While it isn't quite as chic, laminates have come a long, long way in terms of their ability to simulate the look of fine hardwoods.
Think about where you're installing your flooring. Is it on the main level, upstairs or in your lower level? Old-school hardwoods are not suitable for below grade spaces because of potential water/humidity/moisture issues. With a barrier, engineered wood floors -- which are much less affected by moisture -- can be installed below grade.
Even though we see it from time to time, you don't want to install traditional or engineered hardwood floors in a bathroom. (Ok, maybe a main level powder room, but not where there is a shower or tub and certainly not where little ones might decide to dump a box of Legos down the toilet and flush them away.) I am seeing more wood in kitchens now, especially in very open floor plans.
Note that adding hardwood floors won't give you the same bang for the buck as, say, a needed kitchen or bath remodel, but if everything else is up to today's expectations in your home and you're not exceeding the value of your neighborhood -- it's a nice way to add some impact.
You can learn more about hardwoods and fine local purveyors from the National Wood Flooring Association.
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