Pro’s and con’s of all the popular flooring types for any room you’re looking to replace flooring in!
Picking out new flooring is not an easy thing, especially with all the options from hard wood, vinyl plank, tile to carpet. Whether it’s your own home or your commercial real estate property, First Choice Handyman has experience with them all.
Durability, budget and personal taste are all things to consider when looking for new flooring. We’ll cover the pros and cons for the most popular and common types of flooring.
Hardwood Flooring
Made from real wood, hardwood flooring is one of the most beautiful types of flooring you can pick. Oak, maple and cherry are just some of the different wood types you can pick from. Along with the type of wood, there is also different finishes you can pick from to really bring your room together.
Pros
- Increases property value
- Long lasting and durable
- Can be refinished multiple times
Cons
- Expensive, averages $5-10 per square foot
- Can be scratched and dented in high traffic areas
- More susceptible to water damage
Engineered Hardwood Flooring
Real wood look at a more affordable cost than real hardwood flooring. Engineered hardwood flooring has a high quality plywood core, with a real wood veneer on the outside layer. It’s also better for high moisture rooms than real hardwood flooring.
Pros
- More resistant to water damage than real wood
- Cheaper than real wood flooring
- Less likely to warp compared to real wood
- Easier to install than real wood
Cons
- Can only be refinished once
- Finish can fade over time
- Quality can vary by brand
Laminate Flooring
Usually made from particleboard or plywood, laminate flooring has a real wood or tile photograph top underneath a wear resistant laminate film.
Pros
- Affordable, usually $3 to $7 per square foot
- Scratch resistant
- Easy to clean
- Easy to install
Cons
- Prone to water damage
- Unrealistic wood or stone look
- Can be noisy if not installed correctly
Vinyl Flooring
One of the most popular and resilient floorings around, vinyl flooring can be one of the most beautiful and affordable options. It can come in sheets, planks or tiles. Along with the different installation options, vinyl flooring has a wide variety of design options from wood or stone.
The most popular version of vinyl you’ll find now days is luxury vinyl plank (LVP) or luxury vinyl tile (LVT). The price will usually vary based on the thickness of the plank or tile, but these options are easier to install than sheets.
Pros
- Water resistant
- Easy to clean
- Long lasting, especially compared to laminate flooring
- Easy to install options (LVP or LVT)
Cons
- More expensive than laminate, especially LVP or LVT
- Quality may vary
- Designs don’t match up to real wood or stone
Tile Flooring
A great option for moisture prone rooms such as bathrooms. Tile flooring is usually made from ceramic or porcelain, making them soft and durable. Like other flooring options, tile comes in a wide variety of designs to choose from.
Pros
- Water-proof
- Wide variety of designs and shapes
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Expensive, $4 to $15 per square foot
- Difficult to install
- Requires a lot of prep work to install