different-types-flooring

dining room with light coloured wood flooring and blue cupboards

From timeless stone tiles to cosy carpets and innovative laminates that offer all kinds of wood and tile effects, there are thousands of floors to choose from – and each type brings a different look and feel to a room. But practicality is just as important as looks. Some floors shrug off heavy use without a scratch and need little maintenance, while others are less forgiving and so are best reserved for areas of minimal wear and tear. So, how do you ensure that you select a floor that ticks all the boxes – looks fantastic, suits your lifestyle and performs well for many years? We have the facts to help you make the perfect choice.

Hard floors

Include some of the most durable and stylish options, such as ceramic and stone tiles and hard woods. These need very little maintenance, although some types of stone tiles need a sealing treatment from time to time. Hard floors can be expensive, tend to be noisy to walk on, and can be cold underfoot. Laminate and engineered hard wood floors tend to be cheaper than solid wood but have similar qualities. One drawback of laminate is that if it gets scratched or dented – rather than gaining character, as happens with real wood – it will simply look damaged.

Rubber, cork, linoleum and vinyl

They fall into the medium-softness category. These floors have a degree of flexibility and some warmth underfoot. They are hard-wearing and easy to clean, have insulating properties, are quiet to walk on, and linoleum has anti-bacterial properties, making it particularly useful for the kitchen, bathroom or playroom. Medium-soft floors are not easily marked, but once scratched or torn are difficult to repair. If you use tiles, be sure to keep a few spares to replace any damaged ones.

Carpet and natural fibre floors

These make up the soft category. A good quality carpet or natural-fibre floor will last many years, is quiet to walk on and has good sound-insulating qualities, making it an excellent choice for bedrooms. Carpets can be made of 100 per cent wool; a wool and synthetic-fibre mix, or entirely of synthetic fibres. Wool looks and feels luxurious, is hard-wearing, easy to clean and has some natural stain resistance. A wool and nylon or polypropylene blend is more hard-wearing and stain resistant, and tends to be cheaper than 100 per cent wool. Natural-fibre flooring includes sisal, seagrass, coir and jute. It is unsuitable for use in areas that get wet, such as the bathroom, kitchen or utility room. Jute is not hard-wearing and can fade in sunlight, but can be a good option for bedrooms.