When decorating or moving home, one of the most important factors to consider is the flooring. If you have children or pets, it will need to be hard-wearing but it also needs to suit the character of your home. If the room is used a lot, with people often walking in and out, then a surface that is easy to clean is best. Also if children play on the floor or you like walking around without shoes on, then a warm surface such as wood laminate or vinyl are top choices.
Liking the Look of Laminate
If you want the look of a wood floor but without the expense, laminate is an inexpensive option and is easy to install with the planks clicking together – no need for glue or nails. Laminate floors come in a range of finishes, so you could chose a tile or granite look rather than wood effect.
Varieties of Vinyl
Vinyl flooring is also easy to install, easy to clean and low maintenance. It is very flexible and also comes in a range of finishes, so you could choose vinyl which looks like carpet, tiling, marble or wood. If the room gets a lot of strong sun, the vinyl may be prone to fading, which is something to consider.
Which Material to Choose?
The prices for laminate and vinyl are very similar, so there isn’t much to choose between them. Both are tough and so will be long-lasting. The downside to laminate is that it can dent easily, while vinyl might not look completely real when studied carefully. One tip for laminate is to mix the packets up because the boards from one package often have a similar pattern.
Often it is simply a matter of personal taste, so we would suggest going to a flooring supplier, such as http://www.ukflooringdirect.co.uk/, to see which style and colours you prefer. You may want to consider which is the best to install if you are doing it yourself or which is easier to replace.
Some areas of a room have more traffic than others, so when ordering it may be prudent to get an extra pack so that you can easily replace damaged or worn pieces without having to wait for them to be delivered or risk them being out of stock.
