The interim results of my unscientific flooring poll

First, thank you all that participated in my flooring poll. This flooring poll is ongoing and you are more than welcome to cast your vote. And, yes, I know it's not very scientific.  But, it's still fun.  Also, I know there are geographic preferences which are sometimes based on house construction, climate, as well as decor/architecture.

 

So, here are the findings so far (with 46 votes cast).  Most of it is consitent with what we are seeing here in the flooring market for westchester.

 

What is your preferred flooring surface for the kitchen?

• 46% Hardwood
• 43% Tile
• 4% Vinyl
• 4% Laminate
• 2% Cork

This is fairly consistent with what I would have expected, except that in the Westchester/NY area, there tends to be a bit more a preference for hardwood over tile (whereas in warm climates, there is more of a preference for tile).

 

Which type of flooring do you prefer for the living room?

• 93% Hardwood
• 7% Carpet

As expected, the overwhelming majority prefer hardwood floors in the main/common areas of the home.  

 

Which type of flooring do you prefer for the bedroom?

• 56% Hardwood
• 44% Carpet

This is consistent with what I see from my customers - they are split on their preferences for the bedrooms.  In our area, for houses that have poor insulation, many customers prefer carpet for the warmth they provide (and lower energy bills).

 

Which shades of hardwood flooring stains do you prefer?

• 26% Dark
• 62% Mid-tone
• 12% Light

This one surprised me as it is inconsistent with what I'm seeing in the Westchester/NY area.  Here, there is a strong preference for dark hardwood floors. And, this is followed by light hardwood floors.  I'm not sure if these results are skewed based on area of the country answering, low sample size or people's definition of mid-tone vs. dark vs. light.  I will say I go on plenty of appointments and aks people what they prefer and their answer is inconsistent with what they actually pick once they see the stain choices.  Funny.

 

Which tones of hardwood stains do you prefer?

• 86% Browns/golds
• 14% Reds

This is very consistent with what I see.  Reds tend to be very polarizing and only a minority of customers prefer these tones.

 

While these results may not be scientific, they are directionally correct and mostly consistent with what I see on a daily basis.  Hopefully, this info will help you, especially if you have sellers contemplating what to do with their floors before they put their house on the market. This may provide some guidance on what is most appealing to the largest set of buyers.  If, however, someone is living/staying in their house, it's most important that they choose something that they like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debbie Gartner, "The Flooring Girl" and owner of Floor Coverings International Westchester NY

 

Angie's List Super Service Award winners for 4 years in a row.

 

You can download our free flooring guide.  Or, visit our flooring selector - 2,000 options.  We install hardwood flooring, carpet and runners, tile floors and backsplashes.  We also refinish hardwood floors.

 

Call us for a free estimate 914-937-2950.

"We bring the store to your door."

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